Rory's thoughts drifted back to the last time she had truly faced danger—the moment flames had split the sky, when a blazing, infernal firebird had descended like judgment itself.
She slowly turned toward Kather, her gaze searching his shadowed face.
"That firebird from before…" she said quietly. "The one made entirely of fire. That was you, wasn't it?"
For a brief moment, he said nothing.
Then Kather nodded. "It was."
The confirmation made something in Rory loosen all at once. A breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding escaped her, and a small smile curved her lips.
"So it really was you," she murmured. "You saved everyone that day. I heard you were badly injured and disappeared on the outer battlefield. I kept wondering…" Her eyes lifted to his. "Are you alright now?"
A faint warmth softened Kather's expression. In the dim light, something like fire flickered deep within his eyes—not violent, but steady and alive.
