Silence followed us.
Not the tense kind that presses against your ears.
The spent kind.
Like the world had exhaled after holding its breath too long and hadn't yet decided what to do with the relief.
Each step felt lighter—not because the road was easier, but because the weight I'd carried had finally found a purpose. The brand in my chest was gone. No hum. No warning. Just the echo of heat where something permanent had passed through and moved on.
Arjun noticed before I did.
"You're… different," he said, glancing sideways."Not glowing. Not heavier. Just—"
"Empty?" I offered.
He shook his head."Clear."
The girl studied me, eyes careful, searching for cracks."How does it feel?"
I rolled my shoulders, testing the space where the burden had lived.
"Like I survived something that didn't leave a scar," I said."And that scares me more than if it had."
Aaryan hummed thoughtfully."Ah. Post-payment clarity. Dangerous phase."
✦
