Vaelthir stood still for a moment after finishing her story, her eyes lingering on Constantine as if measuring something unspoken.
Then she turned away.
"You should leave," she said calmly. "By the next sunrise."
Constantine remained silent, watching her.
Vaelthir paused near the exit and glanced back over her shoulder.
"You've already gotten what you really wanted, haven't you?"
Her gaze was sharp, knowing. Not about his blindness. Something deeper.
Constantine gave a small nod.
That was enough.
Vaelthir studied him for another moment, then exhaled softly.
"Good."
She raised her hand slightly and began to chant.
"…Azhrael'thun…"
The words were quiet, but precise. The same structure Constantine had heard before. The same tone. The same controlled rhythm the old scholar had used. The same chant the elf guard had spoken when sealing the cell.
The air shifted subtly.
Not violently, but with exactness, as if something invisible aligned into place.
Constantine listened carefully, committing every detail to memory. The pauses. The pronunciation. The pattern.
Then the chant ended.
Vaelthir lowered her hand.
"Don't die before you figure it out," she said casually.
And then she left.
Silence filled the enclosure.
For a few seconds, nothing happened.
Then a voice came from the adjacent cell.
"…what the hell was that?"
Constantine did not turn. He already knew.
Ren.
"…I mean, I knew she was insane, but that…" Ren let out a quiet breath. "That was something else."
There was a pause, as if he was still trying to process everything he had heard.
"And you," Ren continued, his voice filled with disbelief, "you were just talking to her like that?"
Constantine remained silent.
Ren took that as an answer.
"…you really don't know, do you?" he muttered. "You've seriously been living under a rock."
Constantine did not deny it.
Ren lowered his voice slightly.
"People don't talk about that thing. Not openly."
A brief pause.
"Some don't even like thinking about it."
Constantine listened.
"They say even remembering it brings bad luck," Ren continued. "So don't go around saying things like that to just anyone."
Another pause.
"You might not get a second chance next time."
Constantine gave a slight nod, though Ren could not see it.
Then Ren spoke again, his tone shifting.
"…hey."
A pause.
"Were you really blind?"
Constantine answered without hesitation.
"Yes."
There was no point in hiding it anymore.
Ren let out a small breath of surprise.
"…huh. You don't act like it."
Silence followed briefly.
Then Ren spoke again, quieter this time.
"I knew someone like that once."
Constantine listened.
"He was blind too," Ren said. "But he was… different."
A faint hint of a smile entered his voice.
"Incredible, actually. I never felt scared of anything when I was with him."
He paused.
"It was like the world worked differently for him."
Constantine said nothing.
Ren's tone shifted again.
"…but one day, he just disappeared."
Silence.
"I've been looking for him ever since," Ren continued. "Everywhere I could."
A pause.
"But now…"
His voice lowered.
"I think he might actually be dead."
Constantine remained still for a moment, then spoke.
"Not necessarily."
Ren's voice came immediately.
"…what?"
"If he was as capable as you say," Constantine continued calmly, "then it is more likely he is unable to return."
A pause.
"…unable?" Ren asked.
"Or somewhere he cannot leave yet."
Silence filled the space between the cells.
"…you really think so?" Ren asked quietly.
"Yes," Constantine replied.
Another pause.
"People like that do not disappear easily."
Ren did not respond immediately.
Then, slowly, "…then I'll keep looking."
Constantine gave a slight nod.
"You should."
The conversation ended there.
Fatigue settled in.
Ren shifted in his cell.
"…I'm exhausted," he muttered.
Constantine sat down, his movements controlled.
The faint green glow remained unchanged.
No more words were spoken.
Eventually, both of them fell asleep.
Morning arrived quietly.
The cell opened.
An elf stood outside, expression indifferent.
Constantine rose without hesitation.
His belongings were returned to him, untouched.
No explanation was given.
None was needed.
He stepped out of the cell and into the forest.
Behind him, the enclosure closed again.
This time, he did not pause.
He walked forward.
And before long, he had left the forest behind.