The trio moved swiftly through the forest, the dense canopy above blotting out any trace of moonlight. The only sounds were the faint crunch of leaves underfoot and the occasional rustle of distant creatures. They didn’t speak, each lost in their own thoughts after the battle with the Fenwraith.

Kaelen led the way, his sharp eyes scanning the path ahead. The faint ache in his shoulder, despite its recent healing, was a reminder of how close they’d come to disaster. His secret was out—well, partially. He knew Sigrid and Nessa would demand answers eventually, but now wasn’t the time.

Nessa walked in the middle, her brow furrowed in thought. The sight of Kaelen’s ability had shaken her. It wasn’t the power itself—she’d seen all kinds of strange magic in her life—but the way he dismissed it so casually, as though it wasn’t worth explaining. That irritated her more than she cared to admit.

Sigrid brought up the rear, her daggers still unsheathed. She watched the dark forest like a hawk, her focus unyielding. Yet her mind kept drifting back to Kaelen. That glow, the way his wound had healed, the energy coursing through his blade—it was unlike anything she’d seen in a hunter. She didn’t trust it. She didn’t trust him. But there was no denying he’d saved them, and that complicated things.

After what felt like hours, they emerged from the forest into a wide expanse of rocky terrain. A faint orange hue on the horizon signaled the coming dawn. Kaelen stopped and turned to face the others.

"We’ll rest here," he said, nodding toward a cluster of boulders that offered some cover. "We’re far enough from the Fenwraith’s territory, but we still need to stay on guard."

Sigrid nodded and moved to scout the area. Nessa lingered, watching Kaelen as he sat down against a rock, his blade resting across his knees. She hesitated for a moment before speaking.

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"You’re not getting off that easily," she said, her voice sharp. "What was that back there? That… glow. The healing."

Kaelen didn’t look at her. "Like I said, something I picked up."

"That’s not an answer," Nessa pressed, crossing her arms. "Hunters don’t just ‘pick up’ abilities like that. You’re hiding something."

Kaelen finally met her gaze, his expression unreadable. "And what if I am?"

Nessa frowned, clearly frustrated. "Then it’s a problem. Trust goes both ways, Kaelen. If you expect us to have your back, we deserve to know what we’re dealing with."

Sigrid returned just in time to catch the end of the conversation. She didn’t speak, but her sharp eyes flicked between Kaelen and Nessa, gauging the tension.

Kaelen sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine. You want the truth? It’s not something I picked up. It’s something I was born with—or cursed with, depending on how you look at it."

Sigrid raised an eyebrow. "Cursed?"

Kaelen’s jaw tightened. "It’s… complicated. The short version is, I can heal faster than most, and I can channel that energy into my weapon. It’s not magic, not exactly. It’s something older. Something primal. The hunters who trained me didn’t know what to make of it, so they taught me to control it."

Nessa’s eyes narrowed. "And you didn’t think to mention this sooner?"

Kaelen shrugged. "Didn’t seem relevant. It’s not like I use it all the time."

Sigrid crossed her arms, her expression unreadable. "Convenient. But that doesn’t explain why you kept it a secret."

Kaelen’s gaze hardened. "Because not everyone reacts well to things they don’t understand. I’ve seen what happens when people get scared. I wasn’t about to risk that."

Sigrid and Nessa exchanged a glance. There was a weight to Kaelen’s words, an unspoken history that neither of them dared to press—at least, not now.

Sigrid finally broke the silence. "We don’t have to like it, but it saved our lives. For now, that’s enough."

Nessa hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But if there’s more you’re not telling us, we’ll find out eventually."

Kaelen smirked faintly. "Looking forward to it."

The tension lingered, but the conversation ended as the trio settled into a wary silence. Sigrid took the first watch, her sharp eyes scanning the horizon as the first rays of sunlight broke through the clouds. Kaelen leaned against the rock, his head tilted back, though he wasn’t truly resting. Nessa sat nearby, her fingers tracing absent patterns in the dirt.

Despite the unspoken unease, there was a strange sense of camaraderie growing between them. They didn’t trust each other completely—not yet—but they’d fought and survived together. And in their world, that was a start.