Night fell slowly—like an inky veil spreading between the trees. The sky, hidden by the canopy, let through only fragments of silvery light.

The air was heavy, heavy with the damp scent of the forest and the mana that still vibrated in the roots, though calmer now.

Kael decided that camping here would be the wisest course of action. There was no time, nor energy, to continue traveling.

They needed to breathe—at least for one night.

A small space between two rocks served as shelter. Amelia cleaned the ground with heat spells to dry the mud; Irelia erected a circle of stones; and Sylphie silently summoned small green sparks that lit the fire.

The fire crackled slowly, casting dancing shadows across the weary faces.

Kael watched silently as the three of them worked.

The princess—the young woman he now knew to be the runaway Skaldi heir—sat near the fire, wrapped in a rough blanket. Her face, still swollen from crying, reflected the orange light of the fire. She looked smaller, more fragile.

Kael looked away.

He didn't know exactly what to feel.

"I'm going to find something to eat."

His voice broke the silence.

Sylphie looked up from the fire. "Do you want someone to go with you?"

Kael shook his head. "No. I need to clear my head."

Irelia arched an eyebrow, but didn't press further.

He picked up his sword—now silent, inert—and disappeared into the shadows of the forest.

The air was cool and damp. Moonlight filtered through the canopy, forming pale patches on the leaf-covered ground.

Kael moved silently, with deliberate steps. His body still ached, but instinct guided him.

He crouched low, observing tracks on the ground—light, almost faded, marks of small hooves.

A deer, perhaps. Young.

He followed the tracks for a few minutes, listening to the distant rustle of water. The sound led him to a small stream, where the moon's reflection trembled on the surface.

There, the animal drank absently—thin, with gray fur, its ears trembling in the wind.

Kael took a deep breath.

His muscles moved of their own accord.

One step.

Two.

Three.

The distance was short.

The scent of earth and anticipated blood filled his nostrils.

He raised his sword.

The blade's reflection cut through the moonlight—and, in a swift movement, the sharp sound of the blow cut through the air.

The deer fell, without time to react.

Kael knelt beside the body, breathing slowly.

For a moment, he simply watched.

Warm blood spread across the ground, mingling with the leaves.

He wiped the blade with a rag and sheathed it.

"Sorry," he murmured. "But we must live."

The sound of his own whisper seemed too small in the vastness of the forest.

With precise movements, he began to prepare the carcass. His hands moved with familiarity—he had done this countless times. Yet each cut felt heavier.

His mind, restless, returned to what had happened before.

To the kneeling princess.

To the pointed sword.

To her trembling voice, telling him the world was about to fall apart.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I overdid it," he thought.

But another part of him replied: "It was necessary."

Between guilt and reason, there was only exhaustion.

When he finished, he strapped the small animal to his back and began the journey back.

The distant sound of the fire guided him—the familiar crackling, the murmur of women's voices.

When he reached the camp, the fire was still burning.

The warmth welcomed him like an embrace.

Amelia dozed against a rock, Irelia's spear resting beside her. Irelia stood guard, arms crossed, eyes intent on the darkness.

Sylphie, meanwhile, sat near the fire—and, to Kael's surprise, the princess was asleep with her head resting on his lap.

The sight made him pause for a moment.

The young woman was serene now. Her expression of fear had given way to a fragile, childlike rest. Sylphie gently stroked her golden hair, gazing into the flames with a distant air.

Kael set the deer down beside him and wiped the sweat from his brow. "I found something," he said quietly.

Irelia nodded, relaxing a little. "Good. I was already considering eating twigs."

Amelia opened one eye lazily. "You hunted dinner? That's already more than I expected from you today."

Kael rolled his eyes. "This isn't the time for this."

He sat by the fire, watching the embers dance. For a moment, he was silent.

Then he looked at Sylphie.

"She... fell asleep quickly."

Sylphie answered without looking up. "Her body can't handle what we've been through. She's exhausted."

Kael took a deep breath, leaning against a rock. "...I think I overdid it."

The three women looked at him at the same time.

Their expressions said the same thing: of course I did.

Sylphie was the first to speak.

"You pointed a sword at a scared girl, Kael."

He looked away. "She lied."

"She was in shock."

Kael ran a hand through his hair wearily. "I needed to know if it was true. Ever since we started this mission, I've seen nothing but ambushes, assassins, and more assassins. You wanted me to blindly trust someone whose name hasn't even been revealed to me?"

Amelia raised an eyebrow. "Well... now that I think about it..."

"Yeah, we don't even know her name," he grumbled.

