The door to the council hall creaked open as Aelric stepped out into the cool afternoon air. The weight of the trial lingered heavily on his shoulders, though the tension in the town seemed to dissipate with his innocence declared by the inquisitor. The townsfolk, who had gathered nearby, now regarded him with a mixture of relief and indifference, as if the entire ordeal had settled in their minds. The inquisitor’s presence had spoken volumes—Aelric was innocent in their eyes, cleared by one of the most feared and respected figures in the kingdom.

But inside, Aelric was anything but settled. His heart still raced, and his thoughts churned in disarray as the image of the inquisitor cutting him, testing him, stayed fresh in his mind. The sheer power the man wielded—both physical and in the weight of his presence—left Aelric shaken. The ease with which he had dispatched Calder… Aelric had never seen anyone so efficiently brutal. And though Calder’s accusations weren’t entirely false, seeing him maimed for it left a sour taste in Aelric’s mouth.

It could have been me. That thought haunted him.

Despite everything Calder had done—his spite, his relentless accusations—Aelric couldn’t deny the truth in his words. Calder had seen something no one else had, and he wasn’t wrong to pursue it. Aelric’s fast recovery, his suspicious behavior... Calder hadn’t deserved what had happened to him.

As he made his way back to his small home, Aelric noticed the change in the atmosphere. The stares of suspicion had faded, replaced with nods of acknowledgment from passersby. The townsfolk no longer looked at him as a witch, but simply as one of their own again. The weight of their distrust had lifted, though the guilt Aelric felt lingered within him.

Aelric entered his home and sat heavily on the edge of his bed, the events of the day replaying in his mind. He touched the cut on his arm, now bandaged, and exhaled deeply. The ring had worked. The inquisitor hadn’t detected his magic because he had managed to suppress it—forcing the flow of mana away from the wound during the test. But it had been close. Too close.

He stared at his hands, feeling the faint hum of magic within him. The power that had once terrified him now felt like a burden, one he couldn’t escape. How long would he be able to hide it? How many more tests could he pass before someone saw through the illusion?

The knock on the door startled him from his thoughts. For a moment, his mind flashed to Calder, but he shook the thought away. Calder was no threat now.

When Aelric opened the door, Elda stood on the other side, her expression a mix of curiosity and concern. She stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, closing the door behind her.

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"How did you do it?" Elda asked, her voice low. "How did you convince an inquisitor that you don’t have magic?"

Aelric hesitated, leaning against the doorframe as he considered his words. Elda had always been sharp, and he doubted she would believe a simple excuse. After a moment, he sighed, deciding to be half-truthful. “I’ve learned more control over my magic,” he said quietly. “I forced it away from the cut when he tested me. It wasn’t easy, but it worked.”

Elda’s eyes narrowed, though her expression softened after a moment. She stepped closer, studying his face. “You’re lucky,” she said. “Luckier than most. If people get suspicious again, they may go a different route of testing…”

“I know,” Aelric admitted. “But I need to rest now, Elda. It’s been a long day.”

Elda looked as though she wanted to say more, but after a moment, she nodded. “Alright,” she said softly. “But be careful, Aelric.”

With that, she turned and left, closing the door quietly behind her.

Aelric let out a long breath, the tension in his chest easing slightly. He moved toward his bed, his body aching for rest, but before he could even sit down, another knock echoed through the room.

Frowning, Aelric turned back to the door. His mind raced with possibilities—had Elda forgotten something, or was it someone else? He hesitated for a moment, his hand hovering over the doorknob, before pulling it open once more.

Standing in the doorway, cloaked in shadow and masked as before, was the figure who had given him the ring. The hooded figure stood there silently for a moment, before finally speaking, their voice casual but firm.

“I do need the ring back,” the masked figure said, tilting their head slightly. “It’s quite valuable for my job.”

Aelric blinked, feeling the weight of the ring on his finger. “You need it now?” he asked, not moving to remove it.

The figure nodded. “You’ve used it to pass the test. It’s done its job. But it’s an important tool for me… and there may be others who need it more than you do.”

Reluctantly, Aelric slipped the ring from his finger, the cool metal feeling heavier than before. He handed it to the figure, who took it and slipped it into a small pouch tied to their waist.

“So what now?” Aelric asked, his voice quieter than he intended.

The figure paused, as if considering their answer carefully. “You keep your head down, for now. The inquisitor’s test cleared you in the eyes of the town, but magic doesn’t stay hidden forever. There will be more tests, more questions.”

Aelric swallowed hard, the reality of his situation settling in once more. “And you?” he asked. “What are you planning?”

The figure shrugged lightly. “I do my job. I find people like you, and I make sure they survive—at least, for as long as they can. What happens next is up to you, Aelric. But know this: staying here, in this town, may not be the safest choice for much longer.”

Aelric felt a knot form in his chest. “You think I should leave?”

The figure didn’t answer directly, but their silence spoke volumes. After a long pause, they turned to leave, their footsteps eerily quiet on the wooden floor.

“Keep practicing your control,” the masked figure said over their shoulder. “You’ll need it, sooner or later.”

And with that, they were gone, leaving Aelric standing in the doorway, the cool dusk air brushing against his skin.