Word spread fast in Grayhaven.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just looks.
Pauses.
Quiet interest.
Lira felt it as they walked through the streets.
"They know," she said softly.
Kael felt it too.
Yes. But they're not afraid.
That surprised him.
People didn't move away.
They didn't bow.
They didn't whisper in corners.
They watched—openly.
The scarred woman led them to a stone building near the inner wall.
"This will be yours," she said.
"Simple. Strong."
Lira stepped inside.
One room.
Two beds.
A table.
A window facing the city.
"It's enough," she said.
Kael nodded.
More than enough.
The woman crossed her arms.
"Rest today.
Tomorrow, Grayhaven will test you."
Lira stiffened.
"Another test?"
The woman smiled slightly.
"Not like the road.
Not like the champion."
"Then what?" Lira asked.
The woman answered:
"People."
After she left, silence settled in the room.
Lira sat on the bed slowly.
"Kael… I don't know if I'm ready for that."
He sat beside her.
People tests don't draw blood, his intent replied.
They draw truth.
She laughed softly.
"That sounds worse."
He almost smiled.
Outside, the city moved on.
Life continued.
For the first time in a long while, no one chased them.
But Lira felt something else now.
Responsibility.
"If Grayhaven stands with us," she said quietly,
"then what happens when the heir comes?"
Kael looked out the window.
People walked below.
Argued.
Laughed.
Then he doesn't face just us.
The bond warmed.
Night fell gently over the city.
Lanterns lit the streets.
Lira leaned against Kael's shoulder.
"I don't regret this," she said.
He felt it clearly
Neither did he.
But far beyond Grayhaven's walls
In a place where silence meant control
The heir received a message.
Not loud.
Not urgent.
Just three words.
They stayed.
And that
Changed everything.