Dawn arrived without color.
The sky lightened, but no sun broke through—just a pale wash, like the world hesitating before committing to a new day. Eris and Kaelion walked in silence, the ground beneath them firm but tense, as if holding its breath.
After a while, Eris spoke. "Where are we going?"
Kaelion didn't slow. "Somewhere the Watchers won't expect you to matter yet."
"That doesn't narrow it down."
Kaelion allowed a thin smile. "It does more than you think."
The terrain changed gradually. Stone gave way to soil. Soil to grass. Then to a stretch of land so ordinary it felt wrong—rolling hills, scattered trees, a distant river.
Eris frowned. "This place feels… small."
"Exactly," Kaelion said. "No great events. No recorded significance."
They reached the river by midmorning. Its water flowed clear and slow, reflecting the pale sky without distortion.
Kaelion stopped. "We separate here."
Eris turned sharply. "What?"
"Temporarily," Kaelion added. "Your presence draws attention now. Mine multiplies it."
Eris clenched his jaw. "So you're just leaving?"
Kaelion met his gaze. "I'm redirecting pursuit."
Eris wanted to argue—but he felt it. The pressure, distant but real. Something adjusting its course.
Kaelion continued, "Across that river is a settlement. No prophecy. No record. Just people."
Eris looked across the water. Smoke curled faintly above trees.
"You'll stay there," Kaelion said. "You'll be unremarkable."
Eris snorted. "I think that ship sailed."
"Not to them," Kaelion replied. "Not yet."
Kaelion stepped back, drawing a symbol in the air that shimmered briefly before fading.
"When the paths tighten completely," he said, "you'll know where to find me."
Eris hesitated. "And if they catch you?"
Kaelion smiled—calm, certain. "Then they'll learn something valuable."
He turned and walked away, his figure blurring slightly as the land bent to accommodate his exit.
Eris stood alone by the river.
For the first time since the vault, the Watcher's Trace was almost… quiet.
Not gone.
Just unsure.
Eris crossed the river and headed toward the settlement—toward a life that, for now, would pretend he was ordinary.
But as he walked, he felt it:
The futures ahead were fewer now.
Clearer.
Sharpened to a point.
And all of them were watching him walk into a place that didn't yet know what he would become.