The group stepped onto the deck one by one.
Noel's boots touched the familiar polished wood. The ship was just as he remembered it—sleek, elegant, reinforced with enchanted runes that shimmered faintly under the sun. A warm summer breeze swept across the deck, carrying with it the scent of salt, wood, and distant pine.
Strapped to his belt, his dimensional pouch hung on the right side. On the left, Revenant Fang rested in its sheath, dormant but ever present.
Waiting near the mainmast were Elyra and Elena.
Elyra stepped forward first, her gray eyes sharp and direct. "Are you all alright? We heard what happened in the Holy Capital."
Elena stood beside her, arms crossed, her amber gaze focused on Noel. "The news reached Valor faster than I expected."
Noel met both their eyes.
"We're fine," he said. "Well… almost all of us."
His voice dropped slightly near the end. That subtle change in expression—just a flicker—was enough for both girls to catch it.
