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The forest gave way to rolling hills, and beyond them, Ethan saw smoke curling lazily into the sky. His sharpened senses caught the clatter of hammers, the chatter of distant voices, and the warm smell of bread before the place even came into view.
By the time they crested the last rise, he saw it clearly: a village tucked against a stony ridge, wooden palisades circling its perimeter. Smoke rose from chimneys, carts rattled along dirt streets, and people moved in clusters, their clothes roughspun and simple.
It was nothing like the neon-lit city Ethan had left behind. And yet… it felt alive.
"That's Greystone," Kael said, adjusting the sword at his hip. "Small, but safe enough. At least for a night."
Safe. The word sank into Ethan like a promise. After the Silverfang, the thought of four walls and a roof sounded like heaven.
The guards at the wooden gate eyed them as they approached. One of them—barely older than Ethan—lowered his spear nervously. "Sir Kael? Didn't think we'd see you here again."
"Neither did I," Kael muttered. "But circumstances change." He motioned to Ethan. "This one's with me. He'll need lodging."
The guard hesitated, eyes narrowing on Ethan's hoodie and sneakers, clothing unlike anything he had ever seen. But Kael's presence was enough; the gate creaked open.
Inside, the village pulsed with life. Smiths hammered at forges, children darted between market stalls, and women drew water from a central well. Ethan's senses flooded with it all—the metallic tang of iron, the yeasty scent of baking bread, the laughter of children, the creak of wagon wheels. It was overwhelming, yet oddly comforting.
He caught himself smiling, only to realize people were staring. His clothes, his awkward gait, the way he gawked at everything—it all screamed outsider.
"Keep your head down," Kael muttered. "Curiosity can turn to suspicion fast."
They stopped at a tavern near the square. The sign above the door bore a painted boar's head, weathered by years of rain. Inside, the air was warm and thick with the smell of ale and roasted meat. Voices filled the space, hushed when the two of them entered, then resumed in murmurs.
Kael spoke to the innkeeper, a stout woman with a shrewd gaze. A few coins changed hands, and soon Ethan found himself in a small room with a straw mattress and a wooden stool.
It wasn't much. But to him, it was a palace.
For the first time since arriving in this world, he felt the tension drain from his body. He sat on the bed, hands trembling, staring at the wooden floorboards.
He should have been relieved. Instead, unease coiled in his chest. Kael's warning echoed in his mind: every faction in the realm will hunt you.
A knock startled him. Kael entered, carrying a loaf of bread and a jug of water. "Eat. You'll need strength."
Ethan tore into the bread hungrily, the taste richer than anything he'd ever known. His senses magnified every flavor, every texture, until it felt like a feast.
Between bites, he asked, "Why help me? You could've left me in the forest."
Kael leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. His eyes darkened. "Because I've seen what happens when prophecies are ignored. And because…" He paused, voice lowering. "I owe someone. Someone who believed the Veil would break in our lifetime."
Ethan swallowed hard. He wanted to ask more, but the weight in Kael's voice silenced him.
Outside, the tavern stirred with noise. Ethan's sharpened hearing picked up raised voices—a scuffle, the crash of a chair. Then, threading through the chaos, something else: a hum. Soft, melodic, tingling with power.
It wasn't sound exactly. It was energy. Magic.
He turned toward the noise just as the door to the tavern burst open. A girl stumbled in—barely older than him, her cloak torn, eyes blazing with defiance. Sparks of light danced across her fingertips as villagers recoiled.
Kael's hand went to his sword instantly. "Damn it… a sorceress."
Ethan froze. For the first time since coming here, he felt something stronger than fear. Curiosity.
And maybe, just maybe, the sense that fate had just walked through the door.
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