A few hours before the jugdment
Shar'Alem. Southern border of the Kingdom of Lorn.A city of amber and stone, forged in the heat of barren lands.Its narrow streets wove together like the veins of an ancient body, watched over by silent statues and guards with tired eyes.
In one of these nameless alleys, Kaelia and Taren moved with measured steps.Their clothes were plain, without ornament. No hoods, no disguises.Their presence simply blended in.But beneath the sleeves of light fabric: obsidian daggers, searing vials, and fragments of purified fire.
This wasn't their first mission in this kingdom.But they knew it might be their last.
They had planned their approach for weeks.The secondary residence of the crown prince of Lorn—their target—was located in the noble part of the city, protected by two rings of guards, a spiritual detection field, and several unconfirmed rumors about special defensive techniques.
Nothing insurmountable for them.They had faced worse.
From a modest inn on the west side of the city, they set up their base of operations.Maps. Notes. Patrol schedules.Evacuation plans.A small, discreet black stone altar where a spiritual candle burned endlessly.
That night, Kaelia stared at the flame.
— "Think he's asleep already?"
Taren looked up from the map.
— "Probably."
She placed her hand on her belly, absentmindedly. Then slid it to her chest, where a silver chain hung.
— "Three months. He's three months old."
Taren nodded slowly, eyes still on the map.
— "And he'll never know what we did for him."
— "Or what it cost."
Silence settled. Heavy. Dense. Loaded.
Then they rose.
The infiltration was swift, surgical.They disabled the detection circle with a fading powder stolen years ago from a black market.They scaled the walls using hooks enhanced by fire-infused spiritual energy.They slipped into the gardens, where the torches slept under a clouded moon.
Everything went perfectly.Too perfectly.
They entered the residence through a service door.Silent steps. Perfect coordination. Precise movements.They were together. Always. Breathing in unison.
Before the prince's bedroom door, Kaelia paused.
— "Taren…"
He turned to her.
— "After this… do you think we'll have the right to disappear?"
— "The king owes us that much."
She smiled softly. Tired.
— "Then let's do it clean."
They opened the door.
The prince of Lorn lay sleeping, alone, in a modest room—luxurious but not excessive.
Taren advanced, blade in hand.But just as he raised his arm… the prince's eyes opened.
— "I was wondering how long it would take Flavia to send its dogs."
Kaelia drew her weapon.Taren charged.But the prince stepped back, activating a violet flame barrier.
The fight was brief. Brutal.
Taren shattered the first defense with an infused blade.Kaelia unleashed a searing shockwave.The prince countered with a technique they'd never seen—fire that moved like something alive.
But he was alone.And they were a machine, forged by years of missions.
Kaelia struck his side.Taren cut his throat.
The prince collapsed, his black blood sizzling against the stone.
In his final breath, he whispered:
— "It wasn't… the king…"
But he died before saying more.
A hollow settled in their minds.A doubt.But there was no time to dwell.
They returned to Flavia, as planned.No ceremony. Just a summons.Discreet. Precise. Cold.
They entered a private chamber in the royal palace.
The king awaited, standing. No witnesses.
Kaelia and Taren knelt, eyes steady.
— "You completed your mission. And for that, I commend you."
Silence.
— "But some flames, when they burn too long…"
— "… end up revealing truths better left hidden."
Kaelia flinched.Taren understood.
— "Your Majesty…"
— "You were loyal. To the end. And for that loyalty, I grant you a swift death."
Two masked guards stepped forward.Taren offered no resistance.Kaelia screamed. Not out of fear.But rage.Betrayal.
The king held their gaze until the end.
And as the sword fell on Taren's neck, then Kaelia's, he murmured:
— "The boy will grow. He doesn't need to know."
And that night, beneath the cold walls of Flavia, the light of two flames was extinguished.No witnesses.No honors.No truth.But not without legacy.