Galandor watched Kaelen's silent struggle. He then quietly approached the young man who was on the ground. He didn't speak right away, simply letting the weight of the silence settle between them. Kaelen remained on the ground with his fists clenched, staring at the dirt beneath him.
The old elf stood beside him, looking down at the young man who seemed to be devoid of life.
"You saved my granddaughter's life. Good deeds are always repaid in kind, young man. Even in a world as broken as this, there are forces that remember such acts."
Kaelen's gaze remained fixed on the ground. The old elf crouched beside him as his weathered eyes were searching Kaelen's face.
"Tell me, young man... how much are you willing to sacrifice to leave this place?"
Kaelen didn't look up at first as the question was echoing in his mind. He had already lost so much—his world, his purpose, his freedom. But as the memories of his mother and Serephira flickered in his mind, something hardened inside of him.
