Zelene slipped through the narrow opening just as Finn hissed, "—I swear, if she died, Ray, you're explaining it to Lord Dravenhart—"
"I'm not explaining anything to that Duke," Ray snapped back.
Corvin rubbed his temples. "Both of you—please—just breathe."
Zelene cleared her throat.
All three froze.
Finn leapt three steps toward her. "YOU'RE ALIVE— I MEAN—OF COURSE YOU'RE ALIVE—BUT—OH GODS—WHERE WERE YOU—"
Ray's eyes widened for the first time that night. "Zelene."
Corvin exhaled, the tension in his shoulders finally dropping. "Thank the stars… what happened?"
She stepped fully inside and pushed the wall closed from behind.
The stone sealed itself with a soft click.
"I… found someone," she said.
Three different reactions:
Ray straightened so fast it looked painful.
Corvin's brows knit.
Finn's mouth dropped open.
"Someone?!" Finn whisper-yelled. "As in—like—a monster someone? Or like—a handsome someone? Or—"
"Finn," Ray warned.
Zelene held up a hand. "He wasn't hostile."
"He?" Ray repeated sharply.
Corvin crossed his arms. "Start from the beginning."
Zelene took a breath.
"There was a passage. Another one that split from the main tunnel. Someone was coming… so I hid. It was dark. I couldn't see him clearly—just a shape."
Finn whispered, "A shape? Like a shadow demon—"
"No. Like a person."
She met Ray's eyes. "A man."
Ray tensed again.
Corvin remained calm. "What did he do?"
"He grabbed my hand."
Finn gasped. "DID HE TRY TO EAT YOU?"
"No."
Ray's voice was low. "Did he hurt you?"
"No." She shook her head gently. "He… guided me back here."
That made all three of them still.
Corvin frowned. "You're saying he knew this tunnel existed."
Zelene nodded.
Ray's jaw tightened. "He walked through that darkness without stumbling?"
"Yes."
Finn blinked. "…Like he had night vision?"
"Something like that."
"Or like he's a bat person—"
"He's not a bat person, Finn."
Finn pouted. "You don't know that."
She continued, ignoring him.
"He didn't speak. Only said one word."
Ray leaned forward. "…What word?"
"Safe."
Ray's expression flickered—barely a crack—but it was enough to tell her he didn't like that.
Corvin asked softly, "Did you sense any danger?"
Zelene hesitated. "No. Actually… I felt the opposite."
Ray drew in a slow breath, controlling something behind his eyes.
Corvin sat down. "We need to consider the possibility that this person is connected to whatever the villagers are hiding."
Finn nodded vigorously. "Yeah! Like the Cerulean. Or—" he gasped dramatically, "—Cerulean's ghost—"
Zelene rolled her eyes.
Ray glared. "Finn."
"What? Ghosts are totally real."
Corvin ignored the chaos. "Whoever he is, he brought you back instead of harming you. That means something."
Zelene nodded.
Her fingers brushed her palm—the spot where his warmth still lingered.
Ray noticed.
His voice softened, almost reluctant. "Next time… don't go alone."
Zelene smiled faintly. "I didn't plan to."
"Still," he murmured, "you scared us."
Finn nodded. "Yeah! I was about to cry. Not like—actual crying crying—but like—man crying."
Zelene snorted. "Right."
Corvin settled beside the door. "We'll rest in shifts again. And no one touches that hidden passage until morning."
Zelene agreed.
But her mind wasn't on the sealed wall.
It was on the man who had moved through the darkness as if it welcomed him—
the silent stranger with warm hands, steady guidance, and a single whispered word.
Safe.