Decision

Aelor, Rylan, and Aldric crouched behind the dense shrubbery, the rain-soaked earth dampening their knees as they peered at the massive gates of the Crelvaris kingdom. The iron bars groaned as they opened, revealing a procession of soldiers on horseback. Aelor's heart skipped a beat when he spotted Kaelen at the front, clad in the dark, glinting armor of Crelvaris.

Aelor's breath hitched, his chest tightening as he watched Kaelen, now clad in Crelvaris armor, commanding a group of soldiers with ease. The gleaming metal seemed foreign on him, a stark contrast to the warmth Aelor associated with his beloved.

"No... this can't be," Aelor whispered, his voice trembling.

Rylan placed a comforting hand on Aelor's shoulder, his face equally pale. "There must be an explanation. Kaelen wouldn't betray us."

Aldric, however, was less sympathetic. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his knuckles turning white. "I knew it! I knew we couldn't trust him. Look at him—parading with the enemy like he owns the place!"

"Stop it!" Aelor snapped, his voice louder than he intended. Both Rylan and Aldric turned to him, surprised by his outburst. "Kaelen wouldn't betray us. He's... he's doing this for a reason. I know it."

Aldric scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "And what reason would that be? Joining forces with the humans who locked him away for centuries? Leading their soldiers? He's not doing this for you, Aelor. Open your eyes."

Aelor clenched his fists, his heart torn between doubt and faith. "I trust him. You don't understand him like I do."

Before Aldric could retort, Rylan intervened. "Arguing won't help us. We need to figure out what's really going on. If Kaelen is working with them, we need to know why."

As they continued to observe, Aelor's gaze locked onto Kaelen. He noticed the stiffness in his movements, the subtle tension in his shoulders. This wasn't the Kaelen he knew. Something was wrong.

"He's being forced," Aelor muttered, more to himself than to the others.

Rylan frowned. "What makes you think that?"

Aelor's eyes didn't waver from Kaelen's figure. "I can feel it. He doesn't want to be there."

Aldric shook his head, his frustration evident. "Feeling doesn't mean anything when you're staring at a traitor."

"Enough!" Aelor snapped again, his voice resolute. "I'm going after him."

Rylan's eyes widened. "Aelor, you can't. It's too dangerous."

"I don't care," Aelor said firmly. "I need to talk to him. I need to know the truth."

Before anyone could stop him, Aelor stepped out from behind the bush, his golden hair catching the fading sunlight.

Kaelen, now mounted on his horse, froze as he spotted Aelor standing in plain view. His crimson eyes widened in shock and alarm. The soldiers around him noticed as well, some reaching for their weapons.

Aelor didn't flinch. His voice rang out, strong and unwavering. "Kaelen! What are you doing?"

Kaelen's jaw tightened, his expression conflicted. He glanced at the soldiers around him before dismounting and walking toward Aelor. "You shouldn't be here," he said, his voice low but filled with urgency.

"And you shouldn't be with them" Aelor shot back, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Tell me what's going on. Tell me this isn't what it looks like."

Kaelen hesitated, his hands balling into fists. "Aelor, please... go back to Aldoria. It's not safe for you here."

Aelor shook his head, stepping closer. "Not until you tell me the truth. Are you betraying us?"

Kaelen's expression hardened, but the pain in his eyes was unmistakable. "You don't understand—"

"Then make me understand!" Aelor interrupted, his voice breaking. "I thought... I thought you loved me."

Kaelen's resolve crumbled for a moment, his hand reaching out to touch Aelor's face. But the sharp voice of a soldier cut through the moment. "My lord, do you need us to intervene?"

Kaelen's hand dropped, and his expression closed off. He turned back to his soldiers, his voice cold. "No. Stand down."

Aelor's heart sank as he watched Kaelen retreat into the armor of a leader for the humans. But he wasn't ready to give up. Not yet.

