The sky stayed gray most of the day.
Not heavy.
Just there.
Kael walked with his hands relaxed at his sides.
No tension in his shoulders.
No need to watch every shadow.
Lira noticed it.
"You're lighter," she said.
Kael felt it too.
I'm not waiting for resistance.
They followed a shallow trail through low grass and scattered stones.
The land showed signs of use—but not control.
Footprints crossed and vanished.
Paths overlapped without claiming ownership.
Jon broke the quiet.
"Does it ever come back?" he asked.
"The need to prove yourself?"
Kael didn't answer right away.
His intent came slowly, honest.
Only when you think someone is watching.
Lira nodded.
"And no one is," she added.
"Not the way they used to."
They stopped near a fallen tree.
Kael sat first.
Lira joined him.
The others settled nearby, spaced naturally.
No one filled the silence.
They didn't need to.
The Seer looked at Kael for a moment.
"You know," he said,
"this is how legends actually end."
Kael glanced at him.
"Quietly."
The Seer smiled faintly.
"Yes."
The clouds thinned by late afternoon.
Light slipped through in pale lines.
Kael stood again.
The group followed.
No discussion.
No signal.
As they moved on, Lira felt something settle—not in the bond, but in herself.
There was nothing left to prove.
No role to perform.
No enemy to react to.
Just choice, made each step.
And that—
Was enough.