Kael stepped out of the tavern, his breath forming faint clouds in the chill of the night air. The road stretched ahead, illuminated by the silvery glow of the moon and the occasional flicker of lantern light. The faint crunch of boots on gravel echoed as Liora followed, his usual smirk absent. Instead, he wore an expression Kael had rarely seen—quiet, almost grim, his sharp eyes darting to every shadow as though expecting trouble to spring forth at any moment.
Kael glanced sideways at his companion. Liora's hand brushed his coat, lingering near the pocket where the mysterious letter had disappeared. The name scrawled on its front, "Rylan Duskwhisper," gnawed at Kael's curiosity, but the unspoken tension between them kept his questions at bay.
"You've been staring," Liora said suddenly, his voice low and casual, but the undercurrent of warning was impossible to miss.
Kael started, his eyes darting away as his cheeks burned. "I wasn't—I mean, I wasn't trying to…"
