Silence lingered inside the study after Erend answered him. The glowing arrays above the tables continued rotating slowly while the faint scratching of enchanted instruments echoed softly from somewhere deeper within the chamber.
Outside the tower, distant sounds from the walls of Leonora still carried through the open window. However, compared to the chaos beyond the city, the room felt strangely isolated from the world.
Velrion lowered his gaze again. But this time he did not immediately return to writing.
His fingers remained still above the open pages while exhaustion and hesitation settled more visibly across his face than before. For someone respected as one of the greatest Archmages of this kingdom, the uncertainty inside his eyes looked unnatural.
"I want to believe that," Velrion admitted quietly. "I truly do."
He leaned back slightly in his chair and finally allowed himself to pause after what was likely days without proper rest.
