The road from Watchtower Haleth curved gently downward toward the heart of the city.
Aamir and Kunal followed Edrin at an unhurried pace. The morning sun hung low in the sky, casting long golden light across the plains. Stone roads stretched ahead like quiet rivers, lined with lantern posts and carved pillars bearing the same strange symbols Aamir had noticed earlier.
Circles.
Wings.
Eyes.
Always watching.
Edrin walked a few steps ahead, his spear resting loosely across his shoulder.
"So," he said after a while, glancing back at them, "you are interstellars."
His tone carried curiosity rather than suspicion.
"I have heard stories about travelers from distant worlds," he continued, "but I have never seen your kind arrive here before."
Aamir shrugged lightly.
"That's probably because my people never tried leaving our planet," he said. "We weren't explorers. Just… ordinary people living our lives."
Kunal almost laughed at that.
