The Duke's Study. Evening.
The room was crowded.
The Duke sat behind his desk, his hands clasped, his face unreadable. Edward stood beside him, his arms crossed, his jaw tight. Gwen stood near the window, her hand on her sword, her eyes on the door.
Grog stood in the center of the room, his back straight, his face stone. Lira stood beside him, her wounded arm pressed against her side, her face pale. Mirena sat in a chair near the fire, the broken pieces of her staff in her lap. William stood apart, his head bowed, his hands at his sides. Ken stood near the door, his arms crossed, his eyes on the Duke.
The Duke spoke. "Tell me what happened."
Grog's voice was flat, mechanical. "The portal was in the mountains. We tracked it. We found it."
"And Aldric?"
Grog was quiet for a moment. "He stepped through."
Edward stepped forward. "He stepped through?"
Grog met his eyes. "He closed the portal from the other side. He severed the connection between Vorlag and this world."
Edward's face was pale. "Is he dead?"
Grog didn't answer.
Ken spoke from the door. His voice was quiet, steady. "He made a choice. He saved everyone. There was no other way."
Edward turned to him. "You don't know that."
Ken met his eyes. "I know what he was facing. I know what Vorlag wanted." He paused. "I know there was no other way."
Edward stared at him. "You weren't there."
"I was there." Ken's voice didn't change. "I saw the portal. I saw the hunters. I saw the look on his face when he stepped through." He paused. "He knew what he was doing."
---
William spoke. His voice was quiet, raw. "The cult. They used weak vessels before Aldric. To maintain the connection. That's why the portal opened and closed at random spots."
Mirena nodded. "The portal was unstable. It opened where the veil was thin. The cult didn't control it. They just... opened it."
Edward looked at her. "And Aldric?"
Mirena was quiet for a moment. "Aldric was different. He was a true vessel. When he cut his connection to Vorlag—during the battle with the Vargr—the portal became even more unstable. It opened and closed randomly because Aldric was still here. Still connected. Still fighting."
She looked at the Duke. "When he stepped through the portal, he severed the connection completely. He broke the link between Vorlag and this world. That's why the portal exploded. That's why it closed."
The Duke absorbed this. "The creatures?"
Mirena shook her head. "The ones already here will stay. They will integrate into the ecosystem. They will need to be culled." She paused. "But no more will come."
---
Edward's voice was tight. "You're telling me he sacrificed himself to close a portal that shouldn't have been opened in the first place."
Ken met his eyes. "I'm telling you he saved every person in this world from a threat they didn't understand."
Edward stared at him. "He's still gone."
"Yes."
Edward turned to Grog. "You let him go."
Grog's jaw tightened. "I didn't let him do anything. He made his own choice."
Edward stepped closer. "You trained him. You led him. You could have stopped him."
Grog met his eyes. "No one could have stopped him."
"You didn't try."
"I did." Grog's voice was low, steady. "We all did."
Edward shook his head. "It wasn't enough."
"No," Grog said. "It wasn't."
---
William stepped between them. "Enough."
Edward stepped back. His face was pale, his hands were shaking, his jaw was tight. He turned and walked to the window.
The Duke looked at Grog. "Is the portal truly closed?"
Grog nodded. "The connection is severed. Vorlag can't send more creatures through."
"And Aldric?"
Grog was quiet for a moment. "If he's still alive, Vorlag already has what he wants." His voice was heavy. "That's what he was after. A vessel. A true vessel. Aldric was his prize."
The Duke's face was pale. "You think Vorlag has him."
Grog met his eyes. "I don't know. But if Aldric is alive, Vorlag won't let him go. He might still come here. He might send others. He might find another way."
The Duke absorbed this. "You said the connection is severed."
"It is." Grog's voice was flat. "But we don't know enough. We don't know what Vorlag can do. We don't know what he'll try." He paused. "We need to be ready."
The Duke nodded slowly. "Then we will be."
---
Edward turned from the window. "The King will want answers."
The Duke nodded. "He will."
"The King will want me back at the capital."
The Duke met his eyes. "You don't have a choice."
Edward's jaw tightened. "Aldric is gone. I should be here. To help. To—"
"Aldric wasn't your brother." The Duke's voice was quiet but firm. "I know you cared about him. We all did. But you are the heir. The King needs you."
Edward stared at him. Then he turned and walked out of the room.
Gwen followed.
---
The room was silent.
The Duke looked at Grog. "What aren't you telling me?"
Grog met his eyes. "Everything."
The Duke waited.
Grog was quiet for a moment. "The cult. The hunters. Vorlag. This isn't over. The portal is closed, but Vorlag is still out there. We don't know what he'll do next. We don't know if he'll come back." He paused. "We don't know if Aldric is alive. And if he is, we don't know if we can save him."
The Duke nodded slowly. "Then we prepare."
Grog nodded. "We do."