Dawn found him already awake. The expenditure of energy had made him collapse for a couple of hours and, even though he was not at the peak of his strength, he would still be able to complete what he had begun.
He started moving along the perimeter of the settlement, placing the artifacts, and when he was done, he wove a dense magical network to conceal and protect the site.
He felt the energy flow out of his hands, a strong, powerful heat.
When he finished, he staggered and had to sit down on the ground. His head was spinning and his limbs felt heavy.
He remained there for a while, until he managed to get back on his feet. As he was returning to his tent, he intercepted a soldier. "Tell the general that I'm done."
---
His father did not show himself. One of his men informed him that a plane would depart in the afternoon to take him back, and a soldier came to fetch him and escort him to the runway by jeep.
When Zeyang had written to ask for news, he had told him that he would be returning during the night.
Once on the plane, he slumped into the seat and closed his eyes. It was over.