Two weeks passed in Valdara. The city rebuilt. Defenses improved. Life slowly returned to something resembling normal, though the scars of the siege remained visible everywhere.
Damien spent his days coordinating with Seria on military improvements and helping Elara establish better medical infrastructure. His nights, however, increasingly involved long conversations with Lyristae in her library or walking the city walls together.
They talked about everything. Philosophy, magic theory, politics, history. Lyristae had a way of taking concepts Damien thought he understood and revealing layers he'd never considered.
Tonight, they stood on the eastern wall – fully rebuilt now, stronger than before – looking out over the dark landscape where demons had massed two weeks ago.
"Can I ask you something?" Lyristae said. "And I want you to actually think about it, not just give me the answer you think I want to hear."
"Alright."
"Why do you fight demons?"
