The road back to Greyvale City felt different beneath Mina's feet. The terrain hadn't changed, the dirt path still meandered lazily between low hills and scattered trees, and the sky above remained the same washed-out blue it had been when she left.
It wasn't even her body, though every muscle ached from the fight she'd endured, the soreness settling deep in her bones like an old friend.
What had shifted was the weight. The pack on her back was heavier, much heavier than when she set out, but it wasn't just the physical burden pressing against her shoulders.
It was the quiet certainty that came with it. She carried not just proof of survival or strength, but something of value. Tangible, measurable value that the world recognized and rewarded.
