The wind shifted.
What I thought were shadows took shape, armor catching the faint red light, boots crushing the grass flat.
Kael's jaw tightened. "Royal Guard," he muttered. "Run."
"Who the hell are the Royal Guard?" I asked.
"The reason I was bleeding out under that lamp," he said. "They serve the throne. They hunt Magi who refuse conscription."
"Conscription?"
"They want every healer bound to their army," Kael said through clenched teeth. "Every Magi forced to patch up their warriors while the clans kill each other."
My stomach knotted. "So they stab you, then demand you fix their soldiers?"
"Exactly." He pushed me behind a large rock, the color draining from his face. "If they find me alive, they'll capture us both and drag us to the front lines."
The night crackled with the sound of metal striking metal. The Royal Guard moved closer, armor of silver and black trimmed in red catching the last of the dying light.
Kael's head snapped toward me, eyes sharp. "Stay low."
"I'm already low," I hissed, pressing against the wet ground. "You didn't mention they came in packs."
He didn't answer. Instead, he tore the cloak from his shoulders and threw it over me. The fabric was heavy and smelled like cold rain and smoke.
"Cover your face. You don't belong here," he said, voice low but steady. Then he lifted his hands and drew light from the air. The runes on his forearm lit like molten ink.
The ground beneath us shivered. Air warped. My stomach lurched like I'd missed a step on a stair that wasn't there.
"Kael, what are you doing—"
"Saving your life."
Light swallowed us whole.
When the world snapped back, the rain was gone. Salt and brine hit my nose. Waves smashed against pilings, and voices rose and fell in a hundred different languages.
We stood in a narrow alley between two leaning buildings, walls slick with moss and old magic. Someone nearby shouted prices over the hiss of steam and gulls.
Kael steadied himself against the wall and pulled his cloak tighter around me. "Welcome to Trevaugal. Do not speak unless I tell you."
The alley opened into a maze of stalls lit by blue lanterns. Fishmongers and traders argued in tongues I didn't recognize. The cobbles were slick with oil and seawater, glinting faintly under the lantern light.
"This place smells like a fish market and a black market had a baby," I muttered.
Kael's mouth twitched. "Stay close."
He moved with purpose through the crowd until we reached a tavern half buried in the cliffside. The sign above the door read The Drowned Star. Men leaned against barrels outside, all steel eyes and scarred hands. They looked up as Kael approached, recognition flashing across their faces.
One of them grinned and raised his glass. "Thought you were dead, old man."
Kael's answer was dry. "Not yet."
The man's gaze flicked to me, curiosity sharp. "And the stranger?"
Kael didn't hesitate. "My apprentice."
I blinked. "Your what?"
"Play along," he murmured. "Or you'll be filleted before sundown."
He led me down a narrow hall behind the tavern, past a storeroom that smelled like seaweed and ale. At the end was a small room lit by a single lantern. The air was damp and heavy with salt.
"Change," Kael said, tossing me a bundle of clothes. "You stand out."
I looked down at my soaked scrubs. "What, the hospital-chic look isn't trending here?"
"Not unless you want someone thinking you're a spy from the front. Lose the uniform before someone asks questions."
He stepped out, closing the door behind him.
I stripped out of my clothes, the fabric clinging to my skin like regret. The air was cool, the floor uneven beneath my feet. A basin sat on the table beside a pitcher of water, so I poured some into my hands and wiped the grime away. The water smelled faintly of salt and iron.
By the time I reached for the towel, the door creaked open.
"Didn't mean to intrude."
I turned fast, towel half around my waist. A man leaned in the doorway, tall and lean, his hair streaked silver at the ends like it had been singed by lightning. His eyes glowed faintly blue in the lantern light.
"Kael said we had a guest," he said, voice smooth and easy. "Didn't say he'd be naked."
"Do you people not knock?" I asked, clutching the towel tighter.
He grinned. "Depends who's inside. I'm Rian."
"Corbin," I said. "Currently underdressed and overjudged."
