It was on the tenth day—though Kael wasn't entirely sure of the time—that he heard the sound of footsteps approaching his cell. It was unusual; the guards rarely came up to this level unless they were bringing him food, and even then, they never lingered.The footsteps stopped outside his door, and there was a pause before the iron lock clicked open. Kael glanced up, expecting to see one of the guards. But instead, it was Seraphine who stepped into the cell.She was dressed in her usual armor, her face weary but determined. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence between them was heavy, filled with all the things they hadn't said in the days leading up to his imprisonment.Finally, Kael broke the silence. "What are you doing here?"Seraphine crossed her arms, leaning against the cold stone wall. "I wanted to see how you were doing."Kael let out a bitter laugh. "How do you think I'm doing, Seraphine? I'm locked in a tower, trapped with this... thing inside me. I'm a prisoner in more ways than one."Seraphine's expression softened slightly, but there was still a hardness in her eyes. "It was the only option, Kael. You know that. If we'd let you walk free, who knows what the dark magic would've done to you—or to anyone else.""I know," Kael muttered, his voice barely audible. He had accepted that long ago, but it didn't make the reality any easier to live with.Seraphine stepped closer, her gaze piercing. "I'm not here to argue with you. I just... I don't know. I thought you should know that things in the capital are calming down. People are still angry, still scared, but the council is working to rebuild. They're moving on."Kael looked away, his chest tightening. Of course, they were moving on. The world would continue without him, just as it always had. He was just a footnote in history now—another fallen hero consumed by his own ambitions."You should be happy," he said quietly. "They're safe. That's what matters."Seraphine's lips pressed into a thin line. "They're safe because of you, Kael. No matter what happened, no matter how dark things got, you're the one who saved them."Kael shook his head, his voice filled with self-loathing. "I saved them from a monster I unleashed. That's not heroism, Seraphine. That's guilt."For a moment, Seraphine said nothing. She just stood there, watching him, her eyes flickering with a mix of emotions Kael couldn't quite decipher. Then, with a sigh, she walked over to the narrow window and stared out at the bleak landscape beyond."You're right," she said finally. "You did unleash that creature. You made mistakes—terrible ones. But that doesn't erase what you did to stop it. You made a choice, Kael. You chose to fight it, even when it meant sacrificing everything."Kael leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes. "And now I'm paying the price."Seraphine turned back to him, her expression softer now. "Maybe. But you're not as alone as you think."Kael opened his eyes and looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"She hesitated for a moment, then reached into her satchel and pulled out a small, worn book. She handed it to him, and Kael took it cautiously, his brow furrowing as he glanced at the cover."I found this," she said. "It's a tome on ancient magic—dark magic. There might be something in there that can help you control it."Kael stared at the book, a flicker of hope igniting in his chest. "You think... there's a way to control the darkness?"Seraphine nodded slowly. "It's possible. But it won't be easy. You'll have to train, to study. And you'll have to be careful. If you slip, even for a moment, it could consume you."Kael's heart pounded. The idea of regaining control—of not being a prisoner to the darkness inside him—was almost too much to hope for. But at the same time, it terrified him. What if he failed? What if the magic took over completely?"I don't know if I can do this," he said, his voice shaking.Seraphine knelt in front of him, her gaze steady. "You can, Kael. You've already done the impossible. This... this is just one more battle."Kael looked down at the book in his hands, feeling the weight of it. This was his chance—his only chance—to reclaim some part of himself. To prove that he wasn't just a monster.Slowly, he nodded. "I'll try."Seraphine stood, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "That's all I needed to hear."As she turned to leave, Kael called out to her. "Seraphine... thank you."She paused at the door, her back to him. "Don't thank me yet. We still have a long way to go."And with that, she was gone, leaving Kael alone once more. But this time, he wasn't completely alone.He had hope.And in the darkness, that was enough.