The camp had settled into uneasy quiet when Gale finally folded his book shut. His practiced smile faltered as he turned toward them, blue eyes carrying a weight no spell could lighten.

"There is something I have delayed telling you," he admitted, fingertips resting unconsciously against his chest. "Inside me is a Netherese orb—a catastrophe waiting patiently for its moment."

His laugh came thin, devoid of its usual confidence. "I earned it through arrogance... and now there may come a day when the only way to stop it is for me to die."

His gaze searched, not for judgment, but understanding. "Would you hear the rest... or leave while you still can?"