Chapter 18 – A Kingdom on the Brink

The castle loomed in the distance, its spires silhouetted against the deep purple of the evening sky. A storm was gathering—not of wind and rain, but of something far more dangerous.

Elara stood at the edge of the cliffside balcony, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon. Below, the city pulsed with life, oblivious to the war that was about to unfold.

Behind her, Vesper stirred. “You’re quiet,” he murmured, stepping closer. His presence was a steadying force, warm and solid despite the wounds he still carried.

Elara exhaled. “I was just thinking about how everything is about to change.”

He touched her arm, gently turning her to face him. “It already has.”

His eyes—stormy and intense—searched hers for something unspoken. There was no fear in them, only certainty.

They were in this together.

Aerin’s voice cut through the air. “If we’re doing this, we don’t have time for hesitation.” He entered the room, his usual cold demeanor edged with something sharper—urgency.

Elara turned to him. “How much time do we have?”

Aerin’s jaw tightened. “The High Circle has caught wind of our movements. They won’t wait. They’ll strike first.”

A chill crept down Elara’s spine. “Then we make the first move.”

Vesper crossed his arms. “The High Circle doesn’t fall easily. They rule through fear, and their magic is ancient.”

“Which is why we don’t fight them on their terms.” Elara’s gaze flickered to Aerin. “We need to dismantle them from within.”

Aerin’s expression darkened. “You want to infiltrate them.”

Elara nodded. “They built the prophecy, and they will protect it with everything they have. But if we can get to the heart of their power—the Sanctum of Fate—we might find a way to rewrite it.”

Vesper stiffened. “That place is impenetrable.”

A slow, knowing smile tugged at Elara’s lips. “Not if we have someone on the inside.”

Aerin’s brow furrowed. “Who?”

She hesitated, then spoke the name that had haunted her for years.

“Lady Isolde.”

The room fell into stunned silence.

Aerin’s fists clenched. “You can’t be serious.”

Elara met his gaze steadily. “She was my mother’s closest confidante before she vanished. If anyone knows the truth about the prophecy, it’s her.”

Vesper exhaled slowly. “And if she’s loyal to the High Circle?”

Elara lifted her chin. “Then we make her choose.”

Aerin cursed under his breath but said nothing.

The decision was made.

They would seek out Lady Isolde.

And if she held the key to the prophecy’s undoing…

Then the High Circle’s reign was about to end.

No matter the cost.

⸻

Aerin’s breath came sharp and uneven. “Do you have any idea what you’re asking?” His voice was low, but laced with barely contained frustration. “Lady Isolde is not just a former confidante of the royal family—she’s a ghost. No one has seen or heard from her in over a decade. If she is alive, she is either in hiding or—”

“Or she’s with them,” Vesper finished darkly.

Elara’s pulse quickened. She had considered this. If Lady Isolde had truly vanished, why hadn’t the High Circle erased all trace of her? No, she was too important for that. There was a reason she had disappeared, and if she was still out there, she might hold the last remaining piece of the prophecy’s truth.

“We don’t have another option.” Elara’s voice was steady, though the weight of her own decision pressed against her ribs. “If we want to break free from this fate, we need answers. And we need them now.”

Vesper exhaled, shaking his head. “Even if she is alive, we don’t know where to find her.”

“I do.”

All eyes turned to Aerin.

His expression was unreadable, but his shoulders tensed as though the very words burned in his throat. “She was last seen in the Ruined Province—the outskirts of the kingdom, beyond the cursed forests. If she’s anywhere, it’s there.”

Elara felt a flicker of hope. “Then we leave at dawn.”

Aerin’s eyes darkened. “You don’t understand. The Ruined Province isn’t just a wasteland. It’s a death trap. The remnants of the kingdom’s forbidden magic still linger there. No one who enters leaves untouched.”

Vesper’s hand curled into a fist. “Then we don’t go in blind.” His voice was firm, unwavering. “We take a team. We prepare for whatever’s waiting for us.”

Elara met his gaze. The fierce determination in his eyes sent a shiver down her spine. He would follow her anywhere. Even into the unknown.

Aerin exhaled sharply. “You’re both insane.”

Elara allowed a small, grim smile. “That’s why we’ll win.”

Vesper smirked. “And because we don’t play by their rules.”

The room was tense, but the decision was made.

At dawn, they would set out for the Ruined Province—toward a woman who might hold the key to their freedom…

Or their downfall.

The flickering torchlight cast long shadows across the stone walls, filling the chamber with a heavy stillness. Elara’s heart pounded as the weight of their decision settled over the room.

Aerin’s silver-blue eyes locked onto hers, the flicker of doubt still present. “If we’re doing this, we need to move quietly. The High Circle will know the moment we cross into the Ruined Province.”

Elara nodded, her voice steady. “Then we use the shadows against them.”

Vesper leaned against the wall, his golden eyes glinting beneath the low light. “I can get us through the borders unnoticed—there’s an old smuggler’s route beneath the eastern cliffs. But once we’re inside, it’s enemy territory.”

Elara’s gaze hardened. It had always been enemy territory.

“Then we don’t give them the chance to strike first,” she said. “We find Lady Isolde, get what we need, and disappear before they ever know we were there.”

Aerin crossed his arms, his expression still guarded. “If she’s even alive.”

Elara’s heart clenched, but she pushed the doubt away. “She’s alive. She has to be.”

Vesper’s smirk was faint, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Hope makes fools of us all, Princess.”

Elara’s gaze flicked to him, heat simmering beneath her skin. “Then let them think us fools.”

His smirk widened—just a fraction—but there was something darker in his eyes.

“Rest while you can,” Aerin interrupted, his voice cold. “We leave at dawn.”

The conversation ended, but the tension lingered.

Elara remained by the window long after the others had retreated, watching the moon rise high over the distant mountains.

The path ahead was treacherous. Betrayals would come. Blood would be spilled.

But she had made her choice.

She would rewrite fate—or burn the kingdom trying.