"You two haven't changed. Still fighting over things you can't have."
The voice was smooth, sharp as silk, yet heavy with authority. The woman stood between them, her silver eyes unreadable, watching as Kaelith and Xeylan tensed like two wolves caught mid-strike.
Kaelith's breathing was ragged, his claws flexed, his entire body still brimming with raw power. Xeylan, on the other hand, looked amused….but his stance remained tense, ready to attack again.
"Stay out of this, Ilzara," Kaelith muttered darkly, his eyes still locked on his brother.
Ilzara arched a brow, folding her arms. "I could," she mused, tilting her head. "But that wouldn't be much fun, would it?"
Xeylan chuckled, low and knowing. "Oh, I missed her," he sighed. "She always had a way of making things... interesting."
Ember felt the tension shift.
This woman…Ilzara….was powerful. Not in the overwhelming, crushing way Kaelith and Xeylan were. Her presence was different. Regal. Controlled. A quiet storm waiting to break.
But none of that mattered to Ember right now.
What mattered was that Kaelith had almost killed his own brother.
And worse….he wasn't denying what Xeylan had said about her.
"Just a stand-in."
The words rattled in her chest like a slow-burning poison.
She took a step forward, her hands clenched into fists. "Kaelith," she said, voice tight.
He didn't look at her.
"Kaelith," she tried again, stepping closer.
He remained frozen, eyes still locked on Xeylan like he was waiting for him to move wrong so he could finish what he started.
Ember's chest ached.
Her hand shot out, grabbing his arm. "Look at me."
Slowly….so slowly it hurt….Kaelith's gaze shifted.
And when it did, Ember wished it hadn't.
Because for the first time, she saw something in his expression she had never seen before.
Guilt.
Raw. Deep. Unforgiving.
He clenched his jaw, exhaling sharply through his nose. "This isn't the time, Ember."
"Isn't it?" she shot back. Her voice wavered, but she didn't care. "Because from where I'm standing, it sure as hell looks like it's exactly the time."
Kaelith's eyes darkened. "Ember….."
"Tell me." Her voice cracked. "Tell me the truth. Right now. Before I regret everything."
The silence that followed was unbearable.
Xeylan smirked, watching the scene unfold with pure delight.
Ilzara sighed. "Oh, for the love of….just tell her, Kaelith. Before she starts crying."
Kaelith's entire body stiffened.
Ember felt something in her chest fracture.
"Just a stand-in."
"Who was she?" she asked, forcing the words out. "Sorei. Who was she?"
Kaelith flinched.
A reaction. Finally.
Xeylan's smirk widened. "Oh, now this is interesting."
Kaelith snapped his head toward him, snarling. "Shut. Up."
Xeylan shrugged, completely unbothered. "I mean, it's only fair she knows, right?" He turned toward Ember, his silver-blue eyes glittering. "You deserve to know that you're not his first human."
Ember's stomach dropped.
Xeylan grinned. "She was, though. The first. The only one who actually mattered. And you? Well..." He sighed. "You're just filling a role, sweetheart."
Kaelith moved in a flash.
His fist collided with Xeylan's jaw so hard it sent him crashing into the trees.
Xeylan coughed, spitting blood onto the ground before laughing darkly. "Hit a nerve again?"
Kaelith's breath was heavy, his shoulders rising and falling in sharp, angry movements.
Ember couldn't breathe.
Her throat felt tight, her vision blurring at the edges.
"It's true."
She took a step back.
Kaelith whirled around instantly. "Ember…."
But she was already turning away.
"No." Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Kaelith moved toward her. "Ember, wait…."
"No."
She yanked her arm out of his grasp, the motion more violent than she intended.
His face fell.
Her heart was breaking.
"You were never going to choose me, were you?" she asked, voice raw.
Kaelith didn't answer.
That was enough.
Ember let out a broken laugh, blinking back tears. "I thought…." She shook her head, chest rising and falling. "I don't know what I thought."
She turned away.
Kaelith grabbed her wrist. "Ember."
She ripped her hand away.
"Don't touch me."
His entire body locked up.
Xeylan chuckled in the background. "Well, that was dramatic."
Kaelith's eyes snapped to him.
"Get out," he growled, voice dangerously low.
