"Sometimes the hardest thing isn't running. It's deciding to stay."
The village of Elandra sat nestled in the bend of a river like a forgotten bookmark—peaceful, slow, and small enough to vanish off most maps. Smoke curled from chimneys. The air smelled like wet earth and firewood. Kaelen paused just outside the gate, uncertain.
Selene stepped beside him. "We need supplies. A few days to rest. And you need better boots."
He glanced down at his worn soles, then back up at the simple wooden archway welcoming them in. "Places like this don't stay quiet long."
"Then we'll move quickly."
They passed through the entrance with their hoods drawn low. A merchant cart creaked by, pulled by a sleepy donkey. Children played near a well, laughing, voices sharp in the crisp air. A baker waved to them with flour-dusted hands. It felt… almost normal.
Kaelen didn't trust it.
A tavern called The Lantern Hollow stood at the center of the square. They entered under cover of late afternoon, the warmth of the hearth wrapping around them like a soft blanket. The innkeeper—a stout woman with sun-worn skin and a scar over one brow—gave them a look.
"Travelers?" she asked.
"Brother and sister," Selene said smoothly. "Passing through to the northern reaches."
Kaelen blinked. Sister?
The woman grunted. "Rooms are two copper a night. Four if you want a bath."
Selene tossed a small pouch onto the counter. "One night. Bath included."
The woman nodded and handed her a key. "Upstairs. Left side. And don't let the walls hear your secrets—they've got holes."
Kaelen followed Selene up the narrow stairs. Their shared room was small but clean. One bed. A small window. A basin and washcloth near the hearth.
He closed the door quietly. "Sister?"
"It's the safest excuse," Selene said, pulling off her gloves. "Nobody questions siblings. And it keeps wandering eyes away."
Kaelen didn't argue. But something twisted in his chest anyway.
Later, they sat on the tavern's balcony overlooking the village square. Selene sipped weak tea while Kaelen watched the stars emerge one by one, his hands clasped on the wooden railing.
"You don't talk much about your past," Selene said.
He didn't answer right away. He traced a knot in the railing with his thumb.
"I was raised in a temple," he said at last. "South of here. It burned."
"Was it the Circle?"
"I don't know who gave the order. But they came with glyph-branded steel and left nothing standing."
Selene was quiet for a long moment. "You survived."
"I ran."
"That still counts."
Kaelen looked at her. "What about you?"
"I was raised in court," she said, not meeting his eyes. "My real name wasn't Selene. But names are dangerous things."
"Especially when they carry power."
Selene smiled faintly. "Exactly."
A silence fell between them—soft, thoughtful. Then she reached into her cloak and pulled out a folded piece of old parchment.
"What's that?"
"Something I found in the ruins yesterday. It's a page from a pre-Circle grimoire."
Kaelen leaned in. Faint symbols curled along the edge—intricate sigils that seemed to move if stared at too long.
"It's Veritas," he whispered.
"More advanced than the ones you used. I think your magic isn't just awakened—it's bound to something older. Maybe even a forgotten oath."
Kaelen's pulse quickened. "The Tower?"
"Maybe. Or whatever existed before the Tower."
She looked at him. "Kaelen… if you start using Veritas in the capital, you'll be hunted."
"I already am."
"No. Not just by mages or bounty squads. By whatever it is the Tower wants from you."
He looked at her. "You saw it too. In the dream."
"Yes. And the way it showed us together? That wasn't chance."
She leaned in slightly. "I think we're connected. But I don't know if that's good… or dangerous."
Kaelen didn't pull away.
"I don't care if it's dangerous," he said. "I just want to know the truth."
Selene's eyes softened. And for just a heartbeat, her hand brushed his—lightly, intentionally.
Then she stood.
"I'll take first watch."
Kaelen didn't sleep much that night.
When he did, he dreamed of Seraphine—not the false name, not Selene, but the real one. A girl with eyes like starlight and a crown of flame, standing before the Tower's gate, calling his name.