The dirt road stretched ahead, lined with patches of wild grass and the occasional gnarled tree. The scent of damp earth and morning dew clung to the air. I didn’t look back at Veylora Keep. I had spent too long in its shadow.

Resna moved ahead, her steps confident as she scouted the path. Aric walked beside me, his presence familiar but no longer suffocating. He had spoken little since we left, but this time, I no longer felt the need to break the silence.

The shard in my chest was still, neither guiding nor warning me. Perhaps, like me, it was waiting.

“How far?” I asked, keeping my voice level.

Resna slowed slightly before answering. “A few days’ travel, maybe longer depending on the terrain. The site is near the old trade routes. No settlements nearby.”

“Good,” Aric muttered. “Less collateral damage.”

The way he said it made me pause. I turned slightly. “You think we’re going to fail?”

Aric let out a slow breath. “I think we still don’t know what we’re dealing with.”

I didn’t argue. He wasn’t wrong.

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We traveled in measured silence, stopping only when necessary. Without sight, I relied on the shard and my other senses, though I made a point to use my cane more than usual. I couldn’t afford to depend on the shard for everything.

Night fell, and we made camp near a river. The fire crackled, casting flickering light against the trees.

“You sure about this?” Aric finally asked, breaking the silence.

I traced my fingers along the worn edge of the medallion around my neck. “Would it change anything if I wasn’t?”

Aric exhaled. “No.”

We sat in silence, the firelight dancing between us.

Resna spoke next. “What’s the plan when we get there?”

“Assess the site,” I said. “See if the magic is still active. Contain it if possible.”

“And if it’s worse than we expect?”

“Then we adapt.”

Resna scoffed. “Not much of a plan.”

“It’s the best I’ve got.”

She didn’t argue.

Aric’s voice was quieter. “And if we can’t contain it?”

I tightened my grip on the medallion. “Then we make sure it doesn’t spread.”

The second day brought a shift in the landscape. The thick forest gave way to open plains, the wind no longer tempered by trees.

“The old trade route isn’t far,” Resna said. “We’ll reach the site before nightfall if we keep pace.”

I nodded. The shard pulsed faintly, sensing the magic ahead.

The air changed. Not physically, but there was an unnatural stillness. Even Aric noticed.

“I don’t like this,” he muttered.

“Neither do I,” I admitted.

By the time we reached the site’s edge, the shard’s hum had returned, sharp and steady. The magic here was alive, lingering beneath the surface like a wound refusing to close.

“Stay alert,” I said, gripping my cane.

We stepped forward into the unknown.