Liliana hovered silently at the edge of the clearing, her eyes fixed on the scene before her. She watched as Rika held Kale from behind, his body trembling as his grief poured out in silent sobs. The flickering remnants of the campfire cast a warm glow around them, a stark contrast to the coldness Liliana felt within herself.

She was no stranger to suffering, she had witnessed more than most could imagine in her long, bitter existence, yet something about this scene stirred an unfamiliar sensation in her. It was unsettling. She prided herself on her detachment, the emotional armor she had forged over years of hardship and loss. Emotions were a weakness, a lesson she had learned the hard way. And yet, seeing Kale—kind, good-hearted Kale—break down, held tenderly by Rika, chipped away at that armor ever so slightly.

He cares too much, she thought, her gaze unwavering. It's going to get him killed.

But was that truly a flaw? Or was it a strength she no longer possessed? Liliana couldn't decide. She remembered a time when she, too, had allowed herself to feel—before immortality, before the betrayals and sacrifices that had hardened her heart. A time when she believed in something greater than herself, when her faith in Valtharion had been unshakable.

The memory was distant, almost like a story she'd once heard rather than a life she'd lived. She recalled the faces of those she'd lost, the promises she'd made and broken. The shame of her own failures clawed at her, a constant reminder of why she kept others at arm's length.

Emotions make you vulnerable, she thought. Vulnerability leads to death.

Yet, despite her inner admonishments, she couldn't tear her eyes away from Kale and Rika. There was a purity in their connection, a raw honesty that she both envied and resented. They were unafraid to share their pain, to lean on each other in moments of weakness. It was a luxury she couldn't afford, or so she told herself.

Perhaps they're stronger because of it, a quiet voice in the back of her mind suggested. She dismissed the thought immediately, shaking her head as if to physically dispel it.

A soft breeze rustled the leaves around her, carrying with it the faint scent of damp earth and wood smoke. Liliana took a slow breath.

They'll need to be stronger for what's to come, her thoughts turned to the challenges that lay ahead. Hekkaran was a land rife with dangers even she might find challenging. The corruption they sought to fight was spreading faster than any of them had anticipated. Had it already reached Hekkaran? Was it waiting for them there, festering and growing stronger while they struggled to catch up?

Her gaze drifted to the borhounds resting nearby, their ears twitching as they sensed her attention. Loyal beasts, strong and unyielding, much like how she aspired to be. Yet even they formed bonds, worked together for the sake of the pack.

Am I the lone wolf now? she wondered. The idea left a bitter taste.

Liliana looked back at Kale. His sobs had quieted, his body now still in Rika's comforting embrace. Rika whispered something to him, words Liliana couldn't hear but could almost feel. Words of reassurance, of solidarity. Kale nodded slowly, wiping away the remnants of his tears.

Perhaps there's merit in companionship, Liliana conceded internally, though she wasn't ready to admit it aloud. But attachments can be a liability.

She floated closer, maintaining a respectful distance as not to intrude. Yet, she wanted them to know she was there, watching over them in her own way. If they noticed her presence, they gave no indication. Maybe that was for the best.

Time to move forward, she thought, her resolve hardening once more. We have a mission to complete.

But as she turned away to prepare for their departure, a lingering thought held her back.

Maybe... maybe I can find a balance, she pondered. Perhaps strength and vulnerability aren't mutually exclusive.

It was a dangerous line of thinking, one that challenged everything she'd built to protect herself. Yet, the seed had been planted, and she couldn't ignore it entirely.

Liliana cast one final glance at Kale and Rika. I won't let them fall, she vowed silently. Even if it means confronting my own demons.

With that, she drifted toward the dying embers of the campfire, her mind a tumultuous blend of old scars and new uncertainties. The journey ahead would test them all, not just in strength and skill, but in will and unity. And, perhaps, she wasn't as alone as she'd thought.

