Neal was silent, but his jaw was clenched tight.
Alira spoke next. "So we abandon it? All of it?"
"We take what matters," Derek said. "Our lives. Our future. And maybe one day… when you're strong enough that even Dukes bow their heads, you can come back. But not now."
Silence fell again.
Then Kaelen muttered, "What about Johny? You don't meant to.."
Before he could finish his word.
Derek nodded. "Yes, don't worry I've already thought of that."
Then Kaelen gave a helpless smile. "Alright I'll go there myself."
The next morning, long before sunrise, Kaelen walked through the still-sleeping town alone and sneaked into Johny's room.
He carried a sealed envelope in one hand, and in the other, a small obsidian-black card, smooth and humming faintly with mana.
The letter inside read:
Johny,
Thank you for helping us build something we could be proud of. You kept our feet on the ground. You worked harder than anyone should at your age.