He chuckled, the sound warm and low. "Relax. Trevaugal's seen worse. At least you're clean."
He picked up the damp cloth and dipped it in the basin. "You missed a spot."
Before I could move, he brushed the cloth across my shoulder. His touch lingered a moment too long, cool and careful, before he stepped back.
"You don't flinch like most outsiders," he said.
"I'm too tired to flinch."
"That helps." He rinsed the cloth again, setting it down. "Kael doesn't bring strangers here. This is one of his safehouses. You're lucky he likes you."
"Define 'likes.'"
"He didn't leave you to die. That's close enough."
For a moment, silence filled the room except for the steady thrum of waves beyond the walls.
Rian's gaze drifted to my hair. "We tie it back here," he said. "It marks you as under protection."
He reached up before I could stop him, fingers brushing my damp hair as he braided it. His touch was deft, practiced. The braid felt almost ritualistic.
"Why bother?" I asked quietly.
"It keeps you alive," he said. "Shows someone's watching your back."
"So I'm property now?"
"Think of it as insurance," he said with a faint smile. "Kael's smart to claim you."
When he finished, he stepped back to admire his work. "Better. You look like you belong."
I reached for the clothes. "They smell like wet dockhand."
He laughed softly. "Good. Nobody questions dockhands."
He lingered by the door, watching me dress, something thoughtful in his expression. "You're not what I expected."
"What were you expecting?"
"Another Magi. Someone broken. Not someone who jokes about it."
"I'm adaptable," I said. "Or too stubborn to die."
Rian's grin widened. "Let's hope it's both." He opened the door halfway, then paused. "If anyone knocks, don't answer. Kael will know how to reach you."
He left, closing the door behind him.
The lantern flickered, shadows stretching long against the walls. I pulled the shirt over my head, the braid brushing the back of my neck, and looked at my reflection in the metal basin.
System Notice: Vital Signature Detected — Aetherion Clan.
*Cognitive Link Established.
*Status: Adaptive Synchronization in Progress.
I sighed. "You've got to be kidding me."
The door opened again. Kael stepped in, cloak dripping, exhaustion carved into his face.
"You look terrible," I said.
"So do you," he replied evenly. "The Royal Guard were closer than I thought."
Rian slipped back inside behind him. "You didn't lead them here, did you?"
Kael glared at him. "I've been running safehouses longer than you've been shaving. I know how to vanish."
He unrolled a map across the table, pinning it with a chipped mug. "We're here," he said, pointing to a small mark on the coast. "Trevaugal. The Great Hall lies inland across the Miren Fields. Two days' travel if we move before dawn."
"And if we don't?" I asked.
Kael's gaze was steady. "Then they find us."
Rian leaned on the table, studying the map. "They'll expect you to head north."
"Which is why we go south first," Kael said. "Through the lower ridge. We circle back near the old ley crossings. The Hall will sense our approach and open the wards."
"Assuming they still owe you a favor," Rian said quietly.
"They do," Kael said. "And if not, they'll owe me another."
I crossed my arms. "So, just to be clear, we're sneaking across a battlefield toward a place that may or may not let us in?"
Kael gave me a faint, tired smile. "Welcome to the Magi Realm."
He turned to Rian. "Get supplies. Food, cloaks, and a false seal in case the patrols stop us."
Rian nodded, then looked back at me. "Try to sleep, dockhand. You'll need it."
He slipped out again, and Kael sat on the edge of the table, rubbing his temples.
"Corbin," he said quietly. "The Great Hall is your only chance to learn what you are. They'll see the mark and understand."
"And if they don't?"
"Then we run," he said simply.
Outside, the sea pounded against the rocks, steady as a heartbeat. I leaned back on the cot and stared at the ceiling until my eyes drifted shut.
System Notice: Objective Updated — Reach the Great Hall of Magi.
Warning: Royal Guard proximity increasing. Travel before dawn recommended.
"Yeah," I murmured. "Got it."
Sleep came heavy and dreamless, the kind that feels like falling into another world.