They left at sunrise.
No army.
No ceremony.
Just the four of them.
The desert stretched endlessly before them.
Rylan complained immediately.
"If I die from heat instead of battle I'm going to be very disappointed."
Kael laughed.
"You already look half dead."
Lyra smiled.
Moments like this mattered.
Normal moments.
The stranger walked slightly ahead.
Always alert.
Always watching.
Lyra caught up to him.
"You don't have to carry everything alone anymore."
He glanced at her.
"I'm still learning that."
She took his hand briefly.
"You're allowed to live too."
Something in his expression softened.
That small moment didn't go unnoticed.
Kael saw.
Rylan saw.
Jealousy existed.
But it wasn't toxic.
It was complicated loyalty.
Later that night they camped under the stars.
Rylan told terrible jokes.
Kael argued strategy.
The stranger listened quietly.
Lyra realized something:
This wasn't just survival anymore.
This was family.
But far away…
Something tracked their movement.