Chapter 31
The night pressed upon the city like a veil heavy with threats. In the narrow streets, footsteps quickly faded, replaced by the silence of the walls. Kael walked slowly, hidden behind his illusion, but his mind was elsewhere.
The bounty hunters were drawing closer. He could almost feel their breath on his neck, like wolves tracking a wounded prey. His illusion still held, but he knew a single detail could be enough to spark suspicion.
The Scent of Danger
In a tavern, he overheard two men speaking in low voices, their rough tones masked by the creak of wood and the stench of ale.
"The Council doubled the reward. Obsidian for the one who brings his head…"
"I heard he isn't far. That he hides among us, under a new face."
Kael, motionless in his corner, raised his glass to his lips without drinking. He listened. Every word confirmed the tightening of the noose.
Minutes later, he slipped out of the tavern, cloak drawn low across his face.
A Necessary Choice
The city was beginning to feel too narrow for him. Too many eyes, too many whispers. But leaving meant abandoning the patient work he had woven for months—the threads of discord he had planted so carefully.
He remembered Eldrin's words, long ago, before betrayal and death had claimed them:
"Shadows only hold if they remain silent."
Kael clenched his teeth. He could not retreat now.
A New Tool
He returned to Nerya. The healer greeted him with a wary look, though her voice was gentle.
"You've come again… What is it you seek?"
Kael's eyes swept over the rows of vials, the herbs drying on their strings. An idea stirred in his mind.
"Yes," he said calmly. "Remedies. Not for me. For men who will soon need them."
Nerya frowned, but asked no questions. She prepared a bundle of ointments and powders, her movements precise, sincere.
Kael thanked her with a subtle smile. Behind his gaze, he knew he was already using her generosity as a shield. Each visit tied him closer to her, and the more she trusted him, the more secure his hidden refuge became.
Whispers of the Heart
And yet… as he left the shop, Kael felt something stir inside him. A strange weight in his chest, neither pain nor anger, but a distant echo of something almost forgotten.
He shook his head, furious at himself.
"I am not that man. I will never be that man."
But the seed had already been planted