Mina was still asleep against him when the last system panel faded into the quiet air. For a moment, Sage simply stared at the ceiling, listening to the distant sounds of the Guild breathing outside their room.
A month ago, he had been adrift in darkness, uncertain if he would ever return. Now, he was here, alive and holding more power in his mind than most kingdoms could gather over generations.
And yet, instead of rushing into action or laughing wildly with excitement, he lay still and thought. The exhilaration that had once consumed him had cooled into something sharper: calm and focused. This was a moment where foolish people often made mistakes, and he had no intention of being one of them.
