The boy sat quietly by the fire, the heat flickering across his pale face. His breathing had steadied, and Arden waited a moment longer before speaking.
"I'm Arden," he said simply. "And you?"
The boy hesitated, still unsure, but he finally answered. "Rael. From Velridge."
"Small town?" Arden asked.
Rael gave a slight nod. "Barely known. We don't even have a mage academy."
"You awakened as a battle mage, right?" Arden continued, casually, as he sorted through some gear beside him.
"Yeah… with Lightning and Ice," Rael muttered. "Didn't matter, though. They saw me as a danger. Same day I awakened, they exiled me."
There was no bitterness in his voice, just exhaustion. But Arden could tell there was more buried under the calm.
"How long were you out there before they found you?"
Rael's jaw tensed. "Not long. A few weeks, maybe. I thought I'd finally be left alone, just survive out there somehow… but the Creed found me. Like they already knew."
