Inside, the world changed.
The sanctuary wasn't just a fortress—it was a city.
Stone paths. Reinforced structures. People moving with purpose—but all of them carried the same subtle mark: they had survived something.
Fire, Kael realized.
Every single one.
"They're like me," he said.
"No," Lira replied. "They're what happens when people survive less than you did."
Kael didn't like that answer.
They passed training grounds where sparks flickered under controlled conditions. No wild flames. No chaos.
Everything here was restrained.
"Control," the leader said. "That's what keeps this place standing."
"And if someone loses it?" Kael asked.
The man didn't hesitate.
"We remove them."
End of Chapter 12