into the lion's Den

The sky was restless.

Dark clouds loomed over the edges of Skydale, swirling like a living thing, charged with the unseen tension of the city below. Aurelia could feel it in her bones—the weight of what they had set in motion.

She tightened her grip on the reins of the wind glider as it sped through the lower airways of Skydale, the sleek, metallic wings slicing through the wind. Behind her, Caius, Zephyr, and Lucian held on tightly as they descended toward the hidden outskirts of the city.

Lucian Vaelen—Caius' younger brother—was an unexpected addition to their mission.

A noble through and through, Lucian had the same sharp features as his brother, but where Caius carried the weight of duty, Lucian bore the quiet burden of knowledge. He had always been the overlooked one, the second-born, the shadow of the Vaelen name. But now, as he rode beside them, his presence was impossible to ignore.

"I still don't understand why I'm here," Lucian muttered, adjusting the collar of his cloak as the glider dipped through the misty underbelly of the city.

"Because," Zephyr said with a smirk, "you're our insurance policy."

Lucian narrowed his eyes. "I don't like the sound of that."

Caius exhaled, staring at the city shrinking behind them. "You said you wanted to help, Lucian. This is your chance."

Lucian scoffed. "I said I wanted to fix things, not align myself with a war criminal."

Aurelia turned her head slightly. "Thorne isn't a war criminal."

"He wants to destroy Skydale," Lucian shot back. "That sounds like a criminal to me."

Aurelia didn't answer. Because Lucian wasn't wrong.

Thorne Everard had built his name on rebellion. A leader from the ground who had fought against the floating cities for years, he believed Skydale had stolen from those below—hoarding magic, resources, and power. To the nobles, he was a terrorist. To the ground-dwellers, he was a hero.

And now, he was their only hope.

Zephyr whistled. "Ah, nothing like walking into the lion's den with a bag of raw meat."

Caius shot him a look. "You don't have to come."

Zephyr scoffed. "Please. And miss the chance to see noble boys squirm? Never."

Aurelia ignored them and focused on steering the glider toward their destination—a crumbling outpost built on the very edges of Skydale's lower levels. It was old, abandoned by the city when the nobles deemed it unnecessary. Now, it belonged to the rebellion.

As they approached, the shadows moved.

A dozen figures emerged from the mist, weapons drawn. Crossbows, daggers, and Aetherion-fueled shock batons glowed in the dim light. The rebels.

Aurelia slowed the glider, lifting her hands in a slow, deliberate motion. "We're here to see Thorne."

One of the rebels stepped forward, her scarred face set in a hard scowl. "No one sees Thorne."

Caius reached into his cloak and pulled out the sealed letter from Seraphina. "Tell him we have something he'll want."

The rebel's eyes flickered to the letter, then back to them. For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, without a word, she turned on her heel and disappeared into the shadows.

Zephyr let out a breath. "Well, that's reassuring."

Lucian shifted uncomfortably. "I don't like this."

"No one does," Caius muttered.

Aurelia kept her eyes on the entrance ahead. If Thorne turned them away, they were out of options. If he accepted them, things could get worse.

Minutes stretched into eternity before the scarred rebel returned. "Follow me."

They were led through a series of winding paths, deeper into the underbelly of the floating city. The walls were lined with remnants of old technology—hacked Aetherion cores, repurposed weapons, things scavenged from the ruins below. This was a world built from scraps, from what the nobles had thrown away.

And at its center stood Thorne Everard.

He was taller than Aurelia expected, his frame lean but strong, his dark hair streaked with silver at the temples. His piercing gaze settled on them as they entered, a quiet, calculating intensity in his expression.

"You're late." His voice was calm, but there was a sharpness beneath it, like the edge of a blade.

Aurelia stepped forward. "You knew we were coming?"

Thorne smirked. "I know everything that happens in this city." His eyes flickered to Caius. "Especially when a Vaelen decides to play traitor."

Caius' jaw tightened. "I'm not here for you. I'm here for the truth."

Thorne chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "The truth? Oh, that's rich." He stepped forward, slow and deliberate. "Tell me, little prince—do you really think knowing the truth will change anything?"

Lucian tensed beside his brother. "That's why we're here."

Thorne's gaze flicked to him. "Ah. The other Vaelen." He studied Lucian for a long moment. "Didn't expect you to be here."

Lucian lifted his chin. "Neither did I."

Aurelia cut in before the tension escalated. "Seraphina said you'd want this." She held out the letter.

Thorne took it, breaking the wax seal with a flick of his wrist. His eyes scanned the contents, and for the first time, something in his expression shifted.

He exhaled. "So it's true."

Caius frowned. "What's true?"

Thorne tossed the letter onto the table. "The council has known about Aetherion's decay for years." His voice was cold. "They've been lying to everyone—hiding the truth while their magic runs out."

Lucian's face paled. "If they knew…"

Thorne nodded. "They've been preparing. Not to fix it, but to abandon it." He turned to Aurelia. "The nobles have an escape plan. They're going to leave Skydale behind—let it fall while they move on to another city, another floating paradise, leaving everyone else to die."

Silence.

Aurelia's breath caught in her throat.

Caius' hands curled into fists. "They wouldn't—"

Thorne cut him off. "They would. And they are." He met Caius' gaze. "Still think your family deserves saving?"

Caius didn't answer.

Aurelia forced herself to focus. "What do we do?"

Thorne smiled. "We make sure they fall before the city does."

Zephyr let out a low whistle. "Oh, boy. Here we go."

Lucian turned to his brother, his voice quieter this time. "Caius…"

Caius looked at him, and for the first time, Aurelia saw hesitation in his eyes.

This wasn't just about revealing the truth anymore.

This was about war.