He glanced at the others again.
Ren. Still lounging like this was a mild inconvenience and not a death-slope.
Meren. Pale but alive. And somehow still dramatic.
Ardan. A boulder with a blade.
Lira. Distant. Focused. Unshakable.
'My team.'
That word caught him off guard.
He didn't say it out loud.
But it stayed with him.
Soft. Solid. Strange.
Team.
He'd fought alone before. Survived alone. Even in the academy, most of his victories had been personal. Observed, maybe. Admired. But never shared.
This was different.
Ren stood. Stretched like a cat and swung her coat tight around her again.
"Alright," she said. "Let's get moving before I start liking this cave."
Ardan didn't respond. He was already walking.
Meren groaned, but got to his feet.
Lira just nodded once and turned toward the trail.
Lindarion let the flame fade.
He stood last.
The air outside was colder now. But the warmth from the fire lingered in his bones.
He stepped out into the snow.
—
