STARLESS

When Vael woke up again, something felt off. Like the world was… lopsided.

"Oh shit… that's 'cause it is…"

He reached up instinctively—and felt the bandages tightly wrapped around his left eye. His heart skipped a beat.

Maybe it was just temporary. Maybe he'd still see out of it when the wraps came off. Maybe.

He sighed and opened his one good eye, scanning his surroundings. Familiar fabric. Same old layout. He was inside Veltren's tent.

Kiera wasn't there.

But the rich, meaty aroma drifting in from outside suggested she hadn't gone far.

His stomach growled.

He sat up slowly, realizing he was shirtless. "Guess it got torn… or soaked in blood."

Grumbling to himself, he glanced down at his body—scarred, bruised, and battered… but strong. Lean muscle covered his frame now, forged from months of surviving, fighting, and enduring. He wasn't the same weak kid who had entered the lab.

Yawning, he stepped out into the daylight.

Kiera was crouched near a small fire, meat sizzling in a pan over the flames. Her short sword was stabbed into the dirt nearby, just in case.

Vael walked over, rubbing his neck. "Smells amazing."

She glanced back. "You're up."

"Barely," he said, slumping onto a flat rock. "Still half-blind. But alive."

He watched the fire dance for a moment, then added, "So… how bad is it?"

She turned slightly, looking at the bandages. "The cut went deep. You'll live, but… your eye might not recover."

Vael clicked his tongue. "Figures. But it's okay. Besides, I was planning on developing my Spatial Awareness soon anyway."

"I'm sorry," Kiera said quietly.

"Don't be," he replied, eyes locked on the flames. "We both knew we were outmatched. We still won."

"Barely," she murmured. "I got grazed, and my ankle's still sore."

Vael turned toward her. "You held him off alone for twenty seconds. That's more than I could've asked for. You gave me the time I needed."

"You gave me a heart attack," she said, passing him a steaming plate. "That attack… it drained everything out of you."

He accepted the plate gratefully. "Worth it. That was the first time I used Dimension Slash in real combat. I knew the theory… didn't think it would be enough."

"It was. You saved us."

They sat in silence for a while, chewing quietly. The wind rustled through the trees, the tension of the past day slowly lifting.

Finally, Vael broke the silence. "You know what the worst part is?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"I can't even glare at people properly anymore. Half my dramatic intimidation factor is gone."

Kiera snorted. "Well, you still have the grumpy tone. That counts for something."

He smiled, then winced. "Damn… smiling hurts."

"Good," she smirked. "Means you're still healing."

Vael looked at her for a moment, then down at his food. "Thanks, Kiera. For patching me up. For not leaving."

"I'd say 'always', but that might be too sappy," she said, standing and stretching. "Eat. We'll rest another day. Then we move."

He nodded.

And for the first time in a while, despite everything…

Vael felt at peace.

Their rest day was uneventful. All they did was rest, after all.

Since the Druid was so strong, odds are no other powerful creature lurked near them.

They were safe.

During the day, they realized they were both close to reaching high-second stage. That fight had really pushed them to the edge.

They then took off, once again.

The wind howled low as Vael and Kiera limped through the muddy road winding toward Rjkia. Snow clung to their cloaks, melting into droplets that streaked across their skin. Vael held a hand over the bloody bandages covering his left eye, the edges already dark with dried blood. Kiera walked beside him, every step from her slightly swollen ankle making her wince—but she didn't complain.

In the distance, thin columns of smoke curled into the grey sky.

"Campfire smoke," Vael muttered.

Kiera narrowed her eyes. "Too much for just a camp."

They both instinctively slowed. Vael pulled his hood lower, scanning ahead. The trees bordering the road grew thinner, and beyond them lay a shallow valley.

From their elevated position, they spotted it.

A battlefield.

Bodies, burnt trees, broken arrows. The aftermath of a recent skirmish.

A group was moving among the corpses, dragging them into piles, salvaging gear, setting things ablaze.

"Soldiers?" Kiera asked.

"No," Vael replied. "Rebels."

"How do you know?"

"Because I just saw one of them stab a corpse with a Kingdom badge three times in the neck. That's personal."

Kiera sighed, shifting her weight to her good leg. "Do we approach?"

Vael hesitated. "They look tense. Injured. If we walk in like this, they might assume we're deserters or worse."

He paused, eye twitching slightly from pain. "Let's watch. See what happens."

They moved back into the treeline and circled around to a better vantage point.

It wasn't long before something else approached from the south—five more figures, moving fast, in armor.

Kiera cursed softly. "Reinforcements?"

Vael's eyes narrowed. "No. Attackers."

The newcomers rushed the rebels from behind.

Steel met steel in an instant.

Kiera flinched. "Should we—"

"We help," Vael said firmly. "Now."