Word of the Warden's death spread like wildfire.
In the capital, nobles panicked. The Obsidian Court demanded blood. A Council session was called behind closed doors—urgent, secretive, and trembling with fear. No one had ever destroyed a Warden.
No one until Kael.
Back at the Tower
Kael stood before a glowing table covered in moving maps and encrypted messages. Elyra read off intercepted transmissions.
"They're calling you a rogue warlord now," she said. "A genius terrorist."
Kael smirked, half-exhausted. "Charming."
Zephyra paced behind him, restless. She hadn't spoken much since the battle. Her usual fire was quieter now—burning low, not gone.
"You should leave," she said suddenly.
Kael blinked. "What?"
She turned to him. "They're scared. That makes them dangerous. If you stay here, they'll bomb this mountain from the sky. You need to disappear before they turn their next Warden into something worse."
Kael stepped closer. "I'm not running."
"You should."
"I won't."
Their eyes locked. Neither spoke.
"You're still protecting me," Kael said softly.
Zephyra's voice lowered. "And you're still making it hard to stop."
He reached out, gently brushing a strand of white hair from her cheek. "You're not the weapon they made you into."
"And you're not the rebel they think you are."
"So what are we?"
Zephyra hesitated.
Before she could answer, Elyra rushed in.
"New intel. The Council's sending someone else."
Kael raised a brow. "Another Warden?"
"No," Elyra said grimly. "Someone worse. The Princess-General."
Zephyra's breath caught.
Kael noticed. "You know her?"
Zephyra nodded slowly. "She trained me."
Later That Night
Zephyra stood alone on the tower's highest balcony, staring into the stars.
Kael joined her, saying nothing for a while.
"She was the only person I ever wanted to be," Zephyra finally said. "Until I met you."
Kael turned to her. "And now?"
"I don't know," she whispered. "She'll come to bring me back. Or kill me if I've changed."
Kael touched her hand. "So what will you do?"
Zephyra looked at him, her voice cracking just a little.
"I'll stand by your side… even if it means facing the only person who ever believed in me."
Kael's heart clenched.
She wasn't his enemy anymore.
She was something far more dangerous—someone willing to risk everything for him.
Far Away, in the Royal Citadel
The Princess-General lowered the spyglass, her expression unreadable.
"So," she murmured, "my brightest flame has turned against me."
Behind her, a golden-armored knight spoke. "Shall we mobilize the dragons?"
She shook her head. "Not yet. I'll deal with this myself."
And with that, the hunt began again.