Evethra and Kael left the square without ceremony.
She guided him through the outer parts where people rarely gathered, even on peaceful days.
Today, with the heat in these areas, no one would come here.
The village still breathed uneasily behind them—whispers, muffled cries, the distant sound of Alenia's voice carrying authority—but here, there was only the soft crunch of stone beneath their steps.
Kael said nothing.
His shoulders were straight, his pace steady, but Evethra could feel it through their joined hands—the tension he hadn't allowed himself to show.
The weight of restraint.
The kind that came not from fear, but from knowing exactly how much damage one could do.
"You did what you had to," she said softly after a while.
Kael's gaze stayed forward. "I did what I allowed myself to do."
Evethra slowed half a step, gently tugging his hand until he looked at her. Her red eyes were calm, unwavering.
"And you stopped," she said. "That matters."
