The clearing was eerily silent after the voice faded away, the air thick with the weight of what had just been said. Elara's heart raced in her chest, the words looping in her mind: From fire you were born, to fire you shall return.
Child of ashes. That title felt like a heavy burden she couldn't shake off.
Seren gripped her arm, her eyes wide with fear. "Elara… what if it's true?"
"It is true," Elara murmured. She focused on the cracked stone, where a faint ember still flickered. "It spoke to me."
Kai remained silent, standing stiffly with his sword lowered but not put away, as if he was bracing for the shadows to leap out from the trees at any moment.
Elara turned to him, her grief and anger sharpening her words. "You knew something," she accused. "You've always known more than you've let on. That noble, he called you Valen. Who are you, Kai?"
His eyes met hers for a brief moment. In that heartbeat, she caught a glimpse of the turmoil beneath his calm exterior: guilt, fear, and a softer emotion he was trying to hide.
"I promised I would explain," he finally said.
"Then explain now." Her voice was sharp, like a crack of a whip. "No more secrets. Not after this."
Kai's jaw clenched, but he eventually sank down onto one of the moss-covered stones. For what felt like an eternity, he stared into the dim glow of the ember, saying nothing. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and heavy.
"My name is Kai Valen. I wasn't born into the nobility of Eldoria. I grew up on the outskirts, where the kingdom's influence was weak and its cruelty was at its worst. My family went hungry while the nobles dined in luxury behind their gilded walls. So when the rebellion began, I joined in."
Elara felt a lump in her throat. The rebellion. Those very flames that had consumed her home.
Kai's fists clenched tightly. "At first, it was all about justice. About reclaiming what the crown had hoarded. But justice… it morphed into vengeance. The rebellion became something twisted. Villages were set ablaze, not just the palaces. Innocents lost their lives. And I…" His voice trailed off. "I followed orders. Orders that left deep scars on Eldoria."
The image burned in her mind. Kai, sword in hand, fighting for the same rebellion that had taken her family from her. Betrayal ignited in her chest like a raging fire.
"You were one of them," she whispered, her voice trembling. "One of the monsters who ruined everything."
His gaze snapped up, stormy grey eyes meeting hers. "I was. And I'll carry that blood on my hands until my last breath. But I left them, Elara. I turned against them when I realized what we had become. That's why they want me dead just as much as they want you silenced."
Her nails dug into her palms. She wanted to scream, to curse him, to run away, but the memory of his blade clashing against the noble's blood-soaked armor flashed in her mind. The memory of him shielding her with his own body, time and time again.
If he was still their enemy, why would he protect her?
"Why me?" she demanded. "Why stick by my side at all?"
Kai hesitated, then looked away. "Because you're the last of your line. The only one who can stand against them. And because…" His voice softened, nearly breaking. "Because I can't let you fall, not after everything I've done."
His words lodged in her chest, tangled with anger and something she refused to acknowledge.
Seren, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. "Elara… if what he says is true, then he's risked his life for you. Time and again.
Doesn't that mean something?"
"It means he's just good at lying," Elara shot back, though her voice wavered.
Kai sprang to his feet, frustration flickering in his eyes. "Believe me or don't. But the truth remains: the rebellion is stronger than ever. That noble tonight, he wasn't just mocking us. He was sent to test you. To see if you're the one the prophecy foretold."
Elara froze, the weight of the prophecy crashing down on her. The child of ashes. The choice to either save or destroy a kingdom.
Her mind raced. "So I'm meant to be their enemy, or their weapon."
Kai's silence spoke volumes.
The wind picked up, rustling the leaves, bringing with it a sound that sent shivers down her spine: the faint, distant clang of steel.
Seren tightened her grip on Elara's sleeve. "Someone's coming."
Kai's head whipped toward the edge of the forest. His body tensed, the soldier within him on high alert. "We need to move. Now."
But just as they were about to escape the circle, figures emerged from the shadows, cloaked riders, their torches flickering like fiery eyes. At least six of them, forming a crescent around the clearing.
Elara's throat constricted. They were trapped.
One rider dismounted, pulling back his hood. He was older, his hair streaked with silver, and his gaze was sharp as a hawk's. He looked at Elara with a mix of recognition and hunger.
"So," he said, his voice deep and commanding. "The prophecy speaks true. The last ember of Eldoria still burns."
Elara instinctively reached for her dagger. "Who are you?"
The man's smile was chilling. "A herald of what's to come. You, child of ashes, will either bow to the new order… or choke on the flames that birthed you."
The riders closed in, steel glinting in the torchlight. Kai stepped forward, blade drawn, ready to protect.
Elara's heart raced. The prophecy echoed in her mind. One path led to the destruction of a kingdom. The other to its salvation. And she stood at the crossroads of both.
In that heart-stopping moment, Elara understood clearly that whatever choice she makes moving forward, could not only change her destiny but also the destiny of every soul still holding on to the shattered crown of Eldoria.