The Price of Survival

Bound in chains and surrounded by watchful guards, Kaelion—no, he—was led away from the battlefield. The sting of blood, sweat, and dust clung to his skin, but it was the weight of his thoughts that truly burdened him.

The cold grip of the chains dug into his wrists, but it was nothing compared to the turmoil inside him. He had just surrendered to the very hero that had once been his greatest enemy. In the original story, this was the moment when Kaelion had plunged into madness, fully embracing his role as the villain. But this time, it was different.

He couldn't afford to repeat the same mistakes. He couldn't let his anger and hatred consume him.

"Move it, prisoner!" one of the guards barked.

With a reluctant nod, he obeyed, following the line of soldiers through the broken battlefield. The world around him was still in flames, the remnants of war smoldering like the ruins of his own past.

As they walked, he tried to recall the details of the story. Sword of the Eternal Flame—he had devoured that novel in his previous life. He had remembered the betrayals, the bloodshed, and, most haunting of all, Kaelion's tragic downfall. The villain had been consumed by his own ambition and power, succumbing to his darker instincts until there was nothing left but a tragic end.

But now, knowing all of that, he couldn't just sit back and accept his fate. He needed a plan. A strategy.

The guards finally reached a small encampment, where Kaelion—he—was thrown into a cold, damp cell. The door clanged shut behind him, and the sound echoed in the stone walls like a final sentence.

He slumped against the cold stone wall, staring at his shackled hands. How did I get here?

The novel had made it clear: Kaelion was doomed. No one could escape their fate in that world. Not once the story had set its course. But now that he was in this world, living and breathing as Kaelion, he could change things. He had to.

But how?

He had no allies, no power, and no idea where to even start. The hero, Commander Ardyn, was the person he had to get close to if he was going to rewrite his fate. But how could he even approach a man who had every reason to hate him?

A soft creak broke the silence, and a figure appeared in the shadows his first visitor.

"Lord Kaelion."

The voice was smooth and almost mockingly polite. He looked up to see a tall figure standing at the cell bars. The man wore the uniform of the Radiant Order, but there was a distinct sneer on his face that immediately put him on edge.

"I didn't expect you to surrender so easily," the man continued, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "But then again, perhaps you've finally realized the futility of your cause?"

The man stepped forward, his tall frame looming over Kaelion's cell.

"I'm not your enemy," Kaelion said coldly, his voice steady despite the situation.

"Oh?" The man leaned closer, his grin widening. "That's surprising. I thought you were the one who had orchestrated all the chaos, who betrayed his own people, and destroyed everything in his path."

"Things aren't always what they seem," Kaelion muttered, looking away. "But you wouldn't understand. I'm not the villain you think I am."

The man laughed, the sound echoing through the cell. "Ah, but that's where you're wrong, Lord Kaelion. You're the villain of this story, whether you like it or not. There's no escaping that."

Kaelion glared at the man, his chest tight with frustration. This wasn't a moment he could waste. He needed to get through this. He had to prove to himself and everyone else that he was more than what the world expected of him.

"I don't have time to play your games," Kaelion said, narrowing his eyes. "So if you're done, leave me be."

The man raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by Kaelion's change in attitude. "I'll be watching you, Lord Kaelion," he said with a cold smile. "Remember, your fate has already been written."

With that, he turned and left, the door to the cell slamming shut behind him.

Kaelion was left alone once again, but this time, there was a fire in his chest. He wasn't just going to accept his fate. He would rewrite the story, and he would do it by any means necessary.

And the first step was to earn the hero's trust.