It took him far less time to reach the bottom of the mountain than he expected.
A year ago, every descent had been a negotiation with gravity and pain, hands slipping on cold stone, calves screaming, lungs burning as if the air itself was thinner out here. Four hours just to make it to the forest line, and by the time he reached the first trees, he'd be so tired his bones felt hollow.
Now?
Now the slope felt like it had been built for him.
Kael moved with steady, strong footsteps, heavy in weight, yet stable like a mountain. He didn't rush, but he also didn't hesitate. Every step landed where it should, every shift of balance precise enough that even the loose gravel didn't betray him. He could feel the difference in his body with every breath: the quiet tension in his legs, the strength sitting behind his hips like a coiled spring, the way his shoulders stayed level even on uneven ground.
Half the time.