The tension thickened in the air as Aelor raised the staff, the dark energy swirling around it. His golden hair clung to his rain-soaked face, his eyes blazing with fury and heartbreak. He pointed the staff directly at Kaelen and the soldiers behind him, his voice trembling as he let out a bitter laugh.

"They call you 'lord,' Kaelen," Aelor said, his tone sharp with accusation. "So you can be anything you want, right? You can forget about me? About us?"

Kaelen took a step forward, his crimson eyes filled with both guilt and desperation. "Aelor, stop this. Put the staff down. You don't understand—"

"I don't understand?!" Aelor interrupted, his voice cracking. "Then make me understand, Kaelen! You promised me—" His voice faltered, his hands shaking as he clutched the staff.

Kaelen hesitated, his eyes darting to the soldiers behind him, then back to Aelor. "You deserve the truth," he said softly, his voice heavy with regret. "But this... isn't the place."

"No!" Aelor shouted, stepping closer, the dark energy of the staff crackling in the rain. "You'll tell me now. Why are you wearing their armor? Why are they calling you their leader?"

Kaelen's jaw tightened, the weight of his past pressing on him like a boulder. He took another cautious step forward, his hands raised in surrender. "I never wanted any of this. I never wanted to leave you."

"Then why?" Aelor's voice broke, tears mixing with the rain on his cheeks. "Why does it look like you've chosen them over me?"

Kaelen stopped just a few feet from the staff, his voice barely above a whisper. "Because I have no choice." He glanced down, unable to meet Aelor's eyes. "I was never... just a vampire, Aelor. The councils, the elves—they experimented on me. They studied me while I slept. I'm a monster of their own creation."

Aelor froze, the staff trembling in his grasp. His eyes searched Kaelen's face, his anger momentarily replaced with confusion and sorrow. "What are you saying?"

Kaelen clenched his fists, his voice raw as he continued. "They didn't just imprison me. They altered me. They wanted to create a weapon, someone who could wield the magic of both vampires and elves. They failed, but not before they made me into this... thing." He gestured to himself, his voice breaking. "That's why the humans call me 'lord.' That's why the councils fear me."

Aelor's heart ached, the weight of Kaelen's words sinking in. "And you didn't think I could handle the truth?" he asked, his voice softer now, the staff lowering slightly.

Kaelen shook his head, a bitter smile playing on his lips. "I didn't want you to see me this way. I didn't want you to know how broken I am."

Aelor stepped closer, his anger replaced with determination. "You think I care about that? I love you, Kaelen. I don't care what they did to you or what they call you."

Kaelen's breath hitched, his resolve wavering. "Aelor..."

But before he could say more, one of the soldiers spoke up, his voice filled with nervousness. "My lord, we can't stay here. We have orders to return to the king."

Kaelen glanced at the soldier, then back at Aelor. "Please," he said softly. "Let me explain everything when it's safe. But you need to go now. They'll come for you."

Aelor's grip on the staff tightened, his eyes locked on Kaelen. "I'm not leaving without you."

Kaelen reached out, his hand gently closing over the staff. "You have to trust me, Aelor. This is bigger than both of us."

Aelor hesitated, his heart warring with his fear and his love. Slowly, reluctantly, he let go of the staff, his eyes never leaving Kaelen's.

"This isn't over," he said firmly, his voice steady despite the storm raging around them.

Kaelen nodded, his gaze filled with a mixture of love and regret. "I know."

As Aelor reluctantly lowered the staff, the tension in the air was abruptly shattered by the sound of a blade slicing through the rain. Aldric burst from the shadows, his sword gleaming in the dim light, aiming directly for Kaelen.

"You traitor!" Aldric roared, his voice filled with rage.

Kaelen's instincts kicked in. He dodged the blade with inhuman speed, his movements almost a blur. With a swift motion, he caught the sword mid-swing, the edge biting into his hand. Sparks flew as he clenched it tightly, his supernatural strength bending the steel. With a sharp snap, the sword shattered in two, the broken half clattering to the ground.

