Back in Vlardia, Liam stirred awake from his post-battle exhaustion. Sitting on the edge of his makeshift earthen bed, he scanned the cave. His teammates were sprawled across their own improvised sleeping spots, peacefully resting.
"Looks like we took down the Titanborne," he thought, exhaling a soft sigh of relief. "And my explosion didn't hurt anyone."
But something nagged at him—Edith wasn't among them. His eyes swept the cave again, landing on the sealed entrance that Lucian had left slightly ajar.
"She must've stepped out," Liam muttered under his breath, letting the thought slide for the moment.
As he rose, he noticed an odd sensation in his left hand, as if clutching something. Glancing down, he opened his palm to reveal a peculiar black object. It shimmered faintly in the dim cave light, irregular like a stone but with the cold, smooth texture of metal.
