Kael left the inn with a light sigh of relief. The rest had been welcome, but he knew his journey needed to continue. He looked around the streets of the city as he walked, feeling the cool morning breeze brush against his face. The road to Azalith still lay ahead of him, and he had to stay focused.
However, as he took his first step toward the road, Kael noticed something strange. Umbra, who was usually floating beside him, making comments or teasing him in some way, wasn't there. He looked to the side and up, trying to detect her presence.
"Umbra?" Kael called, a little confused. "Hey, Umbra... where are you?"
Silence. No response. That was... unusual. The entity was always eager to make some kind of comment or at least provoke him somehow. But now, it seemed something was wrong.
Kael stopped in the middle of the street, trying to sense her presence. Nothing. The connection between them, which had always felt so natural, seemed distant all of a sudden.
