The recess ended faster than Diablo expected, the crowd's energy climbing steadily as arena staff cleared away the last traces of the previous match, packed dirt smoothed over where Kestric had gone down beneath a burst of ice. By the time the herald's voice rang out announcing the final match of the tournament, the stands had filled to capacity, every tier packed with spectators leaning forward in anticipation, nobles in the raised box murmuring among themselves, and somewhere near the front, Diablo caught a glimpse of the king himself, seated beside Vasryn, both of them watching the arena floor with unmistakable interest.Diablo stepped out from the tunnel into the golden light of early evening, the sun low enough now to cast long shadows across the cracked and hastily repaired dirt. Across the ring, the opposite tunnel darkened, and Isolde Marrow emerged, dark hair still stirred faintly by the same unnatural wind that had followed her through the previous match, her expression calm

Diablo arrived at the guild early the next morning, the streets of Velmoor still quiet in the way they only were before the market stalls opened and the day's business began in earnest. The celebration the night before had run late, Natsu insisting on covering the first round of drinks with his own winnings from a side bet, Mari recounting the Vherrow match to anyone who'd listen with increasingly exaggerated detail, and even Leo had loosened up enough to laugh more than once. Diablo had allowed himself to enjoy it, if only for a few hours, before the weight of everything unresolved settled back onto his shoulders on the walk home.Isyrae greeted him at the guild entrance with a knowing look. "He's expecting you. Said to send you straight up the moment you arrived.""Rough night?" Diablo asked, catching the faint shadows under her eyes."Something like that." She didn't elaborate further, gesturing toward the stairs instead. "Go on. He's been in there since before I opened up."Diablo

Three weeks passed before Corvin sent word that the manor's renovations were finally complete, longer than Diablo had expected but shorter, apparently, than the broker had feared given the scope of work involved. He made the walk out to the eastern wall on a clear afternoon, the dirt road no longer quite so overgrown, freshly repaired gates swinging smoothly on new hinges as he pushed them open.The transformation was substantial. Where weeds had once choked the training yard, packed earth now stretched clean and level, a low wooden fence marking its boundary. The stone walls of the manor itself had been repointed and scrubbed clean of years of neglect, new shutters hanging straight on every window, and the stables had been rebuilt entirely, sturdy enough to house horses Diablo didn't yet own but might eventually need.Corvin met him at the front entrance, looking considerably more composed than he had during their first meeting, though no less eager to please. "Everything's exactly a

The ride north took the better part of two days, the road narrowing steadily the further Diablo traveled from Velmoor's familiar streets, farmland giving way to dense forest that pressed close on either side by the time he crossed into the border territories. He made camp once along the way, sleeping lightly out of old habit rather than any real necessity, and reached the outskirts of Thornfield just as the sun began dipping toward the tree line on the second evening.The village was smaller than he'd expected, a scattered cluster of thatched roof homes surrounding a central well, fields stretching out toward the forest's edge where the last of the day's harvest work was being hurriedly wrapped up. What struck him immediately wasn't the size of the place, but the atmosphere, doors already being bolted despite the sun not yet having fully set, villagers moving through the streets with the tight, hurried posture of people who'd learned recently and painfully that lingering outdoors afte

Dawn broke gray and overcast, thin light filtering weakly through low clouds that had rolled in sometime before sunrise. Diablo left the low stone wall as the village began stirring, Aldric emerging from his home to find him already waiting near the tree line, dark circles absent from his eyes despite the long night, an unnatural steadiness that the older man clearly noted but chose not to comment on."You made it through the night," Aldric said, relief evident in his voice."Something came to the tree line," Diablo said. "Three of them, including your Tomas."Aldric's face went pale. "He's...""I'm sorry," Diablo said, and meant it. "Whatever's happening out there, it's already claimed him. I don't think there's a way back from what he's become."The older man was quiet for a long moment, grief and grim acceptance warring across his weathered features, before he nodded slowly. "Then find whatever's responsible. Make sure no one else's family goes through the same thing.""That's exac