In the city streets, Caden and Bella walked up a small cobbled alley. A few children ran behind them, laughing. The smell of warm bread hung in the air.
"Do you think the elders of the town know something?" Bella asked.
"I hope so. Because digging through dusty archives with Aletha would've been a nightmare," Caden grumbled.
Bella raised an amused eyebrow.
"You're really not letting that go, huh?"
"She's... unbearable. It's like she's trying to push me over the edge in every conversation."
Bella looked at him for a moment, then said gently:
"Aletha's not mean. She's... overprotective. She's lost people—many people. And now she thinks the only way not to suffer again is to control everything."
"That doesn't excuse everything," Caden muttered. "I'm not a threat. I'm just... here. Trying to understand what's happening to me, trying to help you all."
"I know. And she'll see that too, one day. But she needs time. Just like you."
Caden sighed, placing a hand against an old stone wall.
"Maybe. But in the meantime, I'm the one taking all the arrows."
"Then take a shield," Bella said with a small smile. "Or stay behind me."
He looked at her, surprised by her humor, then burst out laughing.
"Now that's an option I really like."
Their steps led them to a small square where a few elders were playing dominoes. Caden straightened up, placing a hand on Bella's shoulder.
"Come on, we've got legends to unearth."
"And I can't wait to see your investigative skills in action," she replied with a playful wink.