Night fell over the valley, cloaking it in silence. The hearth fire in the stone hall burned low, casting long shadows across the walls. Most of the villagers had gone to their homes, leaving only the four of them at the table Kael silent, watchful; Lyra and Kairis still caught between disbelief and relief; Azel sitting across from them, his hands laced tightly together as if to keep them from trembling.
For a while, no one spoke. The crackle of the fire was the only sound.
It was Lyra who broke it first, her voice calm but edged with questions she had carried too long. "Why are you here, Azel?alone in this valley? Where is Illythra?"
The name hung heavy in the room. Kairis straightened, eyes sharp, waiting for the answer.
Azel's gaze flickered, and for a moment he looked older than his years, as though the question itself carried weight enough to bow him. He drew in a slow breath, eyes lowering to the fire. "If only I could answer that simply." His voice was quiet, roughened at the edges. "There are reasons I ended up here,reasons I stayed. As for Illythra…" His jaw tightened. "…that's not a truth I can give you in one breath,not tonight."
Kairis leaned forward, impatience flashing. "You can't just leave it there"
Lyra touched her arm, steady but firm. "Kairis." Her gaze returned to Azel. "Then tell us what you can."
Azel exhaled, shoulders sagging slightly. "The world isn't what it was when you left. The kingdom…" He hesitated, his silence heavier than denial. Finally, he said, "Not gone. But broken. Burned, scattered, twisted into something unrecognizable."
Lyra's fingers tightened around the rim of her bowl. "How?"
Azel shook his head, voice low, almost hoarse. "Not tonight,let me… let me believe in this moment first. That you're here,still Alive."
The raw honesty in his tone silenced them both.
Kairis swallowed hard, her anger softening despite herself. "You've changed alot."
Azel gave a bitter chuckle. "So, have you. You don't walk through other worlds and come back the same." His gaze lingered on Lyra, something unspoken passing through it. "And neither do I."
Kael finally leaned back in his chair, smirking faintly. "Well, isn't this touching." His tone was light, but his eyes glinted with sharp calculation as they slid from Azel to Lyra.
Kairis shot him a glare. "Shut it, Kael,this isn't the time for your bullshit."
Azel studied Kael for the first time, recognition flickering but unreadable. Then he looked back to Lyra and Kairis. "Rest for tonight. Tomorrow… I'll tell you what I can. About the fall. About what's left."
Lyra nodded slowly, her gaze steady. "Tomorrow, then."
The fire cracked louder, filling the silence that followed. Some truths could wait, but the weight of them already pressed close, heavy as the winter night.
"-" "-"
Azel guided them through narrow streets lit by lanterns and snow-reflected moonlight. The valley was quiet, the homes pressed close against the stone walls as though the mountains themselves were keeping them alive. Faces peeked through shutters as they passed watchful, cautious, but not unkind.
He stopped before a small house with smoke curling from its chimney. Pushing the door open, he gestured them inside. "It's not much, but it's warmer than the hall. You can stay here."
The house was simple stone walls, a low hearth, a handful of furs spread across the floor. The fire inside was already lit, crackling gently.
"You live here?" Lyra asked softly.
Azel shook his head. "No,Belongs to one of the elders. They'll take the hall tonight. Said "you'd need this more."
Kairis blinked, surprised. "They're giving up their home for us?"
"They've seen enough wanderers to know how much the road takes," Azel replied quietly. "It's how they survive together."
Kael stepped inside without waiting, claiming a place against the wall. "Generous Or foolish."
Azel's eyes narrowed faintly. "You'll find little foolishness here. Everyone's lost something. They won't let each other freeze."
Lyra moved closer to the hearth, her hands stretching toward the warmth. "Thank you Azel ," she said.
Azel only nodded, his expression unreadable. "Get some rest. Tomorrow… the words will come easier." He pulled his cloak tighter and slipped back toward the door. "I'll return at dawn."
The door closed softly, leaving the three of them in the hush of firelight.
"-" "-"
Kael leaned his head back against the wall, arms crossed, eyes glinting with some private thought. Kairis wrapped herself in one of the blankets Azel had left, muttering, "I still can't believe it. Azel. Alive. After everything."
Lyra hugged her knees, her gaze fixed on the flames. "I thought, we will never meet him again."
Kael smirked faintly without opening his eyes. "Hope's a dangerous thing. Cuts deeper than loss, if you're not careful."
Kairis scowled at him, then pulled the blanket tighter. "…Still better than nothing."
The silence lingered, heavy but not empty. The crackle of the fire filled it, steady and warm.
One by one, they settled onto the furs. Lyra lay awake longest, watching the flames burn down to embers. The weight of reunion pressed against her chest, tangled with questions Azel hadn't yet answered—about Illythra, about the kingdom, about why he now walked alone.
Somewhere outside, footsteps faded into the snow the sound of Azel walking alone through the valley night.
He didn't look back.
"-" "-"
Morning crept in without light. The sky was still black, smothered by clouds, but a thin gray glow bled through, marking the end of night.
The door creaked open, spilling in a rush of cold air. Azel stepped inside, a tray balanced in his hands. Bread, a pot of steaming broth, a few cups. Frost clung to his cloak, his face drawn and weary, as though he hadn't slept at all.
"You should eat," he said simply, setting the tray down on the table.
The smell of broth spread through the room, warm against the bitter chill. Lyra blinked sleep from her eyes and straightened. Kairis was already stretching, muttering, "Finally. I was about to chew my boots."
Azel slid a bowl toward her. "Boot leather's tougher. I've tried."
That pulled a short, startled laugh out of her, though she quickly masked it by tearing into the bread. Lyra cupped her bowl carefully, murmuring, "Thank you."
Kael leaned back in his chair, arms folded, watching instead of eating. "Hospitable," he remarked, "for someone who looks half-dead."
Azel ignored him. He sat across from Lyra and Kairis, wrapping his hands around his own cup. For a while, only the clink of spoons and the hearth's crackle filled the silence.
It was Lyra who finally spoke, her voice quiet but steady. "Last night you promised answers. Why here? Why alone?"
Azel's spoon stilled. He glanced once at the shuttered windows, then back at her. "Not here," he said softly. "Too many ears. Eat first. Then come with me."
Kairis shot him a sharp look. "You're still stalling."
A shadow of a smile tugged at his mouth. "You'll thank me later."