The road to Valryn was quieter than I expected.
Not empty. Just… steady. The kind of silence that settles when the world isn't actively trying to kill you. The kind that lets your thoughts stretch out and get annoying.
I rode ahead on my mount, reins loose in my hands, letting the rhythm of its steps keep me grounded. Kael's Shadow Hound prowled beside me, silent as ever, while Zeref's phoenix traced lazy circles overhead, its wings casting flickers of light across the road.
Three of us again.
Not as enemies. Not as strangers. Not as ghosts.
I told myself not to think too much about that.
I lasted maybe ten minutes.
As we passed through a small village tucked between rolling hills and half-frozen streams, a familiar marker flickered at the edge of my vision. A subtle system prompt. Easy to miss if you weren't looking for it.
I smiled.
Right. This place.
"Let's stop here for a bit," I said, pulling my mount to a halt.
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Random village detour?"
