Crest stood there, frozen. All he could do was stare.
Lyraen, Arkel, Ronan, Cassandra, every other member, copper rank, or just newbies. They were all there, standing strong, weapons ready, like nothing had changed. Like they'd been there all along.
His throat tightened. After everything that had happened, after his anger, his frustration, the ugly words he'd thrown at them, this was the last thing he expected.
They'd come back... For him.
Ronan was the first to break the silence. He stepped forward, casually cracking his knuckles, giving Crest a look that was both teasing and serious.
"Well, well. Thought you were gonna handle all this on your own? Not on our watch. We also want to prove something."
Crest's grip on his sword faltered slightly. He opened his mouth, but no words came out at first. His chest felt heavy, like something he'd been holding back for too long was finally breaking free.
