The hidden shelter felt cold despite the warm evening. Vell sat in silence, staring at the wall. He hadn't spoken much in the days since the attack. His body was healing, but something in his eyes had changed. The playful spark was gone, replaced by a darkness that made even Wren uneasy. He always had a dark side to him but this felt different.
"Master, you should eat something," Wren said softly, placing a bowl of soup beside him. She watched him with worry, noting how his fingers twitched randomly - a side effect of his destroyed mana pathways.
He didn't respond at first. When he finally turned to look at her, his face was empty of emotion. "Have Ada and Jolly returned with the information?"
His voice was different now - flat, mechanical. Gone were the warm tones he once used with his family. Even the way he sat had changed, like a coiled spring ready to strike.
