Seraphina dropped to her knees.
The snow beneath Kaelith turned crimson, too vivid against the white. His body was still. The arrow protruded from his side, dangerously close to his heart.
"No," she whispered, pressing her hands against the wound. "No, no, no—"
Magic pulsed beneath her palms—wild, unfamiliar. The sigils on her arms glowed again, feeding from her panic, her will.
But nothing stopped the blood.
Kaelith's eyes fluttered.
"You… hesitated," he rasped.
"And now you're dying," she choked out.
His lips curved faintly. "Still think I'm the villain?"
---
Scene Break – Verren Advances
Verren stepped forward, his bow lowering.
"That arrow was meant for your heart too, but watching you break is more satisfying."
Seraphina stood slowly, her body trembling with rage.
"I should've known it was you. You followed us through the ruins. You were there when the pact triggered."
"I guided it," Verren said, almost smug. "And now I'll end it."
"You betrayed the empire," she growled.
"I betrayed a false prophecy. You were never meant to live past your coronation. You were meant to ignite a war—then die. Just like your mother."
The words cracked something in her.
---
Scene Break – The Pact Reacts
Lightning cracked across the sky.
The shrine behind them began to hum, ancient glyphs lighting up the altar. The magic Seraphina had awakened deep in the ruins now roared to life, feeding off her fury and grief.
Kaelith groaned on the ground, barely conscious.
Seraphina's sigils pulsed—burning gold.
Verren aimed his bow again.
But this time, she caught the arrow mid-air.
Snapped it in half.
"You said I was meant to die?" she said, voice low.
"No," she growled. "I was meant to rewrite it."
---
Scene Break – A Forbidden Power
Seraphina's eyes went completely white.
Energy spiraled from her chest, knocking Verren back. The shrine cracked open like an egg, revealing a stone tablet beneath—marked with the same runes on her arms.
Kaelith gasped.
"That's… the Heart of Solvain."
Seraphina stepped forward.
"I'm taking back what they stole from me. From my mother. From every woman they used as a pawn in their war."
She reached for the stone—
Verren lunged forward—
But the moment her fingers touched it, everything went still.
---
Final Scene – The Choice
A voice echoed in her mind.
> "Take this power, and the bond remains.
Destroy it, and Kaelith dies.
Choose."
Seraphina's breath caught.
In front of her lay Kaelith, pale and gasping.
Behind her, Verren pulled a second blade from his belt, creeping toward Kaelith's side, ready to finish the job.
And the stone pulsed beneath her hand, begging her to decide.
Fight for the empire… or fight for the man she might have to kill anyway.
Her eyes lifted.
And she whispered—
"Damn fate."