The island behind them no longer felt like a battlefield.
Not because it was peaceful—there were still voices moving through ruined streets, still the sound of rigging being adjusted and boats being prepared—but because the worst of it was done. The chains were gone. The Shard was secured. What remained was motion. Controlled, purposeful motion that no longer depended on one man burning himself hollow to keep everything together.
Noel stood near the edge of the clearing, shadows pooling naturally at his feet, breathing steady. He tested it once—just a flicker, a half-step—and felt the familiar pull of Shadow Step answer without resistance. No dizziness. No tearing strain behind his eyes. His mana didn't recoil from the idea.
"I'm good," he said, calmly, before anyone could question it. "Not invincible. But I can move us. More than once. I won't collapse like before."
