It was midday in the Aetheris and the streets of Eldoria grew quieter as Kaelen and Lila walked side by side, leaving behind the bustling center of the city. Their steps carried them toward the edges of the district, where the cobblestone roads gave way to dirt paths lined with older homes. The air grew still, heavy with memory, as if the world itself remembered what had been lost here.
Kaelen's hand brushed against his sword hilt, now a habit he had long since developed, but his gaze was not fixed on danger this time. It lingered on the shadows of the past, the faces and laughter of people who had been torn away from him. Beside him, Lila's presence was calm yet firm, her eyes carrying that quiet glow of someone who had seen too much yet still stood tall.
