Vardy sat at the farthest corner of the cave, his back pressed against the stone wall. His staff lay beside him, untouched, his fingers loosely curled against his knees.
The cave was dimly lit and his body was still tense from the battle, his mind swirling with everything that had transpired.
Elyra's betrayal. His own foolishness.
How close he had been to losing everything.
He exhaled slowly, staring at the ground.
"I don't know what to do again right now," he admitted, his voice hollow.
A soft shuffling of boots approached.
Ferah knelt beside him first, resting her arms on her knees as she studied his expression. Tracy stood close behind, arms crossed, concern evident in her eyes.
"You shouldn't blame yourself," Ferah said.
Vardy let out a sharp breath, shaking his head. "That's easy for you to say."
Tracy sighed, sitting down beside him. "You were under a spell, Vardy. She manipulated you, twisted your thoughts. That's not your fault."
