The forest was eerily quiet, save for the faint rustle of leaves and the steady rush of the river behind them. Elyra sat on a jagged boulder, her sword resting across her knees. The blade was still stained with blood, a stark reminder of the chaos they'd barely escaped.
Around her, the remnants of her squad tended to their wounds. Mara was pacing, her expression tight with frustration as she barked quiet orders to the others. Their numbers were painfully thin—less than half of those who had entered the fortress had made it back out.
Elyra's chest tightened at the thought. She clenched her hands around the hilt of her sword, the familiar weight grounding her as she tried to push back the rising tide of guilt.
"You look like you're about to snap that in half," Mara said, her voice cutting through the silence.
Elyra glanced up, meeting Mara's sharp gaze. "Is everyone accounted for?"
Mara scoffed, throwing her arms wide. "If you call this everyone. We lost fifteen, Elyra. Fifteen of our best, and for what? To drag you out of that pit?"
The bitterness in Mara's voice stung, but Elyra couldn't argue with her. "They knew the risks," she said quietly.
"And you think that makes it better?" Mara shot back. "You're supposed to be our leader, Elyra. How are we supposed to follow you if you let us bleed out for nothing?"
Elyra stood abruptly, her sword clattering to the ground. The anger in Mara's words mirrored the anger in her own chest, threatening to boil over.
"I didn't ask them to come for me," Elyra snapped. "I didn't ask for any of this."
Mara stepped closer, her expression hard. "No, but they came because they believed in you. They died because they believed in you."
The weight of those words crushed Elyra's chest. She turned away, staring out at the dark forest. Somewhere beyond the trees, the fortress still smoldered, its towering walls likely scarred by the rebellion's attack.
And Kael…
The thought of him sent a jolt through her, a mixture of worry and anger. He had saved her, guided her to safety, only to vanish back into the chaos. Was he still alive? Was he still fighting for a cause he didn't seem to believe in?
"Elyra," Mara said, her voice softer now.
Elyra didn't turn around. "What?"
"What happened in there?" Mara asked. "What did he say to you?"
Elyra hesitated, her fingers curling into fists. "He saved me," she said finally.
Mara's sharp intake of breath was loud in the quiet. "You're defending him?"
"I'm not defending anyone," Elyra snapped, spinning to face her. "I'm telling you what happened. If it weren't for Kael, we wouldn't have made it out alive."
Mara's expression darkened. "He's the king's hound, Elyra. Whatever he did, it wasn't for you. It was for him."
Elyra opened her mouth to argue but stopped herself. Was Mara right? Had Kael's actions been part of some greater plan? Or was there something else driving him?
She shook her head, pushing the thoughts aside. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that we're out, and we need to regroup."
Mara didn't look convinced, but she nodded. "The others are setting up a camp deeper in the woods. We'll be safe for now."
Elyra nodded, picking up her sword and sheathing it. "Good. Let's move."
As the group trudged through the forest, Elyra's mind churned with unanswered questions. Every step felt heavier than the last, the weight of the battle and its aftermath pressing down on her.
When they reached the makeshift camp, the air was thick with tension. The survivors huddled around small fires, their faces hollow and drawn.
Elyra stood at the edge of the camp, her gaze sweeping over the group. These were the people who had fought for her, bled for her. She owed them more than silence, but the words stuck in her throat.
Mara approached, her expression softer now. "They need to hear from you," she said quietly.
Elyra hesitated, then nodded. She stepped forward, the weight of dozens of eyes settling on her.
"We lost too many today," she began, her voice steady despite the knot in her chest. "I won't stand here and pretend it was worth it. I won't pretend their sacrifices were easy. But I can promise you this: we will make it mean something."
The group was silent, their gazes heavy with a mix of exhaustion and hope.
"We're not done," Elyra continued. "The king thinks he can break us. But today, we proved that we can break him."
A murmur rippled through the crowd, faint but growing. Elyra's heart lifted, just slightly.
"Rest tonight," she said. "Because tomorrow, we plan our next move. And we make them pay for every life we lost."
The murmurs turned to quiet cheers, the faintest flicker of hope igniting in the camp.
But as Elyra turned away, her gaze drifting back toward the fortress in the distance, that hope felt like a fragile thread.
Because for all her promises, one question still haunted her:
Had Kael survived—and if he had, what would he do now.