Xeylan raised a brow. "This is my home too, little brother."
Kaelith's magic pulsed. "I said. Get. Out."
Xeylan sighed. "Fine, fine." He stretched his arms over his head before flashing Ember a look of mock sympathy. "Sorry, sweetheart. But hey…at least you found out now instead of later, right?"
Kaelith lunged.
Ilzara snapped her fingers.
A pulse of magic exploded between them, forcing Kaelith backward.
"Enough."
Kaelith's breathing was ragged, his body brimming with unspent rage.
Ilzara folded her arms, tilting her head. "You boys cause too much drama," she sighed. "This is why I never come home."
Kaelith clenched his jaw.
Ember was already walking away.
And for the first time in his life….Kaelith felt real fear.
"Ember, stop."
She didn't.
"Ember…."
She turned the corner.
And was gone.
Kaelith stood there.
Breathing.
Hurting.
And realizing….too late….what he had done.
"You look like hell, human."
Ember ignored the voice as she stormed past the Demon King, her fists clenched so tightly her nails dug into her palms. She didn't care that he was standing in the hallway, watching her with those unreadable eyes.
Didn't care about the way the guards stilled, or how the castle seemed to hum with tension.
All she cared about was getting the hell out.
She shoved open Kaelith's door, the massive golden frame groaning at the force.
Her chest ached.
Her eyes burned.
But she refused to let herself cry.
Not over him.
Not over a demon.
She grabbed her bag, throwing things inside carelessly, her movements sharp, frantic.
Kaelith's scent was everywhere, haunting, suffocating her in memories that shouldn't have even existed.
"Why am I even crying?" she muttered under her breath, shoving the last of her clothes inside. "It's not like we were a thing. We weren't a thing. It wasn't…."
Her words cut off.
A sob tore through her chest, and before she could stop it…..
She broke.
Her knees buckled, her hands shaking as she covered her face, tears slipping between her fingers.
"Then why does it feel like a goddamn breakup?"
The sound of her own wrecked voice echoed in the empty room, swallowed by the vastness of it all.
She gasped, trying to control herself, trying to breathe, but the pain only spread deeper.
The realization sank in….Kaelith had never wanted her, he would have never married her
Not really.
She had foolishly convinced herself otherwise.
"I should just go back to the city."
The thought hit harder than it should.
"I don't care if I die. It's better than being here."
She grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder before wiping her tears away aggressively.
Then…without looking back….she left.
The night air was cold, but Ember didn't feel it.
Her body was numb, her heart raw from the weight of everything she was trying not to feel.
Her footsteps echoed in the quiet as she made her way toward the gates, the looming shadows of the mountains stretching before her.
She didn't know where she was going.
Didn't care.
Just away.
Then….
A sharp stab in her chest.
She gasped, stumbling.
Her lungs burned, the pain spreading fast, too fast.
"No…."
Her vision blurred, black spots dancing at the edges.
She tried to breathe, but it felt like something was crushing her ribs.
"Not now. Not now!"
Her legs gave out.
She hit the ground hard, coughing….
And then….
Blood.
Thick, dark blood splattered against the cold earth.
Her chest spasmed, her body failing her, the reality of what she had been ignoring for too long crashing down.
The doctors had told her….a few months, at most.
She had convinced herself she had more time.
"Liar."
She gasped again, desperate, but her breath wouldn't come.
She was dying.
Right here, alone, in a place that had never truly been hers.
Her hands clawed at the ground, her body shaking violently.
Then….
A shadow.
A presence.
Someone was there.
Ember's vision was too blurry to see.
A hand cupped her cheek.
Warm.
Gentle.
A voice….low, soothing, unfamiliar.
"Poor thing, you're in worse shape than I thought."
Lips pressed against hers.
Soft. Cool.
A rush of power flooded her body.
Her breath steadied.
The pain in her chest eased, the crushing weight lifting.
The darkness retreated….
But exhaustion took over.
Her eyes fluttered.
"Who…" Her voice was a whisper, barely there.
She fought to keep her eyes open.
To see.
To understand.
The figure lifted her easily, holding her like she was something precious.
Her head lolled against their chest.
"Who… are you?" she mumbled.
The last thing she heard was a soft chuckle.
Then….nothing.