The Choice of Loyalty
He stepped closer, the faintest echo of his boots the only sound left in the crater.
The air was thick — a heavy, metallic blend of soot, ash, and cooling magic that still shimmered faintly across the ground. The moon hung low, pale and watchful, its silver light spilling over the broken earth like a cold blessing.
Leon's gaze fixed on the man before him — Aden, still kneeling, shoulders trembling under the weight of exhaustion and pride. Around them, the world was silent. Every soldier, every knight, every battered survivor froze in place, caught in that moment where power met mercy, and no one dared to breathe.
Leon leaned forward slightly, his voice low but sharp enough to cut through the night.
"I want…"
The words lingered there, unspoken tension pressing at the edges of the crater. Aden's weary eyes lifted, meeting Leon's — not with defiance, not anymore, but something older… quieter. A man stripped bare.
