* THE TWIN FLAMES
The hill smelled of wild thyme and warm earth, its grass still damp with the day's heat. High above, the stars shimmered like a thousand watchful eyes, cold and unreachable. But down here, beneath the gnarled arms of the ancient oak, two children lay side by side, whispering of crowns and kingdoms as if the world itself were theirs to command.
Kaelen spoke first.
> "That one there. Caerelion. They call it the Star of Kings."
His finger traced the air toward a brilliant point of light. Seliora followed his gaze, her silver eyes narrowing.
> "And why shouldn't it be mine instead of yours?" she said softly, a smile tugging at her lips.
Kaelen turned his head to look at her. Even in the dim starlight, his dark eyes burned with a sharpness that unsettled her.
> "Because you'd have to climb higher than me first, little fox."
Seliora laughed, a light, melodic sound that cut through the stillness. But she didn't deny his words.
He wasn't like other boys. Where they wrestled in the dirt and boasted of imaginary conquests, Kaelen spoke of strategy and power with the certainty of someone born for it.
"Why do you care so much about crowns?" she asked, plucking a long blade of grass and twisting it tightly around her finger. "You're the son of a minor lord. You could live well enough without one."
Kaelen's jaw tightened, and for a moment, he was quiet. Then he said:
> "Because living well enough isn't the same as living free. A man without power is at the mercy of those who have it."
His voice had a sharp edge—like steel honed too finely. Seliora frowned, sensing that behind those words was a truth she wasn't yet old enough to understand.
"You sound like my mother," she said lightly. "Always talking about noble blood and duty. It's exhausting."
Kaelen smirked. "Your mother is a fool. I don't care about noble blood or duty. I care about winning."
"Winning?"
"Everything."
---
They fell into silence, listening to the wind curl through the grass. Seliora pulled her knees to her chest.
> "So," she murmured, "if you're king one day, what will you do?"
Kaelen turned back to the stars. "Whatever I must. And you?"
She tilted her head, considering. "I don't know. I'd like to… build something. Not just rule over ruins like the rest of them."
> "Then we'll build together."
He reached for her hand. Hesitant at first, Seliora placed her small fingers in his. His grip was warm, steady.
> "Two stars," he said softly. "Never apart. We'll rise together."
"Even if the heavens fall," Seliora whispered, "I'll never leave you."
Above them, a shooting star streaked across the sky—a silver wound in the black.
Neither saw it.
And far below, in the village, the quiet turning of gears and whispers of discontent began their slow work.