"Enough!" Kaelen growled, his voice deep and commanding, his crimson eyes glowing faintly in the rain. He tossed the shattered blade aside, his hand dripping with blood.

Aldric stumbled back, his face a mixture of shock and fury. "You're a danger to everyone, Kaelen! I won't let you manipulate Aelor—or any of us!"

Kaelen raised his hands in a placating gesture, his tone calm but firm. "I don't want to fight you, Aldric. I never have. But if you keep coming at me, I will defend myself."

Aelor stepped between them, his arms outstretched. "Stop this! Both of you!" His voice cracked, desperation laced in his words. "Kaelen isn't our enemy!"

Aldric's gaze flicked to Aelor, disbelief and frustration etched on his face. "You're defending him? After what you just saw?"

"Yes!" Aelor shouted, his voice resolute. "I trust him. And if you trust me, you'll stand down."

Rylan emerged from the shadows, his voice soft but urgent. "Aldric, please. Let's think this through. Kaelen could've killed us all by now if he wanted to."

Aldric's chest heaved, his grip tightening on the broken hilt of his sword. For a moment, it seemed as though he might strike again, but then he let out a frustrated growl and tossed the hilt to the ground.

"You'd better be worth the trust he's giving you," Aldric muttered, glaring at Kaelen before turning to walk back toward the others.

Kaelen exhaled slowly, the tension easing from his shoulders. He looked at Aelor, his voice low. "I'm sorry. For all of this."

Aelor shook his head, stepping closer. "Don't apologize. Just tell me what's going on. I deserve to know everything."

Kaelen nodded, his eyes softening as he looked at the one person who still believed in him. "You will. I promise."

The inside of the horse carriage was dimly lit by a small lantern swinging gently with the motion of the wheels. The sound of rain pattered softly against the wooden roof as they made their way toward Aldoria. A tense silence filled the space until Kaelen spoke, his voice calm but laced with a cold edge.

"This confrontation can go two ways," Kaelen began, his crimson eyes gazing out the small window. "Either the council admits their sins and faces justice... or they choose silence and death."

Aelor frowned, his arms crossed as he leaned back against the wall. "You're asking them to expose their dirty lies? Kaelen, you're giving them an option that might as well be suicide. They'll never agree willingly. If anything, they'll choose war."

Kaelen turned to look at him, his face unreadable. "I know. But sometimes the threat of destruction is the only way to make the truth surface."

Aldric, sitting across from Kaelen with his arms resting on his knees, let out a frustrated scoff. "War's a given. You think elves are any better than humans? Among my people, I've seen treachery, betrayal, and greed. Among your council, I've seen the same. The only real difference is the language they use to justify it." His voice grew harsher. "At this point, I'm not fighting for some grand cause or moral high ground. I'm fighting for myself. For what's right in front of me."

Rylan, seated beside Aldric, placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Aldric, please," he said softly. "I know you're angry, but this isn't the time to lose hope. If we give in to anger, we're no better than them."

Aldric tensed, his jaw clenched, but he didn't pull away from Rylan's touch. He looked at the elf beside him and sighed. "I'm not losing hope, Rylan. I'm just being realistic. The council's not going to give in without a fight, and when that happens, I want you and Aelor out of harm's way."

Kaelen interjected, his voice firm. "That's not your decision to make. Aelor has chosen to stand by me, and I'll protect him no matter what comes. The same goes for Rylan."

Aelor glanced at Kaelen, his heart clenching at the determination in his words. He reached out, his hand finding Kaelen's. "We're in this together. All of us."

Rylan smiled faintly, though his eyes were filled with worry. "If we're going to face them, we need to be united. Anger won't help us, Aldric. Trust will."

Aldric met Rylan's gaze, his expression softening just a fraction. "Fine," he muttered. "But if they push us to the brink, I'm not holding back."

Kaelen nodded solemnly. "Neither will I."