Two months had passed since the chaos, since the village of Heliana had almost been lost, since the Sins had been unleashed upon the world. The date was Noctvale 20, and despite the sunny morning at the Veinwalker Academy, an uneasy tension lingered beneath my chest like a storm waiting to break.
I had already planned for this month. I knew the next arc was coming and it wasn't a small skirmish. This arc… many would die. Not just faceless rookies. Some were named characters, people I had grown to care for in this rewritten timeline. The thought alone made my stomach twist.
That was why I had begged Master Isen to stay at the academy for at least a month. His reply, delivered with that calm, unshakable grin of his, had been the same he always gave:
"I have duties, Khael. I'll be back when I'm needed. Trust me."
