The Name That Shouldn't Exist
Kael stared at Lyra, his golden eyes unreadable.
His mind raced.
She looked familiar—too familiar. The silver eyes. The sharp gaze. The way she carried herself, poised between deadly grace and calculated patience.
It was impossible.
She shouldn't exist.
Not after a thousand years.
Darius, still catching his breath from the battle, frowned. "What did you just say?"
Lyra's smirk didn't fade. "You heard me, General."
Selene crossed her arms. "Alright, someone explain before I start stabbing."
Kael exhaled slowly, his fingers flexing at his side. "You're lying."
Lyra tilted her head. "Am I?"
Her confidence was unsettling.
Kael had ruled an empire, fought wars, crushed rebellions, and executed those who dared to defy him. He had seen men crack under his gaze, emperors beg for mercy, and enemies kneel before him.
But Lyra?
She stood before him completely unfazed.
A thousand thoughts ran through his mind, but only one question escaped his lips.
"…How?"
Lyra's silver eyes gleamed.
"That, Your Majesty, is a story for another time."
Kael's jaw tightened. "No. You don't get to drop something like that and walk away."
Lyra smirked. "You've changed, Kael. The man I knew wouldn't have wasted time on words."
Darius stepped forward, his grip tightening around his sword. "You knew him? When?"
Lyra turned to him. "In the last war, General. The war that ended with an empire in flames."
Selene scoffed. "Impossible. Kael's war ended a thousand years ago. You'd have to be—"
She stopped.
Then, slowly, she turned back to Kael.
Realization dawned.
"…No." Selene took a step back, shaking her head. "You're saying she's like you?"
Kael didn't answer.
Because he wasn't sure anymore.
And that terrified him.
---
A History Buried in Blood
The fire crackled, sending soft embers into the night sky. They had moved deeper into the canyon, far from the bodies of the dead Wardens.
Lyra sat across from Kael, arms crossed, her silver eyes reflecting the flames.
Selene, still tense, sat beside Darius. Neither of them spoke.
Finally, Kael broke the silence. "Talk."
Lyra chuckled. "Still giving orders. Some things never change."
Kael didn't react. "I don't have patience for riddles."
Lyra exhaled through her nose. "Fine." She leaned forward. "What do you remember about the final battle?"
Kael's expression darkened. The memories were sharp, vivid.
The night his empire fell.
The betrayal.
The sword through his heart.
Kael's hands curled into fists. "I remember everything."
Lyra nodded. "Then tell me. What happened to your generals?"
Kael froze.
His generals.
The men and women who had fought beside him, who had sworn their loyalty.
Some had died in battle.
Some had betrayed him.
And some…
Kael narrowed his eyes. "You're saying you were one of them?"
Lyra smirked. "Not just one of them. The one who should have died with you."
Darius sucked in a breath.
Selene muttered, "This just keeps getting worse."
Kael's mind reeled. He had ruled with absolute control. He had chosen his inner circle with ruthless precision.
And yet—
He could not remember her.
Not completely. Not clearly.
A ghost of a memory, just out of reach.
"You're lying," Kael said, voice quiet but firm.
Lyra's smirk faded. "Am I?"
She reached into her cloak—slowly, carefully. Kael's hand went to his sword, but he didn't strike.
Lyra pulled out something small.
Something old.
And threw it at his feet.
Kael stared.
It was a ring.
A simple band of blackened gold, engraved with a sigil only his most trusted generals had worn.
Kael's throat went dry.
It was real.
It was his.
Selene's voice was quiet. "Kael?"
Kael closed his eyes for a brief moment.
Then, he picked up the ring.
Turned it over in his palm.
And whispered the name engraved inside.
"…Lyra Everhold."
---
A Truth That Changes Everything
The silence that followed was deafening.
Darius, normally the calmest among them, looked like he had seen a ghost.
Selene blinked. "Wait. Wait. You actually know her?"
Kael's fingers tightened around the ring.
"…I did."
A thousand years ago.
Lyra Everhold.
One of his strongest commanders—loyal, brilliant, and utterly ruthless on the battlefield.
And dead.
Or so he had thought.
Kael finally lifted his gaze. "Explain. Now."
Lyra smirked, but this time, it was tired. "I don't know any more than you do. I should have died that night. But here I am."
Kael's mind raced.
He had been reborn through the Imperial System. A second chance, tied to something ancient and powerful.
But Lyra?
She had no system. No sign of external magic.
Yet, here she was.
Kael's jaw tightened. "Then we find out why."
Lyra studied him for a long moment. "Still giving orders."
Kael smirked. "You still follow them."
She chuckled. "Fair enough."
Selene groaned. "Great. Another impossible mystery. Just what we needed."
Darius rubbed his temples. "First things first. What now?"
Kael slipped the ring onto his finger.
He had allies. He had his mind. And now… he had a piece of his past restored.
Kael looked toward the distant mountains.
His empire had fallen once.
It would not fall again.
The path to reclaiming his throne had begun.
And this time—
He would not fail.
---
End of Chapter 14
Next Chapter Tease:
The first city on Kael's path back to power.
A faction that still remembers his name.
The truth behind Lyra's survival begins to unravel.
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