She turned and walked toward the broken archway that led to the outer stair. The others followed—Kael limping, Elara helping Finn, who was starting to shiver. No one looked back.
He opened his mouth to call after them— Alena, Kael, Elara, Finn —but the words felt foreign on his tongue, like speaking a language he had never bothered to learn. yuusha ni minna
Kael laughed—a dry, broken sound. “I’m Kael. Remember? You called me ‘mage’ for eighteen months until Finn told you my name. You looked embarrassed for half a second, then went back to calling me ‘mage.’” She turned and walked toward the broken archway
Theo stood alone in the dust and silence. For the first time in three years, he felt the weight of his own name. Theo. Not Yuusha. Not Hero. A boy from a farming village who had been handed a sword and a prophecy and told that everyone else was just scenery. He opened his mouth to call after them—
Alena’s hand drifted to the knife at her belt—not to draw it, but to feel the familiar weight. “Three years,” she said softly. “You’ve never once said my name.”