The silence between them stretched long after the memory faded.
Corren stood with his back to the wall, his arms folded tightly across his chest. The anger had drained from his face, leaving something colder behind—something quieter and more dangerous.
Kael remained on the floor, elbows resting on his knees, eyes fixed on the now-dormant sphere.
"Why didn't you kill me?" he asked finally.
Corren didn't answer right away. When he did, his voice was calm again. Detached.
"Because even after everything, I need you alive."
Kael looked up. "For revenge?"
"No," Corren said. "For balance."
He pushed off the wall and moved toward the chamber door.
"The Houses are shifting," he continued. "There's unrest between them. Old alliances fraying. Secrets surfacing. You might be the cause of it. Or the key to fixing it."
Kael's brow furrowed. "So you're using me."
Corren glanced over his shoulder. "I don't owe you trust. But I'll get you where you need to go."
The door opened with a hiss.
Lira stood on the other side, arms crossed. She looked at Kael first, then Corren.
"You didn't kill each other," she said dryly. "Progress."
"We're going deeper," Corren said, brushing past her. "If he wants real answers, he'll need to access the deep Vault."
Lira didn't move. "You think that's a good idea?"
"No," Corren replied. "But I think it's the only one we have."
Kael stood slowly, every muscle tense.
"We'll need access," he said. "Sanctioned, or the defenses will react."
Corren nodded. "I've already arranged it. A guide will take us down by dusk."
Lira turned to Kael as Corren walked away.
"You're really going to trust him?"
Kael didn't answer immediately. He looked back at the shard still glowing faintly on its pedestal.
"I don't trust him," he said. "But I think he knows what he's walking into."
She watched him closely.
"He hates you," she said.
"I know."
"And still, he's helping."
Kael met her eyes. "That's what makes him dangerous."
They stood together at the threshold as the chamber darkened behind them.
For the first time, Kael wasn't sure whether he was descending into truth—or just another lie made out of memory.