Kael stumbled through Brinewatch’s ruined alleys, his legs barely carrying him. The world spun, half-drowned in ash and shadows. Pain crackled across his limbs—raw, biting, unnatural. His skin had turned a deep mottled black-blue, stiff and blistered, frostbitten down to the bone. Every step ground agony through muscle and sinew.
He gasped, clutching a rusted pipe for balance, vision narrowing to a tunnel of gray. Necrosis and frostbite warred in his veins, his nerves screaming for heat, for nourishment—for something to devour.
He reached the corner. The cracked sign of Taryn’s Goods loomed into view, hanging crooked on its iron bracket. A sliver of warm light leaked from beneath the door.
Kael raised a hand and knocked once.
His knuckles barely made a sound.
He knocked again, harder this time, then sagged against the doorframe. “Help…”
A moment passed.
Kael slammed a hand on the door.
“Lira!” he croaked. “It’s Kael! Please—!”
Then a bolt slid open. The door creaked open, and Kevyn Taryn appeared in the gap—half-dressed, wide-eyed, and clearly drunk. His eyes narrowed.
“What in the—?” Kevyn squinted, recoiling slightly. “You lost or crazy, boy? Who the hell—?”
Kael tried to steady himself, to speak, but the words came out slurred and brittle. “Need help. Please…”
Kevyn blinked again. “Wait—Kael?”
His voice was loud enough to rattle the back room.
A beat later, Lira burst through the doorway fully decked out in what appeared to be combat gear, her eyes wild.
“I heard Kael’s voice—what—”
She stopped dead in the hallway.
Kael met her gaze.
Then her eyes trailed down.
Her face went crimson.
“Dad—help me pull him in! Now!”
Kevyn jolted as if struck. “Right! Right!”
They each grabbed an arm, hauling Kael into the storefront and laying him out across an old settee by the front counter. He gasped at the warmth inside—barely able to hold himself together.
His teeth chattered uncontrollably.
“M-m-mana,” Kael croaked. “Or mithril. Or… orichalcum. I need to eat… anythin'. I’ll heal…”
Kevyn looked stunned. “Kid, I don’t exactly have mithril just lyin’ around.”
Lira stared at him, heart racing. “We don’t have anything like that.”
“I have a Gold Mark,” Kael murmured. “I’ll pay. I just… I need somethin' with energy.”
“I’ll grab everything we’ve got,” Kevyn said, rushing to the storage shelves.
Lira knelt beside Kael, pale with worry. “Mana? Orichalcum? I don’t—” She glanced down at her wrist. Her face tightened.
Her hand went to her wrist. A bracelet rested there—delicate and gleaming, filigree braided into a loop of gold and orichalcum. Her mother’s. The only thing she’d left behind.
“My bracelet,” she said softly.
Kael's eyes widened. “No. Not that. You told me it was your mom’s.”
“It is.”
“Then don’t,” he said, almost pleading. “I have money. I’ll pay. Don’t give me that.”
Lira’s lips pressed into a line. “You’re dying.”
He reached for his satchel, fingers trembling, and pulled out the Gold Mark. “Trade it. Anythin' else.”
But she didn’t listen.
While Kevyn dumped tins of old beans, dried meats, and nutrient paste into Kael’s lap, Lira slipped her bracelet off and palmed it.
Kael devoured the junk in ragged handfuls, his body sparking to life little by little—but not fast enough. He was still blue. Still shaking.
Then Lira whispered, “Mom, I’m sorry,” and pushed the bracelet past his lips while he was chewing.
He blinked in confusion.
Then the rush hit him.
Kael gasped as the energy overtook him—rushing through him like molten fire, surging into every nerve, every broken cell. Frostbitten skin flushed back to color. Bones straightened. The pain that had held him in a vice all night evaporated in a single breath.
And then he realized—she’d done it.
Kael’s eyes snapped open. “You fed me the bracelet.”
Lira looked down.
Kevyn froze.
Kael sat up, the blanket slipping off his bare chest. “Lira. That was your mother’s. I told you—”
“I told you to stop talking and live,” she said, chin high. “We’re even now.”
His voice caught. “Even?”
“And you saved my life,” she said, voice firm. “That wild dog, three years ago. I never forgot. You took that bite for me. So I'll take this bite for you.”
Kael blinked. “That thing barely scratched me.”
“How can you say that while brandishing those scars centiElons from my face,” she asked, stale faced.
Kevyn, awkwardly scratching his neck, cleared his throat. “I’ll take the money on her behalf, then. For the bracelet. I like you, Kael, but the bracelet was a keepsake from my late wife. It wasn't totally Lira's to give.”
Kael turned to him, face deadly serious. “I will pay for that. Whatever it’s worth, I’ll double it.”
Kevyn squinted. “Got cash, kid?”
Kael raised his hand. His ArkSeal glowed to life. “Got 13,000 Dravaran Marks. Will 1,000 do?”
Kevyn blinked.
Lira turned, startled.
Transfer 1,000 DM → Kevyn Taryn?
Confirm.
Kael confirmed.
Kevyn’s ArkSeal buzzed in response. His eyebrows nearly flew off his face. “You kids really don’t play.” He gave a satisfied nod, “Pleasure doing business.”
Kael leaned back, breath steady now, the last tremors of death fading from his bones.
Then silence fell.
Lira stole one glance at Kael—and quickly turned to look at the wall again.
“…You’re still naked,” she muttered.
Kael groaned, wrapping the blanket tighter. “Right. For Elandor's sake. Sorry.”
Kevyn chuckled. “Next time, try not to flash my daughter in my place of business, yeah?”
Kael let out a hoarse laugh.
“Deal.”
