The overlook was silent except for the wind.
Leo sat beside Iori on the cold stone ledge as the chill slowly seeped through his clothes. Above them, the stars were fading, and the horizon was beginning to lighten with the first hint of sunrise. A vast wilderness stretched below, with no cities in sight. There was only nature and the slow arrival of dawn.
They had been awake all night.
Exhaustion pressed at the edges of Leo's awareness, yet he remained alert. Whatever came next mattered more.
Iori stayed quiet for a long moment before speaking.
"Do you understand why I showed you those three cities?"
Leo glanced at her. "You said it was context."
"It was," she said, still watching the brightening horizon. "But it was more than that."
She turned to face him fully.
"Tidebeak. Ironhold. Emberfall. Each one was deliberate."
Her voice was steady, though something vulnerable lingered beneath it.
