Chapter 7: Ember in the Shadows
The skies of Kaziana were cloaked in ashen gray, as though absorbing the simmering rage that crept through every corner of its soil. The sun refused to show its face, and the wind carried whispers — like echoes of those who had perished in battles long forgotten.
Deep within the mountain's heart, in the underground war chamber where generations of Kaziana's leaders once shaped the fate of nations, Kael Zareth stood within a sacred stone circle. Torchlight flickered against the walls, casting dancing shadows of the faces present — faces weighed down by the burden of what the future might demand.
Armea stood beside him, now fully clad in her Guardian armor — silver plate etched with the phoenix crest of Kaziana, and a blood-red sash from the Old Pact tied around her wounded arm. Her injuries were minor, but the scars within ran far deeper.
Kael's eyes were fixed on the large map spread across the stone table — borders of Kaziana and Meirah drawn like veins, ready to snap under pressure.
"Revail won't strike us head-on," Kael said, voice calm but firm. "He knows our strength in open war. He'll tempt us with psychological warfare — poison, sabotage, kidnappings… and words sharp enough to pierce loyalty."
Teyron, standing at the map's right, pointed to fresh red markers. "Three shelters have been raided. One was less than half a mile from headquarters. The traitor is still among us."
Kael closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them with fire in his gaze. "That's why... the Kirath Protocol must proceed.
We're no longer the Kaziana that waits to be struck. We'll become the shadow that strikes back. With cunning. In silence."
A few older Guardians exchanged wary glances. But none voiced dissent — not when Kael had made his decision.
The council disbanded. Kael remained by the map, as though staring long enough would force the lines to shift in his favor.
A soft step approached. Armea.
She didn't touch him, but her presence was enough to make Kael turn.
"Kael..." Her voice was gentle. "Are you truly certain this is the way?"
He didn't answer immediately. He studied her face — the one he had once thought only existed in memory. A face that made him fight harder… and fear more deeply.
"I'm not sure of anything in this world, Armea. But I know one thing." He stepped closer. "I won't let you get hurt again. And if I have to tear this world apart from its roots for that… I will."
Armea lowered her gaze. "What if I asked you to stop? What if I told you I don't want to see any more blood… spilled between our own?"
Kael reached out, lifting her chin. "If you asked me to stop… I'd walk away from all of it. The vows. The crown. The name."
Tears welled in her eyes, but she shook her head gently. "Don't. Don't become a man I no longer recognize.
Kael blinked, confused.
"I fell in love with the Kael who kept fighting even when his heart was bleeding. The one who stood tall when everyone else fell. Don't change who you are… just because I'm afraid."
Kael gave a soft, crooked smile. "Then… fight with me."
He leaned in, forehead resting against hers. "Be my eyes. My hands. But most importantly… be my heart. Without that, I'm just an empty shell in a suit of armor."
Armea closed her eyes. "I'm with you. Always."
Meirah Territory — Tower of Tiras
The sky above Meirah was darker than usual. At the summit of Tiras Tower, Revail Drakken stood alone, winds howling around him like wolves mourning the dead. His long black hair was tied back, and his war cloak weighed heavy with dragonhide.
Before him knelt a man in Kaziana armor, bound in thick chains. Radrik — former Fourth Elite, once Kael's personal guard, now a disgraced shadow of betrayal.
"Your name?" Revail's voice was quiet, yet laced with steel.
"Radrik. Former Elite… Kael's personal guard, before exile."
Revail smirked. "Betrayal is the sharpest blade. What have you brought me?"
Radrik held out a small violet stone — Kael's Tracking Gem.
"With this, you'll know Kael's every move. And where Armea is hidden."
Revail took the stone slowly, staring into its glow — seeing only his own reflection, twisted by vengeance.
"Armea," he whispered. "The girl who once spoke my name before vanishing from this world. Before Kael took everything — power, legacy… and her."
He turned to the edge of the tower, where a stone statue of a young woman stood. Proud, but her face was fractured.
"Adelia… You died for a war that was never fair. And Kael Zareth let it happen."
He drew his blade — an ancient sword engraved with Adelia's name along its edge.
"Kaziana burned our home. They slaughtered our kin. And Kael… Kael chose silence. So let their love become their poison."
Days Later — Southern Border of Kaziana
A heavy fog hung low across the ravines. Armea and three scouts crept along a narrow pass, searching for hidden routes into Meirah. The terrain seemed calm, but every whisper of the wind spoke of hidden danger.
Their footsteps echoed oddly against the damp ground. More than once, Armea felt the earth shift beneath her boots — a subtle rhythm, like something vast breathing beneath the soil. She said nothing, but her gaze sharpened.
Then a hidden trap exploded.
One scout was flung sideways, screaming — then silent.
"Protect Armea!" another shouted.
Arrows flew from the forest shadows. Armea dove behind a large boulder — then heard a voice that froze her blood:
"Armea…"
She turned. And her heart stopped.
Revail Drakken stood between the pine trees, unarmed, shrouded in mist and certainty.
"We meet again. This time… without Kael by your side."
Armea drew her weapon. But Revail didn't move. He merely placed a hand over his heart.
"I haven't come to fight. I came to speak. About the truth… about Kael. And the past he never wanted you to know."
He bowed slightly, voice quieter now. "I haven't come to kill you, Armea. I came to plant a single seed of doubt — enough to bring Kael down… without lifting a blade."
A single doubt has been planted. And from that seed, teh world will be torn in two.
Continud in Chapter 8: The Hidden Wound