Chapter Thirty-Two

Aeri, Royo, Sora, and Mikail land at Hallan’s port on Gaya, a city diminished since Aeri’s father burned the magical black wood forest two decades earlier. The air still smells of smoke, and dense fog forces caution as they move through town, determined to find a nearby temple.

To stay unnoticed, Mikail—least conspicuous—secures a room at the Canopy Inn while the others wait. In the chill, Royo wordlessly offers Aeri warmth, easing lingering tension after their charged encounter on the skiff.

The group reunites in a worn but once-grand royal suite with two bedrooms and a couch. Mikail drinks water compulsively, clearly strained from recent wielding. When Royo asks about plans, Mikail initially seems confused, then responds lucidly: rest tonight, gather supplies, and search for the likely hidden, perhaps underground, temple tomorrow.

Mikail jokes about rooming with Royo, then suggests Royo share with Aeri for protection and offers the couch to Sora. Sora, unsettled by Mikail’s condition and their recent conflicts, asks to talk privately, signaling unresolved issues from the path and Fallador.

Aeri, hungry and eager to defuse the tension, suggests supper. With Mikail’s caution not to go far, Aeri and Royo head downstairs to eat and bring food back, their shared choice underscoring a growing closeness as Sora and Mikail remain to address their strained trust.