***

The morning sun filtered through the trees, casting soft beams of light onto the ground where Kale stood. He breathed in the crisp air, feeling its coolness wash over him. For the first time in days, his chest didn't feel so tight, the crushing weight of everything that had happened in Khor'vel not as suffocating as before.

Kale looked over at Rika, who was busy preparing the borhounds for their journey. He watched her in silence for a moment, feeling a strange mix of gratitude and relief settle over him. After breaking down the previous morning, after letting her see the pain he had kept buried, something had shifted inside him. It was as though sharing that weight with her had lifted some of the burden from his shoulders. He didn't feel so alone anymore.

She had understood him in a way that few could. Rika had seen his pain, his fear, and she hadn't judged him. She had simply been there, offering silent comfort without demanding anything in return. It made him feel... lighter. Stronger.

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Kale held Aeloria's Promise in front of him, feeling the familiar weight in his hand. The grief hadn't disappeared, the memories still haunted him, but something new had taken root in its place—a quiet sense of determination. He wasn't carrying this burden alone anymore, and that knowledge gave him strength.

Liliana floated nearby, her expression unreadable as always, though Kale could feel her watchful gaze. He knew she had seen the moment between him and Rika the morning before, but she hadn't said anything. That was Liliana's way—she saw more than she ever let on.

Rika turned to him, her eyes meeting his across the clearing. "You ready?"

Kale nodded, the sword in his hand feeling like an extension of himself. "Yeah. Let's do this."

As they mounted their borhounds, Kale felt the familiar surge of adrenaline that came with moving forward into the unknown. The road to Hekkaran stretched out before them, filled with uncertainty and danger, but now he felt ready. Ready to face whatever awaited them. Ready to fight.

He would honor Thalmar's sacrifice, and he would make sure the corruption didn't spread further. He would stop Xeroth. They had a mission, and Kale wasn't going to let anything stand in their way.

With renewed resolve, he nudged his borhound forward, Rika and Liliana close behind. The wind whipped against his face, but this time it felt like a reminder of the challenges ahead, of the strength within him. Together, they rode into the unknown, and Kale's heart beat steady with determination.

***

As they rode through the forest, the tension from the past days began to ease, the rhythmic sound of the borhounds' steady steps filling the air. Kale felt the crisp wind against his face, and he allowed himself to relax. His mind was clearer now.

Rika, riding beside him, cast a glance at Kale. Her usual sharp grin was back in place, but there was a hint of curiosity behind it. She had noticed the change in him.

"So," Kale said, breaking the silence, "you think Morrgar Doomblade is going to be impressed with us? Maybe you can show him some of your warhammer tricks to sweeten the deal?"

Rika snorted, her grin widening. "Only if you think he's up for getting flattened."

Kale chuckled. "I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see you lugging around two oversized warhammers like it's nothing. Just don't make him feel bad if he's only got one sword."

Rika laughed. "Maybe I'll let him hold Guts if he asks nicely."

Even Liliana had an almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corners of her lips. It was subtle, barely noticeable, but Kale caught it. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Liliana," Kale said, his tone teasing, "was that a smile? I think I just saw your face move."

Liliana shot him a sidelong glance, but there was a softness in her eyes. "You're imagining things," she replied.

Rika caught the exchange and let out a loud laugh. "Look at you, Kaley—cracking jokes again. Maybe you're not as broken as we thought."

Kale smiled, feeling a warmth settle in his chest. "I guess I'm harder to break than I look."

Liliana watched him quietly, observing the shift in his demeanor. There was something different in the way he held himself, a steadiness that hadn't been there before.

Maybe Kale was strong enough after all.

***

The borhounds pressed on, their breath visible in the cold, thinning air. The terrain grew more unforgiving as the trio moved deeper into Hekkaran's heart. Jagged cliffs towered around them, their stark forms blocking out the fading daylight. A sense of foreboding lingered between them, unspoken.

