He didn't stop walking until the noise was gone and the trees closed in around him. He found a patch of stone near the edge of the forest and sat down hard, like his legs had finally given up.
In his hand, the bread.
Still there.
Dirty. Crushed. Smudged with dust and blood and ash.
He stared at it for a long time.
Then took a bite.
The taste didn't matter. The dirt didn't matter. But something inside him cracked the moment he chewed.
Tears slipped down his face as he ate in silence.
Not from pain. Not even guilt.
Something smaller than that. Something older.
Human.
He hadn't felt it in so long. Not really.
All this power. All these gifts. And he had done nothing.
His eyes lowered, breath shallow.
Then, without sound or warning, the rock behind him shifted.
The earth opened.
And he fell.
He didn't scream. Didn't reach for anything.
Just dropped, like the world had finally made a decision for him.
By the time he hit the ground, the forest was gone.
