Then Kaelen turned his head slowly, eyes scanning the room with icy precision. He expanded his senses, reaching into every corner of the chamber. The wards he had etched into the stone with his own blood still held—no ripples, no intrusions, no eavesdroppers. He exhaled quietly.
Safe.
But that didn't settle the unease that had begun to gnaw at the edges of his mind.
He looked down at Rattan again—really looked at him. For so long, he had seen this man as a tool. A pawn. Something useful, but ultimately replaceable. But now…
Kaelen's jaw tensed.
He had underestimated him.
"You were supposed to follow orders," he said quietly, almost to himself.
"To play your role in the grand design. Not… grow."
Rattan wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, still kneeling, still catching his breath.
"I did follow orders," he said, his voice steadier now. "But I also listened. And I saw. You shaped me into something you never expected."
