Chapter 442 - Back Home.

The embrace with my father lingered like a shadow etched into my soul, his darkness wrapping around me not as a cage, but as a cloak of quiet strength. When we finally pulled apart, the glade seemed to exhale, the sunlight reclaiming its territory inch by inch. Shadow's eyes—those infinite voids—held mine for a beat longer, a silent vow passing between us. "Go now, Vaelthor," he murmured, his voice a velvet rumble that stirred the leaves at our feet. "The mortal world calls. But remember: the shadows are always with you."