The corridor outside Elyra's cell was eerily quiet. Too quiet. She watched Kael pace in front of her, his movements sharp, restless. His hand lingered near the hilt of his sword, the tension in his shoulders radiating a warning she couldn't ignore.
"They'll come for me," she said, her voice steady despite the storm brewing inside her.
Kael stopped mid-step and turned to face her. "They already have."
Elyra frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Kael didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stepped closer, his expression grim. "There's been an attack. Your people breached the outer defenses of the fortress."
Her heart leaped at the news, but she kept her face neutral. "Good," she said, lifting her chin defiantly.
Kael's jaw tightened, his gray eyes flashing with frustration. "You don't understand. They're outnumbered. Outarmed. If they press forward, it'll be a massacre."
Elyra's chest tightened, her mind racing. She knew the risks her comrades would have taken to get this far. If they were attacking, it meant they thought there was a chance to get her out.
"Then let me go," she said, stepping forward. "I can stop this."
Kael laughed bitterly, though there was no humor in it. "Do you really think they'll just hand you over? That they'll let me walk you out of here?"
"Then what's your plan, General?" she snapped. "Let them die while you stand here debating morality?"
Kael's fists clenched at his sides. "My plan," he said through gritted teeth, "is to keep you alive. Which is getting harder by the minute."
Elyra took a step closer, closing the distance between them. "You don't get to decide who lives and who dies, Kael. Not for me. Not for them."
For a moment, they stood there, the air between them charged with anger and something far more dangerous.
Kael finally broke the tension, turning away and running a hand through his hair. "If I let you go, they'll kill you before you even make it out of the gates."
"Then come with me," Elyra said, the words escaping before she could stop them.
Kael froze, his back to her. The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating.
When he finally turned to face her, there was something unreadable in his expression. "Do you hear yourself? You're asking me to betray everything I've ever known."
"And what has it earned you?" she countered. "Loyalty to a king who uses you as a weapon? A lifetime of blood on your hands?"
Kael flinched, the words striking deeper than she expected.
"I can't," he said, his voice quieter now. "If I turn my back on him, I'll be hunted. I'll lose everything."
Elyra stepped closer, her voice softening. "Maybe it's time to ask yourself what's worth keeping."
Their gazes locked, and for a moment, the world outside the cell seemed to fade. But the sound of distant shouting shattered the fragile moment, pulling them both back to reality.
Kael moved to the door, cracking it open and peering into the corridor. When he turned back to her, his expression was grim.
"They've breached the inner gates," he said. "It's only a matter of time before they reach the dungeons."
"Then let me fight," Elyra said, stepping toward him. "You know I can help."
Kael shook his head. "If they see you out of your cell, they'll assume I helped you escape. They won't ask questions before putting a blade in your back—or mine."
Elyra clenched her fists, frustration boiling beneath her skin. "So what, then? We wait here while people die for me?"
Kael's gaze softened, though his expression remained resolute. "I'll find a way to stop this. But you have to trust me."
The words hung between them, weighted with more than their immediate situation. Elyra hesitated, her instinct screaming at her to fight, to run, to do anything but trust the man who had captured her.
But something in his eyes—something raw and unguarded—gave her pause.
"Fine," she said finally, her voice tight. "But if you betray me, I'll make sure you regret it."
Kael smirked faintly, though there was no humor in it. "I'd expect nothing less."
He moved to the door, his hand resting on the handle. "Stay here," he said firmly.
"Kael," Elyra said, stopping him. He turned, his gaze questioning.
"Be careful," she said, the words surprising even herself.
Kael's expression softened, but he didn't respond. Instead, he slipped out of the cell, the door closing behind him with a soft click.
Elyra sank onto the cot, her mind racing. The sounds of battle grew louder, closer, and she knew time was running out.
Her fingers brushed against the hidden blade she'd taken from Kael days ago, tucked beneath the thin mattress.
If he didn't return, she'd have to make her own way out.
But as the minutes dragged on, she realized with a sinking feeling that she wasn't sure which fate she feared more—Kael returning, or Kael not returning at all.