The morning light filtered into Kael's room, casting a pale glow upon the crimson walls. Yet, despite the new day's arrival, sleep had been elusive for him, as a relentless turmoil of thoughts churned within his mind. He rose from his bed, weary eyes rubbing away the remnants of a night filled with restless contemplation.
Dressed and ready, Kael stepped outside the inn, where the city's awakening bustle carried on around him. His gaze fell upon a lone soldier stationed nearby, standing sentinel in the early light. An internal debate raged within him, but a growing sense of unease pushed him forward, compelling him to approach the soldier.
With a polite but cautious tone, he inquired about the events of the previous day—the sight of the soldiers marching through the city streets, the clanging of armor that had set the morning's unsettling tone. The soldier, a middle-aged woman, met his query with a sympathetic smile, her demeanor shifting from warmth to solemnity. She spoke of an accident, her voice heavy with the weight of the untold tragedy.
The soldier's words were shrouded in sorrow, and as she recounted the details, Kael's heart grew heavier. She spoke of a young woman who had fallen from the second floor, a fate too cruel to contemplate. The more he prodded for information, the clearer the truth became, and the world around him seemed to blur.
With the soldier's words echoing in his mind, Kael felt a sting of dread as he sprinted through the city's streets, racing towards the Silver Stein tavern. His thoughts raced alongside his feet, fueled by a desperate hope that Elara would be unharmed, that he would see her once more.
Upon reaching the tavern, his eyes locked onto a bloodstain upon the cobblestones—a chilling sight that sent a shiver down his spine. He could not bear to look, yet he could not look away. Trembling, he pushed open the tavern's doors, heart pounding in his chest.
The bustling atmosphere of the tavern stood in stark contrast to the heavy dread that weighed upon him. But among the patrons and the serving wenches, there was no sight of Elara. He scanned the room frantically, searching for her familiar form, praying for a glimpse of her smile.
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The bartender approached him, sensing the distress that gripped Kael's heart. Words of condolences were offered, but they were lost upon him as he remained fixated on the empty spaces within the tavern. Kael's voice broke through the haze, his questions tumbling forth as he demanded to know what had happened.
The bartender's explanation came in fragments—words like "accident" and "fallen from the second floor." A sense of devastation enveloped him, his mind unable to grasp the enormity of the loss he had just discovered.
With a heavy heart, Kael stumbled out of the tavern, his steps faltering as he followed the bloody trail of his shattered hopes. Falling to his knees upon the stained cobblestones, he released a guttural scream, the sound echoing through the city's streets as a raw expression of sorrow and helplessness.
The commotion attracted the attention of soldiers and concerned onlookers alike. They descended upon the scene, attempting to quell the tumult that had arisen from Kael's anguish. One soldier, sympathetic to his plight, extended a hand to help him up, while another tried to disperse the gathering crowd.
In the midst of the chaos, Master Faelon arrived, his steps swift as he approached the soldiers holding Kael. He recognized the boy's pain and immediately asserted his authority as Kael's guardian, vouching for his apprentice and insisting that the situation was a misunderstanding.
With little energy left, the soldiers eventually relented and released Kael into Faelon's care. As he lay the boy upon the cobblestones, Faelon's eyes bore a mixture of concern and understanding. He knew that Kael had uncovered the painful truth.
In silence, Faelon carried Kael to the forge, placing him gently upon the bed. The elder smith knew that words alone would not heal the wounds carved by loss, and he understood the gravity of the sorrow that now gripped his young apprentice.
As the morning unfolded, Kael lay in silence, his spirit shattered by the irrevocable loss of Elara. The city, once a place of dreams and aspirations, had become a haunting landscape, its corners filled with echoes of memories now forever lost.