The fire crackled softly as the stars stretched above them like scattered prayers. They had survived death, betrayal, and a secret power sealed for centuries—yet here they were, quiet, shoulder to shoulder, breathing the same cold night air.
No one spoke for a while.
Then Kael broke the silence, tossing a small pebble into the fire. "I never told you both this, but… I used to be afraid of fire."
Sienna blinked. "Seriously? You, the guy who walks into infernos like they're nothing?"
Kael shrugged with a sheepish grin. "I was six. Got trapped in a barn fire. It scarred my hands. Took me years to even light a match."
Darius stared, surprised. "How did you overcome it?"
Kael's smile faded a little. "I didn't. I just got tired of running from it."
Sienna nodded, slow. "That… I get that."
