Chapter10: The Path of Shadows

Part 1: The Choice Before Her

The flames flickered in hushed anticipation.

Sylvaen's heart pounded, every beat echoing in the empty space between her and Talon. His hand remained outstretched, the offer dangling before her like a thread between two worlds.

Come with me.

The words settled in her chest, heavier than the Skyshard's weight against her heart.

She had spent years fighting the Hollow Chorus, believing them to be nothing but shadows and destruction. But now, here stood Talon—not consumed by darkness, but wielding it. Living within it.

She had mourned him.

She had believed him lost.

And now, she had a choice.

Sylvaen swallowed. "Talon… I don't understand. Why?"

His silver eyes, once full of light, now shimmered with something deeper, something unreadable. "Because I saw the truth, Sylvaen. The Hollow Chorus aren't the villains you think they are."

Her fingers curled into fists. "They destroy everything they touch."

"They destroy the Skyborne," Talon corrected. "The same Skyborne who abandoned their own kind—who turned their own warriors into monsters."

Sylvaen's breath hitched.

She wanted to deny it. To tell him he was wrong.

But doubt had already taken root.

The Elders of Elarion had never fully trusted her. They had feared the Skyshard's power in her hands. And the trial—was it really a test, or was it something more?

Was it judgment?

Talon lowered his hand, his expression unreadable. "You're not like them, Sylvaen. You've always known that."

She shook her head, trying to clear the storm in her mind. "If what you're saying is true… then why do the Hollow Chorus keep attacking? Why do they leave only ruin?"

Talon's eyes darkened. "Because they're at war."

"With who?"

"With those who betrayed them."

Sylvaen stared at him, her pulse racing.

Everything she had believed… everything she had fought for…

Could it all be a lie?

The fire around them began to fade, the illusion of the past dissolving like mist. The Trial of Light was ending—but the real trial had just begun.

And Sylvaen didn't know which path to take.

Part 2: The Elders' Judgment

The illusion broke.

Sylvaen staggered back into the Council Hall, her breath coming in sharp, uneven gasps. The towering figures of the Elders loomed above her, their hollow masks hiding their expressions.

She barely registered Kaelen's voice. "Sylvaen! Are you—"

But she wasn't listening.

Her mind was reeling, the echoes of Talon's words still ringing in her ears.

The Hollow Chorus had once been Skyborne. The war had been started by the Elders.

How much of what she knew was real?

One of the Elders stepped forward, their voice smooth and measured. "You have completed the Trial of Light."

Sylvaen barely nodded.

The Elder tilted their head. "And yet, you hesitate."

She swallowed hard. "I saw…" She hesitated, unsure if she should reveal the vision. "I saw something I wasn't supposed to."

Another Elder's voice, low and sharp, cut through the chamber. "The Trial shows only what lies within your soul. Whatever you witnessed was your own doing."

Sylvaen clenched her fists. Was it?

Kaelen moved beside her, concern flickering in his storm-gray eyes. "What did you see?"

Sylvaen hesitated. If she told them about Talon, about what he had said…

Would they even believe her?

She met the eyes of the Elders, their glowing forms casting long shadows.

No.

They already knew the truth. They were just waiting to see if she would accept their version of it.

Sylvaen's jaw tightened. "I saw my brother."

A ripple of silence passed through the chamber.

"He's alive," she continued, forcing herself to say the words aloud. "And he's with the Hollow Chorus."

Kaelen stiffened beside her. The Elders, however, did not react.

It was as if they had already known.

The realization hit her like a blade to the chest.

"You knew," Sylvaen whispered.

None of them denied it.

Rage ignited in her veins. "You knew my brother was alive. You knew what happened to him, and you never told me."

One of the Elders, their voice ancient and layered with echoes, spoke. "We did what was necessary."

Sylvaen's hands trembled. "You let me believe he was dead."

"He was lost to us," the Elder said. "Just as he should be lost to you."

A sharp chill ran down her spine.

Lost to her?

Like he didn't matter?

Like he was just… a mistake to be erased?

Sylvaen's voice shook. "You turned your backs on him."

"We did what we had to," another Elder said coldly. "The Hollow Chorus are beyond saving. He is no longer your brother."

The words struck deep, but Sylvaen refused to let them take hold.

Talon wasn't gone.

He was still in there, somewhere. And if there was even a chance that she could save him—

She had to try.

But the Elders…

They would never allow it.

Sylvaen clenched her fists. She had always felt like an outsider among the Skyborne. Now, she understood why.

They didn't just fear the Hollow Chorus.

They feared the truth.

And anyone who questioned them was an enemy.

She took a step back, her breath unsteady.

Kaelen touched her arm. "Sylvaen," he murmured, "what are you doing?"

Her heart pounded.

She had to leave.

She had to find Talon.

And she couldn't do it from within these walls.

She looked up at Kaelen, apology flickering in her gaze.

Then she turned—

And ran.

Part 3: The Breaking Point

The halls of Elarion blurred as Sylvaen sprinted through them, her pulse thundering in her ears.

Guards shouted behind her, their voices growing closer.

She had to get out.

She didn't know where she would go.

But she knew where she couldn't stay.

The Elders had already decided Talon was lost. They had decided the Hollow Chorus were beyond redemption.

But Sylvaen?

She would decide for herself.

A blast of energy slammed into the wall beside her, sending shards of crystal raining down. She ducked, rolling into a side corridor.

They wouldn't stop her.

She wouldn't let them.

A figure appeared ahead of her, blocking her path—Kaelen.

His storm-gray eyes were filled with conflict. "Sylvaen, don't do this."

"I have to," she said. "I can't just—"

"They won't let you go." His voice was quiet, desperate.

She met his gaze, her throat tight. "Then come with me."

Kaelen froze.

A war raged behind his eyes.

Loyalty to the Skyborne. Loyalty to the Elders.

And something deeper. Something unspoken between them.

Sylvaen's voice softened. "Please."

Kaelen exhaled sharply. Then, without another word, he grabbed her wrist.

And together, they ran into the unknown.

To Be Continued...