'Only Kairo… and Caelen?'
Eli's breath caught.
His eyes widened before he could stop himself.
He hadn't expected the story to take such a sharp turn—hadn't expected this to be the origin of their hatred. He'd heard of the first dungeon explosions, the early tears that devastated entire districts… but knowing Caelen and Kairo were witnesses—
Survivors.
Victims.
That changed everything.
"What happened?" Eli asked quietly.
Caelen leaned back slightly on the swing, watching his feet drag furrows into the gravel.
"Everyone in the restaurant tried to fight," he said, tone disturbingly casual. "Some even tried to protect Kairo and me. Of course, they were weak. So they died."
Eli tensed.
Caelen continued, almost amused, "When everyone but us was dead, it was just Kairo and me left to die too."
Eli swallowed hard. "Since you're not dead… I'm assuming you guys did something?"
