Kaelith’s gaze locks onto me, unyielding and detached. His green eyes hold the same emptiness they always did, though there was a time—wasn’t there?—when they carried some warmth, some kindness. Now, I can’t be sure if any of that was real or just an illusion that has since withered away.

“Grab the rest of your stuff,” he orders curtly, his voice hard, unrelenting. “We’re leaving.”

Leaving? The word hits like a hammer. My chest tightens. Leaving ...