Mira took a step forward.

That was all it took.

Flames snapped into existence around her ankles, slamming her to the ground as the heat hardened instantly into a chain that locked her limbs in place.

She screamed as the heat seared into her skin.

"Don't move," Amelia said, voice flat.

Fritz whirled around. "What the—"

"She said enough," Amelia cut in. "I understand the situation."

Mira struggled, tears streaking down her face as the fire bit deeper.

"I didn't—! I didn't mean—!"

Amelia stepped closer, eyes sharp, already shaping another spell.

"You don't get to explain," she said. "Not after that."

"Amelia."

Ryn's voice cut through the clearing.

It wasn't loud or strong…

But it stopped everything in place.

Ryn stood several steps back, posture unsteady, one hand braced against his sword like a cane, the other gripping Fritz's shoulder to stay upright.

His vision was black, yet his voice resonated.

"Let her go," he continued. "I've known since the start."

Silence fell.

Amelia turned slowly. "You—what?"

"I said I knew," Ryn replied. "Not everything. Not the details. But enough."

Fritz stiffened beneath Ryn's hand.

"…You knew?" he repeated, disbelief bleeding into his voice.

Ryn nodded once.

"When we found her and the rest of the captives in the guard's office," he said quietly, "it didn't add up."

He paused, breath shallow.

"There was no way she could've accessed that many cells in the time we had," Ryn continued. "Not while we were creating that distraction. Not without help."

Mira's sobbing hitched.

"And getting everyone gathered that close to the main entrance?" Ryn added. "That wasn't luck."

Silence pressed in.

"That was preparation."

Fritz's jaw clenched. "So you just—what? Let it happen?"

Ryn didn't look away.

"I let it continue," he said. "Because stopping her early would've told us nothing. And because whatever she was buying time for…"

His grip tightened slightly on Fritz's shoulder.

"…was bigger than her."

Ryn staggered toward her, accompanied by Fritz on his side.

"I can guess the deal you made," Ryn said calmly. "I can even guess who it was with."

He stopped just short of her.

"But guessing doesn't help us," he continued. "So you're going to tell us."

He gestured to Amelia, who promptly released her spell. The rabbitwoman fell to her knees, breaths heavy as the other captives watched in horror.

Mira's voice finally gave out.

She sucked in a breath that shuddered halfway through and then broke entirely, shoulders folding inward as the weight of it all crushed down on her.

"I didn't think you'd live," she whispered.

The words barely carried.

"I swear—I didn't," Mira said, tears streaming freely now.

"No one ever does. People come, they chase, they try to help, and then they disappear."

Her hands curled uselessly on the white snow.

"You weren't supposed to win," she choked. "You weren't even supposed to get close."

Fritz stared at her.

The anger drained from his face, replaced by something quieter. Something tired.

"…So that's it," he muttered. "You send people into a meat grinder and hope they don't scream too loud."

Mira flinched.

"I didn't send them," she sobbed. "I just—I had to…My tribe won't survive next winter without supplies from Central."

Fritz exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Damn it…"

He turned away for a moment, jaw tight, then looked back at her.

"…I get it," he said quietly. "I don't like it. But I get it."

Ryn hadn't spoken.

When he finally did, his voice was steady.

"She did what she had to do to survive," he said. "That's all."

Both of them looked at him.

"That doesn't make it right," Ryn continued. "And it doesn't make her innocent."

He took a slow breath, swaying slightly before Fritz steadied him again.

"But it does mean this wasn't personal," Ryn said.

Mira lifted her head, eyes red and hollow.

For a moment, she didn't look at Ryn.

She stared at the snow between her hands, fingers trembling as if she couldn't quite bring herself to say the words.

Then she pressed her forehead to the ground.

"I know I don't have the right," she said hoarsely. "I know that."

Her voice shook as she forced herself to continue.

"I lied to you. I used you. People died because of me." Her shoulders hitched. "I won't pretend otherwise."

The captives from the wagon watched in stunned silence.

Some looked away. Some clenched their jaws. A few stared at her with open disgust.

They all knew what this was.

Shameless…yet, necessary.

Mira's hands dug into the snow.

"But you beat him," she whispered. "You beat Kharik."

She lifted her head just enough to look at them, at Ryn.

Even if he couldn't see her form, he knew what it looked like just from the tone of her voice, the pleading in her words.

Tears fell freely now, dark spots blooming against the white.

"If Kharvos comes," Mira continued, barely holding herself together.

"He'll erase Moonlight."

She swallowed hard, shame burning through every word.

"So I'm begging you," she said. "I know how that sounds. I know what I've done."

She bowed again, deeper this time.

"But they don't deserve it," Mira whispered. "The children. The elders. The ones who never even knew why food kept showing up."

The wind moved through the clearing.

"Please," Mira said, voice barely there.

"Please protect the Moonlight Tribe."

Silence stretched.

Not because no one had anything to say.

But because everyone was looking at Ryn.

Fritz stood rigid, jaw tight, eyes searching Ryn's face for something—anything—to latch onto.

Even the captives from the wagon, still shaken, found their gazes drifting toward him.

No one knew what their stance was yet.

So they waited for his.

Ryn didn't answer Mira right away.

He tilted his head slightly, as if listening to something only he could hear, then spoke calmly.

"Kharik was bluffing," he said.

Mira flinched.

"He was dying," Ryn continued. "People lie when they're desperate to leave something behind."

He took a slow breath.

"But if he wasn't, then Kharvos can't just erase Moonlight," Ryn said. "Not immediately, anyway."

Amelia's eyes narrowed. Fritz stilled.

"Assassination doesn't work on a settlement like that," Ryn went on. "Not without witnesses. Not without consequences. He'd need to move troops. Make a spectacle of it."

He paused.

"And armies don't move in a day."

The wind shifted.

"If Kharvos is coming," Ryn said, "then we'll see it. We'll hear about it. There will be time, however little, to act."

He turned his head slightly to where Mira was heard last.

"We're moving," Ryn finished. "Let's go."

That was all.

Mira's breath caught.

He didn't offer her false promises or lofty ideals, simply the reality.

Yet, it was all she needed.

Her shoulders collapsed.

She covered her face with both hands as the tears finally broke free, sobs tearing out of her chest as relief and guilt tangled into something unbearable.

Fritz looked away.

Amelia said nothing.

Ryn swayed slightly on his feet, exhaustion finally catching up, but he remained standing.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then Fritz broke the silence.

"…So what now?" he asked quietly.

Ryn didn't answer immediately.

He straightened as much as his battered body would allow.

"We get stronger," Ryn said.

Amelia turned fully toward him. "Stronger how?"

Ryn exhaled slowly.

"Kharvos won't play this clean," he said. "Remember, he lives off of justification."

"So we get strong enough," he said, "to pierce through his lies."

Even blind, their captain could see the path forward more clearly than any of them.

And for the first time, they all trusted him to lead them there.

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