Irelia stepped closer, crossing her arms. "Names mean nothing."

Kael looked at her, and their eyes met.

For a moment, no one spoke.

The crackling of the fire was the only sound between them.

Finally, he sighed. "I just... I'm tired of walking around blindly. Ever since this all started, we've been tossed around without understanding why. And now... we have half the continent after this woman, and no one knows why."

Sylphie finally looked at him. Her green gaze, always calm, now held a hint of understanding.

"I understand."

Irelia nodded. "Me too."

Amelia just shrugged. "I still think you're an idiot, but I also understand."

A half-smile appeared on Kael's face. Small, tired, but sincere.

"That's the nicest you've ever called me."

She chuckled softly. "Enjoy it, it won't happen again."

The following silence wasn't tense—it was almost comfortable.

The kind of silence that comes when everyone is too exhausted to fight.

Kael wiped the dried blood from his hands with a cloth and began preparing the meat, while Amelia tended the fire. The smell of roasting meat soon spread, mingling with the scent of wet earth and burning leaves.

Sylphie continued to stroke the princess's hair, who was fast asleep.

For a moment, Sylphie's face softened. "She's just a girl," she murmured.

Kael looked up. "Girls don't usually carry secrets that can destroy kingdoms."

"Perhaps she has no choice," Sylphie replied. "No one chooses what they inherit."

These words struck him deeper than he expected.

Kael looked away, pretending to focus on the meat.

The fire crackled. The embers crackled like ancient laughter.

The wind blew coldly, and the distant call of owls echoed through the trees.

Irelia adjusted her cloak on her shoulders and looked at Kael. "Do you intend to rest after this?"

Kael looked up. "No. I'll keep watch."

Amelia frowned at him. "You're exhausted."

"I've been worse."

"And almost died."

He shrugged. "My wounds have healed."

Irelia approached him, resting her spear on her shoulder.

"Kael." Her voice was firm, almost authoritative. "You're going to sleep."

"No need—"

"Go to sleep."

He frowned. "I don't—"

But her gaze was enough.

And when he looked at Amelia and Sylphie, he saw the same gaze—steady, resolute, like someone who won't accept arguments.

"You three are better suited than I thought," he murmured, resigned.

Amelia gave a faint smile. "We're good together when it comes to contradicting you."

Kael let out a heavy sigh, leaning against the rock. The heat of the fire and exhaustion slowly enveloped him. His muscles ached, and the sound of the wind seemed distant.

Sylphie watched as he fought sleep. "Rest," she said softly. "We have a long journey tomorrow."

He looked at her one last time.

The glow of the fire reflected in her eyes, and something in Sylphie's calm expression finally made him relax.

"If anything happens... wake me. I don't want my wives to be in danger again, I'm tired of it."

They all stopped immediately to look at him... after all... it was the first time he'd called them... Wives...

For a moment, the silence seemed to freeze the air.

The fire crackled, sending a spark soaring and disappearing into the darkness.

The three women stared at him—as if the words he'd just spoken had been something far more dangerous than any enemy they'd ever faced.

Sylphie's face flushed first, a faint blush rising to her cheeks.

Amelia blinked several times, as if certain she'd misheard. Irelia simply stood there, her impassive expression cracking for a moment, revealing slight bewilderment.

Kael arched an eyebrow in confusion. "What is it?"

Sylphie blinked, trying to find her voice. "You... you just—"

Amelia pointed a finger at him, her face as red as coals. "You called us wives!"

Her voice was louder than it should have been, echoing through the trees. Irelia silenced her with a quick gesture, glancing around as if the sound might attract something unwelcome.

Kael blinked, a half-smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Is that what caused all this commotion?"

"Commotion?!" Amelia's eyes widened. "You can't just say something like that and act like it's normal!"

Sylphie, still slightly flushed, looked away. "It was... unexpected."

Irelia took a deep breath, but her voice—usually firm—wavered slightly. "Kael... you can't just throw words like that around like stones."

Kael looked from one to the other, as if observing a puzzle that refused to be solved.

"I only said what I thought was already clear."

The three of them stared at him again, completely lost.

He tilted his head, his tone low, almost ironic. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

The silence that followed was almost comical.

Amelia's mouth dropped open. Sylphie held her breath. Irelia opened her mouth to respond—and then closed it again, unsure of what to say.

Kael continued, his voice lower, hoarse with exhaustion and the raw sincerity he rarely let out.

"I don't think you make a decision to advance your body ten years into the future just because you don't want to be left behind..."