Evening, Varfaun Foothills
The sky above the Ember Foothills was darkening, streaked with deep purples and burning reds. Shadows stretched long across the rocky terrain as the group moved in silence, their horses weaving through narrow, uneven trails.
Delwyn rode ahead, scanning the horizon. They had been pushing forward for hours, staying ahead of the Black Hounds, but something gnawed at her instincts.
Vaelor, usually composed, had been unusually silent since they left Ravengarde.
Mira noticed it too. "You're brooding," she muttered, nudging her horse closer to his. "More than usual."
Vaelor exhaled. "I don't brood."
Mira arched a brow. "That was the most brooding answer I've ever heard."
Delwyn, her grip firm on the reins, cut in. "What's ahead?"
Talia, scouting just a little higher on the ridge, signalled to them. "There's a structure up ahead," she called down. "Looks abandoned. Stonework—older than anything I've seen around here."
Vaelor's breath hitched, so slight most wouldn't notice—but Delwyn did.
She turned to him. "You know this place."
Vaelor's fingers flexed against the leather grip of his reins. "…I might."
Elias scoffed. "Oh, good. Another one of Vaelor's mysterious 'might knows.'"
Joren shifted in his saddle. "Think it's safe?"
Vaelor's jaw tightened. "We should check it out."
Delwyn studied him for a beat longer, then nodded. "Let's move."
****
The Ruins of the Vehl'karin
The structure was little more than a broken skeleton of what it once was, nestled between the craggy walls of the foothills. The remains of stone walls and faded carvings stood under layers of creeping moss and age-worn cracks. There was no mistaking it—this was old. Very old.
The group dismounted, leading their horses carefully inside what had once been a small outpost.
Mira ran a hand along the stone, brushing away some of the moss. Strange symbols were carved deep into the walls—etched in a looping, flowing script that felt both ancient and unnerving.
Elias let out a low whistle. "Well, this place is haunted."
Delwyn ignored him, her focus on Vaelor, who stood stiff, his eyes locked onto something deeper within the ruins.
"What is this place?" she pressed.
Vaelor hesitated before answering. "…A Vehl'karin outpost."
Joren frowned. "Vehl'karin?"
Delwyn folded her arms. "You told me about them before. Back at the Ashen Hollow." She frowned slightly, memories from that cold night surfacing. "You said you were one of them… but that's all I really know."
Vaelor nodded, his voice quieter now. "We built these outposts to monitor Rift activity. To… keep them from spreading."
Mira narrowed her eyes. "We?"
Vaelor didn't answer immediately. His gaze was locked onto something at the far end of the ruins.
Delwyn followed his stare—and her stomach turned.
A corpse.
Or what was left of one.
The body had been worn down by time, clad in rusted armour, half-buried beneath fallen stone. But the insignia on the armor was still visible, just barely—the same looping symbols that were carved into the walls.
Vaelor stepped forward, kneeling beside the remains. His gloved fingers brushed lightly against the metal insignia; his face unreadable.
Talia studied him. "You knew them."
Vaelor let out a slow breath. "Once."
Delwyn stepped closer. "Who were they?"
His fingers curled slightly. "Someone who should still be alive."
Mira exhaled, folding her arms. "You were one of them, weren't you?"
Silence.
Vaelor's jaw clenched, but he didn't deny it.
Delwyn's mind raced. He had always known too much about the Rifts. Always understood how to stop them. Now, it was clear why.
"You didn't just run from Galborn," she murmured. "You ran from this."
Vaelor met her gaze, something heavy and unreadable in his expression. "I ran from what was left of it."
Elias, ever the master of timing, gave a low whistle. "So…Our brooding companion is a secret ghost-hunting, Rift-stopping knight. That's new."
Vaelor shot him a look, but before he could respond—
Talia, who had been keeping watch, suddenly stiffened. "We're not alone."
Delwyn's pulse quickened. "Black Hounds?"
Talia didn't answer right away. She tilted her head, listening—then cursed under her breath. "More than a scouting party. They're closing in fast."
Mira tightened her grip on her blades. "We can't lead them straight to Ember Peaks."
Delwyn nodded. "Then we make our stand here."
Vaelor rose from his kneeling position, drawing his short sword. "We use the ruins. If we're smart, we can even the playing field."
Elias grinned. "Finally. A trap I can enjoy."
Delwyn met Vaelor's gaze one last time. "We're not done talking about this."
Vaelor smirked, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Wouldn't expect otherwise."
Then, the group moved, taking their positions as the first shadows of the Black Hounds appeared on the ridgeline.
The battle was coming.
And this time, they would be ready.