When light returned to his eyes, Adrian found himself standing in the middle of an open field instead of the palace he had expected.
Not far away sat a familiar figure atop a small rock rising from the earth, his back turned toward Adrian.
It was Valor.
The man who could hardly stay silent now sat in complete stillness, as though every word had abandoned him.
"Valor," Adrian called. "You knew about it."
A quiet sigh escaped Valor before he rose to his feet.
His long hair swayed with the breeze, and his posture remained as composed as ever. Yet Adrian didn't need to read his thoughts to see the turmoil beneath that calm exterior. Valor was deeply unsettled.
"What is it, Valor?" Adrian asked, his voice softer as he closed the distance between them. "What do you know about all of this?"
Valor finally turned to face him.
His eyes held both apology and fury. The anger burned fiercely, yet Adrian immediately realized it wasn't directed at him.
