Dale's arm wasn't broken, just badly torn, and Lilly, pale and exhausted and barely able to sit upright on her own, insisted on healing him anyway."You should rest," I said, crouching beside her cot."I will." She was already reaching for Dale's arm, hands trembling slightly as she concentrated. "After this."A faint golden light bloomed from her palms and settled over the gash along Dale's forearm. He hissed through his teeth, more from surprise than pain, and watched with wide eyes as the torn skin slowly began to knit itself back together."That's incredible," Ruth breathed, crouched beside her husband, watching the wound close with something like awe.Lilly's hands dropped the moment the wound sealed, exhaustion hitting her all at once. I caught her before she slumped sideways and lowered her gently back onto the cot."That's enough for today," I said, firmer this time.She didn't argue. Her eyes were already closing. The Healer's rank-B system was apparently costing her more tha

"Why me?" I asked, stalling for time, studying Marcus's forgettable face for anything that looked like a weakness. "There have to be others. Mira's brother, for one.""Her brother served a purpose," Marcus said, almost dismissively. "A useful one, but a limited one. You're different, Jayden. Your vow wasn't just about revenge. It was about transformation. 'I will not be this man again.' Do you remember saying that?"The words hit me like a blow, pulled straight from the darkest, most private moment of my first death."How do you know that?""I was listening," Marcus said simply. "I listen to every vow made in that particular kind of darkness. Most of them are small. Petty. 'I'll get back at her.' 'I'll make him pay.' Yours was different. You didn't only want revenge. You wanted to become someone capable of making sure it never happened to you again. That kind of drive is rare. Valuable."Beside me, Mira's blade stayed raised, her whole body coiled with fury she was barely holding back