Kael awoke to the soft sound of an ethereal bell. For a brief moment, he didn't know where he was. The ceiling above him was made of living stone and enchanted moss that exuded a faint scent of mint. The walls seemed to breathe, as if the entire room were a sleeping creature.
He blinked slowly, trying to piece together the fragments of the previous night. The grimoire, Raven, the unexpected bite in the bath—he shuddered—and finally, the strange room in the magical "motel."
He sat up in bed and looked around. The room was spotless. No sign of Elion. Not even a trace of magic. Only silence.
"Of course..." he muttered, scratching his messy hair. "She left me."
He got up slowly, feeling heavy but rested. He was wearing the same clothes as the night before — a practical combination of light armor and traveling tunics — but there was no sign of his belongings. Backpack? Gone. Coin purse? Non-existent. Weapons? Nothing but a small dagger tucked into his boot.
