The Royal Herald's voice still echoed through the valley as Ryn counted the soldiers. Three hundred at least, their polished armor glinting in the dawn light. The phoenix banners snapped in the wind, each embroidered with threads of real gold.
Lira spat over the cliff edge. "Judgment, my ass. They waited until Malrik did their dirty work, now they're here to sweep up the pieces."
Ryn's fingers tightened around the Heartwind Stone. It pulsed warmly against his palm, as if responding to his racing thoughts. "Why would the Crown care about one noble family?"
"That's what your little rock needs to show us." Lira grabbed their makeshift pack with her good arm. "But first, we—"
A new sound cut through the morning air—a series of sharp whistles from the forest below. Military signals.
Lira went rigid. "Scouts found our trail." She hauled Ryn upright, ignoring his pained gasp. "Move. Now."
They abandoned the cave just as the first arrows thudded into the entrance. Ryn's legs screamed in protest with every step, but terror lent him strength. The cliff path narrowed dangerously, loose stones skittering underfoot into the abyss below.
"Where are we—"
"Quiet." Lira jerked her chin toward a nearly invisible crevice ahead. "There."
The hidden path wound upward through jagged stone before opening onto a secluded ledge overlooking the valley. A lone figure waited there, their cloak blending into the rock.
Ryn reached for his dagger—
"Easy." The figure turned, lowering their hood to reveal a woman's face, sharp-featured and pale, with the distinctive silver-blue eyes of eastern royalty. Her armor was simpler than the soldiers below, but the phoenix crest at her collar marked her as one of them.
**[Captain Veyra | Royal Intelligence]**
*Specialty: Covert Astra suppression*
*Current mission: Classified*
*Known affiliations: Uncertain*
Lira's weapon was at the woman's throat in an instant. "You've got three seconds to explain why I shouldn't toss you off this cliff."
Veyra didn't flinch. "Because I'm the only reason you're both still breathing." She nodded toward the army below. "Official orders are to bring the last Stormcaller in chains for 'questioning regarding the Heartwind Stone's destruction.'" Her lips twisted. "Unofficially? That's an execution detail."
Ryn's stomach turned. "Why?"
Veyra studied him like a puzzle to be solved. "What do you know about the Stormcaller Purge?"
Lira's grip tightened on her weapon. "That was two centuries ago. Ancient history."
"Not to them." Veyra produced a scroll from her cloak, its wax seal broken. "The High Throne never stopped fearing what your bloodline could do. When Malrik's void experiments drew their attention, they saw an opportunity."
Ryn took the scroll. The elegant script detailed troop movements near Kael Manor dating back months—long before the massacre.
"They knew," he whispered. "They knew Malrik was coming and did nothing."
Veyra's expression darkened. "Worse. They facilitated it. Needed plausible deniability while removing both the void threat and the Stormcaller line in one stroke." She tapped the scroll. "But they didn't account for you surviving. Or for the stone choosing you."
A horn blast below signaled the scouts' return. Time was running out.
Veyra pressed a small token into Ryn's hand—a silver phoenix with one wing broken. "There's a safe house in the Iron Wastes. Ask for the Brewer."
Lira scoffed. "And why should we trust you?"
"You shouldn't." Veyra turned to leave, then paused. "But ask yourself—why would Royal Intel risk exposing this operation unless the alternative was worse?"
With that, she vanished into the rocks like mist.
**[Reborn Heartwind Stone Reaction]**
*Surface temperature: Increasing*
*Pulse pattern: Irregular*
*Possible cause: Proximity to royal seals*
The stone flared in Ryn's grip, projecting another fragmented memory—
- *A younger monarch signing documents with a blood-quill*
- *The original Heartwind Stone being sealed beneath Kael Manor by royal decree*
- *Malrik meeting with a hooded figure bearing the phoenix crest*
The vision cut off as shouts erupted below. Torches began scaling the cliff.
Lira grabbed Ryn's arm. "We need to move. Now."
He stared at the approaching lights, the stone's heat spreading up his arm. The wind stirred around them, carrying the scent of iron and smoke.
For the first time since awakening his power, Ryn didn't hesitate.
"Not yet."
He stepped to the ledge and raised the stone to the dawn light.