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Chapter 17 - CHAPTER 16; THE COST OF CHOICES

The days following Elyra's encounter with Kael felt like an endless march through thick mud. The rebellion's momentum had been slowed by the attack on the fortress, and now, with Kael gone, the morale of her people was fractured. Whispers of doubt lingered in the air like a storm cloud, hovering just beyond reach, but never quite breaking.

Elyra could feel the shift in the camp. She had made the choice to let Kael go, to leave him behind in the shadows of the forest. It was the right call, the only call she could make for the sake of the rebellion.

But as each day passed, the price of that decision became clearer.

Tensions rose as the rebellion's leaders began to question the strategy. Their intelligence had been compromised. Kael was no longer a predictable enemy—they couldn't afford to ignore the possibility that he was still out there, operating on his own, trying to dismantle everything they had worked for. And that uncertainty gnawed at them.

Elyra sat at the head of the strategy table, her fingers tapping absently against the surface, her thoughts miles away. The map in front of her seemed to mock her, its lines of red marking the locations of failed campaigns, lost battles, and retreating forces. The path ahead was unclear, the stakes higher than ever.

"We need more intelligence," Mara said, her voice breaking through Elyra's haze.

Elyra met her gaze, the weight of her decision pressing heavily on her chest. "We can't afford more scouts. We're stretched too thin as it is."

Mara's eyes softened, but her tone remained firm. "And if Kael is leading another strike on our supply lines, what will you do then?"

Elyra didn't answer right away. She couldn't. The thought of Kael—alive, somewhere, moving against them—felt like a gnawing ache in her gut. She had let him slip through her fingers, and now the rebellion was paying the price.

"We'll move our forces to the eastern border," Elyra said, her voice cold, the decision final. "It's the best chance we have to secure supplies."

Mara nodded, but the doubt was there, flickering in her eyes. "What if we're wrong?"

Elyra didn't have an answer. She stood, her legs stiff from hours of strategizing, and made her way to the war room's edge. The tension in the air felt thick, suffocating. She needed space, needed to think without the weight of the rebellion pressing down on her.

As she walked out into the open air, she was greeted by the sight of soldiers moving in disciplined lines, training, preparing for whatever came next. They didn't ask questions, they didn't hesitate. They trusted her. But in their eyes, she saw something else—uncertainty. They weren't just fighting for the cause anymore; they were fighting for her leadership. And Elyra couldn't afford to let them see weakness.

Her steps took her to the edge of the camp, where the woods stretched endlessly into the distance. She stood there, staring into the darkened trees, her thoughts on Kael.

He was out there, somewhere. He had slipped away from her grasp, and now, in the quiet after the battle, she realized just how deeply his absence had affected her.

She hadn't wanted to admit it, but now it was clear—Kael had become a symbol of something she hadn't expected. He wasn't just an enemy. He was a reminder of the fine line she walked between duty and what she truly believed. The rebellion, her people, her cause—they were all that mattered. But in the face of everything, Elyra couldn't ignore the fact that she was still human, and Kael had made her question everything.

Behind her, she heard footsteps, and turned to see Mara approaching with a serious expression.

"We've received word from our scouts," Mara said quietly, her voice low, as though afraid to speak too loudly.

Elyra's heart stilled. "What is it?"

Mara hesitated, then handed her a piece of parchment. The ink was smeared with dirt, the words scrawled quickly. Elyra's eyes flicked over the message, her stomach tightening as she read the contents.

Kael has been seen near the western coast. It's believed he's joined forces with another faction. They're planning an assault on the capital.

The world seemed to slow as Elyra's pulse quickened.

"No." Her voice was barely a whisper.

Mara didn't say anything. She didn't have to. The weight of the message was clear. Elyra's decision to let Kael go—her decision to let him live—had just opened a new front in the war. One that she wasn't ready for.

"He's not acting alone anymore," Elyra said, her words bitter in her mouth. "He's not just a soldier. He's a leader now."

Mara's gaze was steady, but there was a flicker of something—sympathy, understanding—in her eyes. "You didn't know. No one could have predicted this."

Elyra clenched her fists, the parchment crumpling under her grip. "I thought I was making the right decision. I thought letting him go would give us a chance to regroup, to focus on what mattered. But now—now we're facing him again, only worse."

Her heart pounded painfully in her chest. She had been so certain that Kael was just another pawn in the king's game. That he could be discarded, just like the others. But he had escaped her, and now, Kael was the one leading an assault, his loyalty now to a new cause.

She had underestimated him.

And the rebellion would pay for it.

Elyra took a deep breath, steadying herself. She couldn't afford to break now. Not when the stakes were higher than ever. Not when the cost of her decision was starting to bleed into the future of everyone she cared about.

"Prepare the troops," Elyra said, her voice hard and unwavering. "We move out tomorrow. Full force."

Mara didn't question her, but Elyra could see the doubt still lingering in her eyes. She didn't need to say it aloud—the rebellion had just been thrown into a new war. One that might tear everything apart.

Elyra turned back toward the camp, the weight of the parchment still pressing against her palm. She couldn't afford to lose this fight. Not again.

But as she walked, her thoughts were a maelstrom of doubt and regret. She had made her choice. And now, it was time to live with the consequences.