Valen Croi walked through the Sanctum's inner gate with his hands unbound, blinking against the light.
He looked thinner than Eloy remembered. Nine days in a Temple Ward cell did that. The bruise at his temple had faded to the color of old tea. His clothes were clean but loose on him. His stride was steady, but the effort behind it sat right on the surface, visible in the way his jaw clenched with each step.
He stopped when he saw the courtyard.
Cracked flagstones. Gold light residue still tracing faint patterns across the stone. A dark smear on the center flagstone that hadn't dried yet.
He looked at Eloy. Then at Orin.
"I miss anything?"
Eloy pressed his left hand against his shirt. The bleeding had slowed but hadn't stopped. "We had a duel."
"And?"
"It was voided."
Valen's mouth twitched. It wasn't quite a smile, but it was the closest thing Eloy had seen from him since the arrest. "You got out of a Hero-class duel by technicality."
"The jury's still out."
