Dawn had barely kissed the horizon when Aidana left the Hollow.

The streets of Velmora were not yet alive with their usual noise. The Veil District, so suffocating in its chaos at night, now stood in eerie silence, as if the city itself still lingered between dreams and wakefulness. Mist curled between the cobbled streets, clinging to the edges of buildings like restless spirits unwilling to leave.

The wind was cool, carrying the scent of rain yet to fall. Aidana pulled the hood of her cloak higher over her head as she walked, her footsteps silent against the damp stone.

She was meant to leave.

This was not her place, not her fight. The palace had been her only concern, the soul she was meant to take her only purpose. And yet, something kept her lingering.

Perhaps it was the Seer's words. Perhaps it was the weight of fate, curling around her like unseen chains.

Or perhaps it was the man with blood in his bones and a curse in his name.

She shook the thought from her mind.

Dacre was not her concern.

Not yet.

—————————————————————-

By midday, the sun had burned away the mist, casting a pale golden light over the rooftops. The weather in Velmora was as temperamental as the city itself—one moment draped in gloom, the next kissed by warmth.

Aidana walked with no true destination, weaving her way toward the city gates. The Veil District gave way to the merchant quarter, where the air grew thick with the scent of spices and roasting meats. Vendors called out to passing travelers, their voices sharp as they bartered for coin.

She ignored them, slipping between the crowd unnoticed.

But the moment she stepped beyond the marketplace, the weight of a gaze pressed against her.

She stopped.

Cassian and Lys stood by a fountain, arms crossed, unimpressed.

"You were just going to leave?" Cassian asked, raising a brow.

Aidana met his gaze without hesitation. "Yes."

Lys sighed, shaking her head. "You really don't know how this works, do you?"

"I do not belong here."

Cassian smirked. "That's never stopped anyone before."

Aidana exhaled slowly. She was used to moving alone, used to walking the unseen paths between life and death without attachment.

And so, for now, she stayed.

——————————————————————————

The journey beyond Velmora was not rushed.

Cassian and Lys had a destination in mind—an outpost beyond the hills, where those who opposed the crown gathered in whispers. Aidana did not ask questions. She walked with them, though she still felt like a ghost trailing behind.

The road stretched before them, winding through rolling fields of tall grass. The wind carried the scent of earth and distant rain, the sky shifting from bright blue to the muted golds of late afternoon.

They did not speak much at first.

Cassian hummed an old tune under his breath. Lys twirled a dagger between her fingers as she walked. Aidana simply listened—to the rustling of the wind, to the distant caws of crows, to the slow shifting of the world around them.

They made camp when the sun dipped below the horizon. The fire crackled, casting flickering shadows against the trees.

"Have you ever traveled outside Velmora?" Lys asked, leaning back on her hands.

Aidana shook her head. "I do not travel for the sake of wandering."

Cassian chuckled. "That's a shame. There's more to the world than palace halls and dying kings."

Aidana did not respond.

But as the embers burned low, as the first stars blinked to life above them, she wondered if she had spent too long standing outside of the world—watching, waiting, never truly living.

Perhaps it was time to change that.