The Canyon. Night.
The portal pulsed before them, dark and hungry, its edges crackling with energy. The creatures had stopped coming. The cult had fled. The hunters watched from the shadows, their red eyes gleaming, their smiles wide. The canyon was silent except for the hum of the portal and the sound of their own breathing.
Grog stood at the edge of the portal, his sword in his hand, the berserker quiet for the first time in hours. Beside him, Lira stood with her bow lowered, her wounded arm wrapped in blood-soaked bandages. Mirena leaned on her staff, her leg bandaged, her face pale. William stood with his sword drawn, his armor cracked, his shield splintered.
Ken stood apart, his bow in his hand, his eyes on the portal.
"He's been in there a long time," William said.
Grog nodded. "He has."
Lira shifted her weight. "Is he coming back?"
Grog didn't answer.
---
The portal shimmered.
The darkness deepened, then lightened, then deepened again. The edges crackled, pulsed, settled. And Aldric stepped out.
He was different. Changed. His leg was straight—no limp, no cane. His face was clear—no pain, no exhaustion. His eyes were steady, calm, certain. He looked at them one by one—Grog, Lira, Mirena, William, Ken.
"It's done," he said. "The door is closed."
Grog stared at him. "Vorlag?"
Aldric met his eyes. "Is gone."
Lira stepped forward. "Your leg—"
"Is healed." Aldric looked down at it, almost surprised. "Vorlag healed it. Before—" He stopped.
"Before what?" Mirena asked.
Aldric was quiet for a moment. "Before I closed the door."
---
William moved to stand beside him. "You're different."
Aldric nodded. "I am."
"Different how?"
Aldric looked at his hands. They were steady. Strong. "I'm not sure yet."
Grog studied him. There was something in Aldric's eyes that hadn't been there before. Something closed. Something distant. "What happened in there?"
Aldric met his gaze. "I made a choice."
"What choice?"
Aldric was silent for a long moment. "The right one."
---
Ken moved to stand beside Grog. His eyes were on Aldric, sharp, assessing. "You're lying."
Aldric looked at him. "What?"
"You're lying." Ken's voice was flat. "Something happened in there. Something you're not telling us."
Aldric held his gaze. "I closed the door. Vorlag is gone. The creatures will stop coming." He paused. "That's what matters."
Ken shook his head. "That's not an answer."
"It's the only one I have."
---
Lira stepped between them. "Enough."
Ken stepped back. Lira turned to Aldric.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
Aldric looked at her. At her wounded arm, her pale face, her steady eyes. "I will be."
She nodded slowly. "Good."
---
The portal flickered.
Aldric turned to look at it. The darkness beyond was still, quiet, empty. Vorlag was gone. The hunters were gone. The door was closed.
He looked at his friends. At Grog, who had come back from death to warn him. At Lira, who had never stopped fighting. At Mirena, who had given up everything to help them. At William, who had become a soldier. At Ken, who had found something to believe in.
"This is goodbye," he said.
Grog's blood went cold. "What?"
Aldric met his eyes. "I have to go back."
"Back where?"
Aldric looked at the portal. "Through there. I have to make sure the door stays closed."
Grog stepped forward. "Aldric—"
"It's the only way." Aldric's voice was firm. "I made a choice. I have to see it through."
Lira moved to stand beside Grog. "You can't—"
"I can." Aldric met her eyes. "I have to."
---
William stepped forward. "You're not doing this alone."
Aldric shook his head. "I am."
"Why?"
Aldric was quiet for a moment. "Because it's my fight. It's always been my fight."
William stared at him. "You're not making sense."
Aldric almost smiled. Almost. "I know."
---
Mirena moved to stand beside him. Her leg was bandaged, her face pale, but her eyes were steady. "The portal is closing."
Aldric looked at it. She was right. The edges were shrinking, the darkness fading, the hum diminishing.
"I have to go," he said.
Mirena grabbed his arm. "Aldric—"
He touched her hand. Squeezed it. "Thank you. For everything."
Mirena's eyes filled with tears. She didn't let them fall.
---
Grog moved to stand before him.
"You're not coming back."
Aldric met his eyes. "I don't know."
Grog studied him. The boy he had trained. The hero he had watched fall. The man he had followed across two lifetimes.
"You're lying," Grog said.
Aldric was quiet for a moment. "I know."
Grog nodded slowly. "Then go."
Aldric turned. Walked toward the portal.
---
Lira called after him. "Aldric!"
He paused. Looked back.
"Come back," she said. "When you can."
Aldric looked at her. At Grog. At Mirena. At William. At Ken. At all of them.
"I'll try," he said.
He stepped through the portal.
---
The portal began to close behind him.
The darkness faded. The hum stopped. The canyon was silent.
Grog stood at the edge of where the portal had been, staring at empty air.
"He's gone," Lira said.
Grog nodded. "He is."
William moved to stand beside them. "What do we do now?"
Grog was quiet.