Crowned in Shadows.

Kael stood at the tunnel entrance, the weight of years in the underground pressing against her back.

The wind was the first thing she noticed.

It carried the scent of damp earth and stone away, replacing it with something lighter, fresher. The sky stretched wide and endless above her, the sun nearly blinding after so long in darkness.

She breathed.

The air felt strange in her lungs—too open, too free.

She had spent so many years thinking she would never walk these streets again.

And yet—here she was.

The city had moved on without her.

It had forgotten her name, erased her family, buried its sins beneath time.

But she hadn't forgotten.

She never would.

Riven stretched his arms beside her, sighing. "Gods, I missed the sun."

Jorrik groaned. "I missed not having to worry about something crawling out of the shadows and killing me."

Kael ignored them.

She took a slow step forward, her boots pressing against real stone, not the damp underground paths she had grown used to.

The streets of Ravaryn were the same and different all at once.

She recognized the towering spires in the noble district, the massive stone bridges stretching over the river, the marketplace in the distance, bustling with life.

But the people were different.

Strangers.

No one looked at her twice.

Her fingers curled at her sides.

Good.

She wasn't here to be recognized.

She was here to remind them what they had forgotten.

Riven suddenly muttered a curse, reaching into his satchel.

Kael glanced at him. "What?"

He pulled out a small vial of dark liquid and uncorked it. "My disguise wore off more than I thought. Need to fix it before we walk through the city."

Kael watched as he ran a hand through his hair, the illusion settling once more—his white hair turning gray, his bright blue eyes shifting black.

Jorrik arched an eyebrow. "You should invest in a better spell."

Riven smirked. "Are you offering to pay for one?"

"Absolutely not."

Kael turned away. "If you're done, we should go."

Riven capped the vial and slid it into his coat. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Kael didn't react.

But something in her chest tightened.

She pushed forward, stepping onto the main street.

For the first time in over a decade, she walked through the city as if she belonged there.

And no one knew.

^Memories in the Wind^

Kael walked in silence, the others following her lead.

The streets were busy—merchants shouting, carriages rattling over cobblestone, noble families gliding through the markets with their guards.

Kael remembered this.

She had been six years old the last time she had walked here.

She had clutched her mother's hand as they passed through the shops, her father trailing behind with a rare, amused smile.

Her brother had tugged at her sleeve, whispering about stealing an apple just to see if he could.

Her chest ached.

The city had erased them.

But the memories still lived in her bones.

Riven, for once, wasn't speaking.

He had noticed the shift in her.

Kael didn't acknowledge it.

She had no use for sympathy.

Jorrik cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "So. Where exactly are we going?"

Riven smirked. "An inn" "A proper one"

Jorrik sighed. "About time."

Kael frowned. "You had a room here before going underground?"

Riven gave her an easy grin. "You didn't think we would sleep on the street?"

Kael didn't answer.

Jorrik clapped Riven on the shoulder. "Lead the way, oh great mastermind."

Riven bowed dramatically. "Gladly."

Kael followed without a word.