The city of Dunhaven had changed.
Kaelen noticed it as they walked through the streets toward the delegation quarters. The tension that had gripped the city since the tournament began had evaporated. People smiled at each other. Merchants haggled with good humor. Children ran through the streets without fear.
The tremors had stopped.
"They know," Lyra said quietly. "Word travels fast in a city like this. They felt the quakes stop. They know something changed."
Kaelen nodded. He could feel it too, the shift in the atmosphere. The dungeon behind them was no longer a source of fear. It was just a place now. An old building. A relic of a bygone age.
They reached the quarters. Roland ushered them inside, closing the door behind them with a sigh of relief.
"First," he said, "we need to talk about what happens next."
