Alex stood at the edge of the valley, looking back. Only a week had passed, yet it felt as if he had left something behind in those glowing waters: his exhaustion, perhaps, or the fear that had followed him since Fallen Citadel.
He felt good. Complete. Ready.
"Ready to go?" Emily asked, adjusting her backpack.
"Yeah. It's time."
Raven waited farther up the path, practically bouncing with energy. A week of practice had improved her control; she could summon and dismiss skeletons without the disasters that had wrecked the cabin.
Grim perched on Alex's shoulder in his small, eighty-centimeter form. He looked back at the valley, then tapped Alex's collarbone and pointed toward the road.
"Adventure awaits?" Alex asked.
Grim nodded.
They had barely started walking when Guardian Yara called from her cabin.
"Bearer!"
