The morning sun rose golden over Dunhaven, painting the city in shades of amber and rose. Kaelen stood in the garden, the pendant warm against his chest beneath his shirt. The symbol on its surface had grown faint, almost invisible, but he could still feel its presence, a constant pulse that echoed the Heartstone's rhythm.
He touched it gently.
Balance, he thought. What does that mean?
The sapling he'd planted with Lyra had grown another inch overnight. He knelt beside it, running his fingers along its trunk.
"You're thriving," he murmured. "That's good. Keep thriving."
A commotion from the city gates drew his attention. Shouts. The clatter of hooves. The blare of trumpets announcing something important.
Kaelen stood and walked toward the sound.
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