Chapter 17: Into the Unknown

  The moon hung low in the sky as the group prepared to leave Aurelia behind. The streets were quieter than usual, but tension hummed beneath the stillness. Word had spread.

  Kael’s name was already legend.

  People had seen the silver fire streak across the heavens. Some whispered in awe, calling him a chosen warrior, a blessing of the moons. Others spoke in fear, warning of a power that should never have been unleashed.

  One thing was certain—he was no longer safe here.

  Rhea secured the last of their supplies onto a cart, glancing at Sylas. "I don’t like this," she muttered under her breath.

  "You and me both," Sylas murmured, adjusting the strap of his belt where his daggers were hidden. "But we don’t have much of a choice."

  Near them, Mira kept close watch on their surroundings, her fingers twitching at the handle of her blade. She wasn’t used to traveling with someone this vulnerable. Usually, when people were weak, they were left behind. But Kael? He wasn’t just anyone.

  Lirien hovered near Kael’s unconscious form as he was carefully loaded onto the cart. She hated this. Hated that he wasn’t awake to fight his own battles, hated that they were trusting a stranger with his life.

  And she especially hated Varyn.

  The man stood a few feet away, draped in his dark cloak, too calm despite the stakes. He had that same eerie patience about him, as if he already knew how the night would unfold.

  Lirien eyed him warily. "You so much as breathe wrong, and I will personally carve the suspicion out of you."

  Varyn smiled, but it never reached his eyes. "I wouldn’t expect anything less."

  That was the problem.

  He didn’t deny it.

  They moved under the cover of darkness, traveling along the lesser-used trade roads beyond the city walls. Varyn led the way, effortlessly navigating the terrain as if he had walked it a hundred times before.

  Sylas fell into step beside Lirien, keeping his voice low. "You don’t trust him."

  Lirien’s jaw tightened. "Do you?"

  Sylas shrugged. "Not even a little. But we need him—for now."

  She didn’t respond. She didn’t have to.

  Rhea walked a few paces ahead, occasionally glancing at Varyn. She didn’t speak much, but the way her fingers toyed with the edge of her dagger was enough to show she wasn’t at ease either.

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  Mira, on the other hand, had been watching Kael like a hawk. "Is it normal for him to be asleep this long?" she asked quietly.

  Lirien exhaled. "No."

  Kael had always been strong, always pushed forward no matter the cost. But ever since he had unleashed that power, it was as if he had been swallowed by it. She wanted to shake him awake, to demand he come back, but all she could do was wait.

  And she was terrible at waiting.

  Inside Kael’s mind, the dream had not ended.

  The vision of Varyn on the Shattered Throne still burned behind his eyes, the power of the Rift twisting reality under his command.

  But the moons were not silent.

  As Kael drifted in the void, Lumina and Noctis pulsed above him, their silver glow flickering as if struggling to hold against the darkness.

  A voice—soft, distant—whispered through the stars.

  "He walks beside you, hidden in shadow."

  Kael turned, trying to grasp the meaning.

  "His flame is not yours, yet it burns just the same."

  A flicker of violet light coiled in the darkness, mirroring the Flame Unseen, but twisted, corrupted.

  "One of fire. One of void."

  Kael’s pulse quickened.

  "Two paths, one throne."

  The moons flickered violently, their silver glow dimming as Rift energy crept through the sky.

  Kael clenched his fists. "Who is he?"

  "You already know."

  And then—a hand gripped his throat.

  Cold. Crushing.

  Kael gasped as something unseen dragged him downward. He fought against it, but the more he struggled, the more it consumed him.

  He heard laughter. Varyn’s laughter.

  "You cannot stop what is already set in motion."

  The stars shattered around him—

  And he woke up.

  The moment Kael’s eyes snapped open, Lirien felt it.

  His body lurched forward, sucking in a ragged breath as if he had been drowning. The silver light in his irises flickered violently before settling back to normal.

  Lirien was at his side instantly, pressing a hand to his chest. "Kael—Kael, breathe. It’s okay."

  His chest heaved. His fingers curled around her wrist as if anchoring himself to reality.

  Then his gaze shifted—

  And locked onto Varyn.

  The air between them tensed instantly.

  Kael’s breathing slowed, but his fingers twitched as if reaching for a weapon. His body was still weak, but there was fire behind his gaze.

  Sylas stepped forward. "Easy, kid. You were out for days."

  Kael didn’t respond. His mind was still tangled in the dream—in the vision.

  Varyn. The throne. The corruption. The power.

  He forced himself to breathe. To think.

  If he said anything now, if he accused Varyn here, it could break the fragile alliance keeping them safe. He had no proof—only the moons’ warning.

  So he swallowed the rage.

  "...Where are we?" His voice was hoarse, raw.

  "On the road," Mira answered, though she was still watching him carefully. "We had to get you out of Aurelia before people started knocking down doors looking for you."

  Kael exhaled, forcing himself to relax. "...How long?"

  "Two days," Lirien said quietly.

  His mind reeled.

  Varyn, however, spoke for the first time. "You’re fortunate to have woken when you did. The longer you remained unconscious, the more... difficult things would have become."

  Kael finally turned to face him directly.

  For the first time since waking, he spoke clearly.

  "Who are you?"

  Varyn smiled. "A friend."

  Kael didn’t blink. Didn’t breathe. Liar. As the road stretched before them, the group pressed on, each carrying their own secrets.

  Kael now knew Varyn was not to be trusted.

  But he had to be smart.

  The moons had shown him what would happen if he failed.

  Varyn could not be allowed to sit upon the throne.

  Because if he did—

  The world would burn.