After dinner, the tables were cleared for the next part of the evening: dancing. The quartet struck up a lively waltz in the ballroom. Couples began to twirl across the marble floor. Ethan had barely risen from his chair when Malric stood and offered a hand to Celestia. “May I have the first dance, Lady Celestia?” he asked with a charismatic bow.Celestia looked as if she wanted to decline, but under the watchful eyes of dozens of nobles, she acquiesced with forced grace. “Of course, Lord Malric.” She shot a glance at Ethan—an unspoken apology or reassurance, he couldn’t tell—before taking Malric’s hand.Ethan’s heart lurched with protectiveness and a touch of jealousy as he watched Malric lead Celestia onto the dance floor. He felt Marina appear at his side and loop her arm through his. “You’ll wear a hole in the carpet glaring like that,” she murmured teasing

The warehouse at Pier Six loomed silent and dark beneath the moonlight. Ethan and Celestia approached from the rear, slipping in through a gap in the rotting wooden boards. Inside, the vast space was littered with crates and bales of mildewed cloth. Lantern light from the street barely slanted in through high windows, casting long bars of gold on the dusty floor.They crept forward, every footstep placed with care. Ethan’s Detect Malevolence hummed faintly – danger was near, though hidden. Celestia caught a familiar scent and wrinkled her nose. “Oil lamps,” she whispered. Indeed, there – on a crate – sat a hooded lantern, its flame shuttered nearly to darkness. Someone had been here, possibly still was.At the center of the warehouse, a lone figure stood with back turned, cloaked in gray. Ethan’s pulse quickened. It might be the one who sent the message. He stepped forward, sword drawn but lowered. “Regnas?” he called softly, feigning hopeful uncertainty.The figure half-turned. A flas

Ethan had expected a wary reception upon returning to Avelline, but nothing prepared him for the chill that greeted them at the city gates. As he, Celestia, and Marina approached the massive oak doors at dusk, a squad of city guards stepped forward blocking their path. Their captain held up a hand. “Ethan Lockwood and Celestia Draconyx?”Ethan’s stomach tightened. The guard’s tone was formal, unfriendly. “That’s us,” he answered, eyeing the ring of steel-clad men around them.The captain unrolled a scroll and cleared his throat. “By order of the Avelline City Council, you are commanded to present yourselves for inquiry regarding charges of misconduct, theft, and murder.” Murmurs rippled through the line of guards. Some looked uneasy to be confronting an S-rank adventurer and his half-dragon companion; others bore open disdain.Celestia bristled, wings tensing under her cloak. “On whose authority?”

Sunrise painted the eastern sky in hues of rose and gold as Ethan and Celestia guided their horses along the quiet country road. The air was cool and sweet with the scent of dew-laden grass. Not far behind them, the high walls of Avelline City were shrinking into the morning mist – a silhouette of towers and spires that held equal parts fond memories and bitter pain.Celestia glanced over her shoulder at those distant walls one last time. Regnas, Seraphina, Neo, Archbishop Calvinar... their friends were somewhere back there, perhaps even now fending off Malric’s wrath. Celestia’s heart clenched, but she took a steadying breath and faced forward. They had made their choice to leave, and their friends had made theirs to help. Now it was up to Ethan and her to make that sacrifice worthwhile.Ethan reached across the narrow gap between their horses and gently squeezed Celestia’s hand where it rested on her saddle’s pommel. “You okay?&rdq

Morning light spilled through the high windows of Carosso’s Temple of Dawn inn as Ethan and Celestia shared a humble breakfast. A heavy parchment lay on the table, still sealed by wax. Ethan broke the seal; the note inside was brief: “Meet me at the Adventurer’s Guild. —G. Ironfist.” Celestia’s hand went to her sword guard. “Ironfist,” she murmured. “The veteran lord of the guild.” She nodded firmly. “Let’s go.”They wound through bustling streets toward East Hill. The Adventurer’s Guild hall was an imposing fortress of stone and carved wood. Broad steps led up between statues of mythical beasts, and the bronze fist sigil glinted over the entrance. Inside, the scent of tobacco and sweat filled the air. Sunlight spilled through stained-glass windows, painting the dusty floor in colored patterns. Training dummies and targets filled the courtyard; a dwarf and human were sparring in full armor as