The dawn's golden rays spilled across the palace walls, illuminating the remnants of the chaos Aelric had left in his wake.
Cassiel stood at the smoldering remains of the corridor, his sword still drawn. His chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, his jaw clenched tight enough to crack. Around him, servants and guards scrambled to extinguish the dying flames, their whispers growing louder as they exchanged panicked glances.
The Thorne boy had escaped-with Haldric and that damned woman. Worse, the fire had claimed three of Cassiel's men.
Cassiel's fist tightened around the hilt of his sword, his knuckles whitening. "Find them," he growled to the captain of the guards standing beside him. "I don't care how far they've gone or how well they've hidden. I want them brought to me-alive if possible."
"And if they resist, Your Highness?" the captain asked, his voice cautious. Cassiel's lips curled into a cold smile. "Then kill the others, but leave Aelric. I'll deal with him myself." The captain nodded and barked out orders to the guards, who rushed to obey.
Cassiel remained behind, his gaze locked on the scorched stone at his feet. His hand unconsciously rose to his chest, where a faint ache lingered.
Aelric.
The name burned in his mind like a brand. He couldn't forget the fire in Aelric's eyes as their swords had clashed.
The sheer defiance, the hatred that radiated from him-it was intoxicating. And yet, beneath that hatred, Cassiel had seen something else.
Something that made his anger waver, if only for a moment. Why couldn't he banish that look from his mind?
With a frustrated growl, Cassiel sheathed his sword and turned away from the ruined corridor. There was no time for hesitation, no time for weakness.
Aelric's betrayal was unforgivable, and the price would be steep.
The Forest
Aelric awoke to the soft crackle of the fire and the muted chirping of birds outside.
His body ached, a reminder of the battle with Cassiel, but it was nothing compared to the turmoil in his mind. Kaelina sat nearby, tending to Haldric's wound.
The older man was pale, his breathing shallow, but he was alive. "You should rest more," Kaelina said without looking up, sensing Aelric stirring. "We don't have time," Aelric muttered, pushing himself to sit.
His voice was low and rough, a reflection of the storm within him. "Cassiel won't waste a second coming after us." Kaelina sighed, tying off the bandage on Haldric's side. "You're not wrong. He's relentless." Aelric stared into the fire, his hands gripping the edge of the chair. "Good. Let him come."
Kaelina frowned, turning to face him. "You sound like you want him to find us." "I do," Aelric said, his gaze hard. "The sooner we face him, the sooner this ends."
"You can't beat him alone, Aelric," Kaelina said, her voice sharp. "You barely escaped last time." "I don't intend to fight alone," Aelric replied. "We'll gather support-people who've suffered under Cassiel's rule, people who've been ignored by his kingdom.
They'll fight for a cause they believe in." "And if they don't?" Kaelina asked. "Then I'll fight alone," Aelric said simply. Kaelina shook her head, frustration flickering across her face. "This isn't just about you anymore. Haldric and I _" "It is about me," Aelric interrupted, his voice cold.
"This is my fight, Kaelina. My family, my vengeance. You and Haldric can leave whenever you want." Kaelina's expression softened, her frustration giving way to something gentler. "You know we won't. We're with you, no matter how reckless you get." Aelric didn't respond, his eyes fixed on the fire.
The Palace
Cassiel sat in the war room, a map of the surrounding territories spread before him. His generals debated strategies, suggesting checkpoints and patrol routes to corner Aelric, but Cassiel barely listened.
His focus was on the dagger lying on the table-a weapon taken from one of his fallen guards.
It was simple, unremarkable, but it reminded him of Aelric's cunning. He had used every advantage, every weakness, to slip through Cassiel's grasp.
A part of Cassiel admired that.
A part of him loathed it. "My prince," one of the generals said, drawing his attention. "If we cut off the northern routes, we can force them toward the rivers, where our patrols will have the upper hand."
Cassiel nodded absently, his fingers brushing against the dagger's hilt. "Do it," he said. "But double the patrols in the eastern woods. That's where they'll go."
"How can you be so certain, Your Highness?" the general asked. Cassiel's lips twitched into a faint smirk.
"Because I know Aelric. He'll think he can outsmart us by taking the harder path. He'll believe it's safer." The general bowed and left the room, leaving Cassiel alone with his thoughts.
He would find Aelric.
And when he did, he would make the boy understand the weight of his defiance.
The Forest Hideout
Night had fallen again, and the group sat in tense silence. The fire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows on the walls of the small cottage. Aelric stood by the window, his eyes scanning the darkness outside.
He could feel it—the tension, the inevitability of what was coming. Kaelina broke the silence.
"You should get some rest, Aelric.
We'll take turns keeping watch." "I'm fine," he said without looking at her.
"You're going to burn yourself out," she said, her tone firmer. Aelric turned to her, his expression unreadable.
"I've been burning since the day my family was slaughtered. This is nothing." Kaelina flinched but didn't argue.
She could see the pain in his eyes, the weight he carried like a second skin. But as Aelric turned back to the window, his thoughts betrayed him.
He could still see Cassiel's face-the anger, the pain, and that fleeting glimpse of something else.
It haunted him.
And it terrified him.
Because in the depths of his soul, Aelric wasn't sure if he wanted to kill Cassiel anymore-or save him.