The gates of Elandor loomed ahead as the sun sank behind the crimson-stained sky.
Three figures trudged toward them—burnt, battered, and covered in blood. Kael held Sila draped over his shoulder, her breathing shallow but steady. Leiya walked at his side, her arm wrapped around her ribs, streaks of dried blood across her face. None of them spoke.
They didn't have to.
As they neared the checkpoint, guards rushed to meet them, expressions shifting from routine alertness to disbelief.
"Essence gods… Kael? Leiya?! Where's—"
Kael didn't answer. He kept walking.
The silence that followed said more than words could.
The Guild medic team moved in quickly. Sila was taken from Kael's shoulder and laid onto a stretcher, her wounds immediately treated with Essence healing salves. Leiya accepted a support charm from a healer but waved off further help with a grim shake of her head.
Guildmaster Thorne arrived within minutes, descending from the inner tower. The air changed as he approached—a mix of authority and solemn understanding.
"You encountered it," he said quietly.
Kael nodded. His voice was hoarse. "Low Radiant-tier. Fast. Intelligent. Regenerates. It overwhelmed us… Riven stayed behind."
Thorne's lips pressed into a thin line. "I see."
The Guildmaster looked between them, his expression unreadable. "Get some rest. Report tomorrow. There will be a proper debriefing."
Kael gave a shallow nod and walked past him, into the city, his eyes fixed forward. He didn't stop until he reached the balcony of the Flamekeep, his usual training spot now bathed in twilight.
He stood in silence.
His fists trembled.
Riven's final moment burned into his memory—raw power, desperate courage, gone in an instant.
Leiya joined him minutes later. She didn't speak, just stood beside him. They watched the last light of the sun dip below the walls.
"He saved us," she finally said.
Kael didn't move. "Not good enough."
"You did everything you could."
"I should've done more."
The wind swept in, carrying the distant echoes of city life, oblivious to what had just been lost beneath the Wastes.
For now, Elandor stood safe—but Kael knew better.