Caelan knows the wild places of the Moonveil better than most—and trusts them more than he trusts people. A skilled tracker and swordsman, he moves through the shadows with an instinct born from years of experience and losses he rarely speaks about.
He first encounters Aerin in the Whispering Glade, when the awakening of the Veil draws her into a path he recognizes all too well.
To Aerin, he is initially a stranger who knows too much and explains too little.
But behind Caelan's guarded silence lies an older story—one that began with someone he could not save.
The Protector Who Doesn't Call Himself One
Caelan does not think of himself as a protector.
Protectors are supposed to believe they can keep the darkness away. They are supposed to know what to do when the path disappears, when danger comes, when someone they care about stands at the edge of something they cannot understand.
Caelan knows better.
He has learned that sometimes the best a person can do is stand beside someone when the darkness comes—and make sure they do not face it alone.
So he watches.
He listens.
And when the moment comes, he moves.
Not because he believes he can save everyone.
But because he remembers what it costs when no one does.
Some promises are made with words. Others are made simply by staying.
The Shadow's Oath
He does not promise that the darkness will never come.
Only that when it does, Aerin will not face it alone.
Some shadows are born from darkness. Others are born from love.
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