Forgive me

The world was on fire.

One moment, everything had been whole, steady—her father standing before her, the tension between them heavy but contained. The next, the walls trembled, the windows shattered, and the sky burned with an eerie red glow.

The screams were the worst.

Shrill, panicked cries echoed through the corridors, blending with the distant clash of steel and the guttural roars of demons. Smoke curled in through the broken windows, thick and acrid, filling her lungs with the scent of burning wood, fabric, flesh.

Her heart slammed against her ribs.

Elysia had barely begun to move when the doors burst open again, and this time, it wasn't a terrified guard.

Zera.

She came in fast, blade already drawn, eyes wild and sharp. "Elysia!"

A fraction of a second later, another figure followed—Seraphina, her mother's former knight, her mentor, her second protector. She was covered in dust and soot, her sword dripping with fresh blood, her green eyes burning with urgency.

No greetings. No wasted words.

Seraphina reached Elysia first, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her close. "We need to move. Now."

Elysia barely had time to process what was happening before her father spoke.

"They came for you," he said, voice calm despite the chaos unraveling around them.

She turned sharply to face him, confusion flickering to anger. "What—?"

King Thalor exhaled, his face tight. His fingers flexed at his sides, as if he wanted to grab her, to hold her there, but knew he couldn't.

"The Demon Queen," he said. "Malvoria sent a message. She wanted your hand. I refused."

The world tilted.

The fire. The attack.

This wasn't just some battle.

This was because of her.

"You—" Elysia's throat was dry. She shook her head. "You could have told me!"

Her father's eyes softened, but there was steel beneath the sorrow. "What would that have changed?"

Elysia took a sharp step forward, her breath quick. "Everything! Maybe we could have—maybe we could have found another way!"

A bitter, humorless smile ghosted over Thalor's lips. "There was no other way, my love."

The words cut her deeper than she wanted to admit.

She clenched her hands into fists, her nails digging into her palms. She wanted to argue, wanted to say something, anything, but the heat outside was growing stronger, the battle creeping closer.

Her father didn't waste any more time.

He turned to Seraphina and Zera, his expression hardening with the weight of command. "*Take her. Get her out of here.**"

Elysia froze. "*No.**"

Thalor's face softened just slightly, but his voice was firm. "I won't risk you, Elysia."

"I won't run while people die for me!"

Thalor reached forward, cupping her face with both hands, his touch warm and steady despite the chill crawling up her spine.

"You are my daughter," he murmured. "You are my everything. Do you think I would let you be taken by that monster? That I would let you stand and fight a battle that isn't meant for you?"

"It is meant for me," Elysia argued, her voice breaking. "She came here for me."

Thalor pressed a kiss to her forehead, lingering for just a moment. A moment that felt like goodbye.

"That is why you must live."

She tried to pull away, tried to shake her head, but his grip tightened just slightly before he released her.

"Seraphina," he said.

A warning. A command.

Elysia barely had time to react before a strong arm wrapped around her waist.

"No—!"

Something sharp pricked her neck.

Her vision blurred.

Her breath hitched, her body weakening.

The last thing she saw was her father's face, his expression torn between sorrow and resolve.

The last thing she heard was his voice, raw and quiet.

"Forgive me."

And then—

Darkness.