Liliana's pace slowed, her eyes sweeping the horizon. "We're close," she said.

"Close to what?" Kale asked.

Liliana didn't respond immediately. "I don't know. But something's waiting."

"Can't wait to find out," Rika said. The borhounds shifted uneasily beneath them, their eyes wide and alert, sensing the growing danger around them.

Kale glanced at Rika, then at Liliana, as the ground beneath them trembled. The chill bit at their skin, but it was the unsettling sense of something unseen, something just out of reach, that set Kale on edge.

The ground trembled again, this time with more intensity. The borhounds growled low, their claws digging into the earth as they slowed. Kale's hand instinctively moved to Aeloria's Promise, ready for whatever might come.

The earth beneath them shifted violently, a deep, thunderous crack ripping through the ground. The entire canyon seemed to groan as jagged fissures snaked across the rocky terrain. Rika's borhound let out a fierce snarl, leaping back just in time to avoid the gaping chasm that yawned open beneath them. Loose stones tumbled into the abyss, swallowed by the darkness below. Kale's borhound staggered, its claws scraping desperately against the crumbling ground as it fought to maintain its footing.

"Hold on!" Kale shouted, but his words were lost in the chaos.

A sound like grinding stone filled the air, an eerie, unnatural noise that sent a shiver up Kale's spine. It wasn't just the ground, it was the entire canyon. The walls of rock that loomed above them began to move, shifting in ways that defied logic. Massive slabs of stone groaned and trembled, rearranging themselves as though something ancient and malevolent was waking from deep within the earth.

Kale looked up. High above, the cliffs themselves were coming alive. Stone spires jutted out, twisting and bending, grinding against each other with a loud screech that echoed through the canyon. The rock seemed to warp and bend, its surface cracking and splitting apart like flesh being torn open.

A shape began to emerge from the stone—hulking, monstrous, and impossible. It wasn't human, and it wasn't animal. The rocky cliffs twisted and shifted into limbs, rough and uneven, glowing cracks of molten light pulsing through its massive body. The heat radiating from the creature was intense, waves of energy leaking through its stone skin like the lifeblood of some ancient beast.

The thing was colossal, its size dwarfing everything around it. Each movement was slow but deliberate, the ground trembling under the weight of its massive body. Its limbs were uneven spires of stone that reached toward the sky, while molten lava oozed from cracks in its body, dripping like fiery blood onto the canyon floor.

Kale stared up at the creature. It was alive, born from the rock they stood upon, and its glowing, molten eyes locked onto them with a terrifying, unblinking gaze. The ground beneath them shook as the creature lurched forward, its massive limbs grinding against the canyon walls, sending showers of rock tumbling down like a rain of stone and fire.

"Move!" Liliana shouted.

But Kale couldn't tear his eyes away from the creature. It let out a sound—an earth-shattering roar that wasn't a roar at all, but more like the scream of rock splitting under pressure, a horrifying noise that reverberated through the air.

Rika cursed under her breath, but even her usual bravado was gone, replaced by wide-eyed shock. "What the fuck?" she said, her voice barely audible over the grinding noise.

The creature stepped forward, earth shaking with the impact. With each lumbering movement, more molten light poured from its cracks, hissing and bubbling as it scorched the ground beneath it. The air around them grew hotter, the smell of sulfur and burning rock filling their lungs.

Kale stared up at the monstrosity before them. That thing is even bigger than Jarosormur. What was it? His mind scrambled for an answer, but all he knew was that it wasn't just big—it was impossibly vast, a mountain that had torn itself free from the earth, now standing on legs thick as fortress walls, its arms heavy enough to shatter cities. I guess they were not exaggerating when they said Hekkaran was dangerous.

The creature raised one massive arm, stone grinding against stone as it prepared to strike. The shadow of its colossal limb cast over them, blocking out the light.

With a roar that shook the very foundations of the earth, the creature brought its arm crashing down toward them.

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