- Balthor POV -
The road to Tharvaldur Castle was quiet. The citizens had no clue about what had just happened in the arena. The only unease came from the line of armored guards marching alongside them, spears glinting in the light filtering from the cavern ceiling.
The great gates loomed ahead, solid stone reinforced with thick bands of blackened steel. Balthor's gaze lingered on them for a long moment before he let out a slow breath. 'More than five decades since I last walked through here,' he thought, the memory carrying a strange weight in his chest.
At his side, Noriel walked with the quiet composure of a man who understood exactly what his presence meant. Redna, alert but silent, kept pace a step behind them.
