Chapter 7: The Shadow’s Offer

A Name from the Past

Kael held the woman against the wall, his sword pressing just enough to remind her of the danger she was in. Yet, she did not struggle. She did not plead.

Instead, she smirked.

"I came to help you," she had said.

Kael's golden eyes narrowed. "Strange. Most people who help me don't start by stalking me."

The woman exhaled a soft laugh. "Fair. But in my defense, I had to be sure. The stories said you were dead."

Kael's grip tightened. "The stories are wrong."

The woman studied him, her emerald gaze filled with something that made Kael wary—understanding.

Finally, she spoke.

"Tell me, Emperor Kael…" She leaned in, voice barely a whisper. "Do you still wish to reclaim your throne?"

Kael went still.

His mind raced. No one should have known. He had been careful. No name, no reputation, nothing to tie him to his past.

Yet she knew.

Slowly, he loosened his hold, stepping back but keeping his sword raised. "Who are you?"

The woman straightened her cloak, as if she had never been restrained at all. Then she smiled.

"My name is Selene."

Kael watched her carefully. The name was unfamiliar, but the way she carried herself—calm, confident, completely unfazed by death—was not.

This was no ordinary rogue.

"Selene…" Kael repeated. "You work for someone."

Her smirk widened. "I represent a faction that has not forgotten the true emperor."

Kael's pulse slowed. A faction?

His empire had been shattered. His name erased from history. He had assumed that anyone who had once been loyal to him had perished long ago.

But what if that wasn't true?

"What do you want?" he asked.

Selene tilted her head. "The real question is—what do you want, Your Majesty?"

Kael studied her, then lowered his sword. Not fully—just enough to signal that he was willing to listen.

"Talk."

Selene's emerald eyes gleamed.

"As you wish."

---

The Forgotten Rebellion

The tavern was quiet, the scent of old ale and firewood lingering in the air.

Kael sat in the shadows, across from Selene. Between them, a single candle flickered, casting sharp lines across her sharp features.

"You should know," Selene began, "not everyone accepted your fall so easily."

Kael remained silent.

She leaned forward. "After your execution, the empire purged anyone who was loyal to you. Generals. Scholars. Soldiers. But some survived. Some went into hiding. And some…" She smirked. "Waited."

Kael's fingers drummed lightly against the table. Waited?

Selene's voice lowered. "There are still those who believe in you. And if you want to reclaim what was stolen… you're going to need them."

Kael tilted his head. "And where do you fall in this?"

Selene leaned back. "Me? I'm just a messenger."

Chapter 7: The Shadow's Offer (Part 2)

A New Alliance

Kael studied Selene carefully. Her words carried certainty, not desperation. She wasn't begging for a leader—she was offering an opportunity.

"You expect me to lead?" Kael mused, fingers tapping against the wooden table. "I have no army. No wealth. No power."

Selene smirked. "For now."

Kael's golden eyes narrowed. "Why risk so much for a ghost?"

Selene's expression didn't waver. "Because some of us remember. We remember the empire before it fell. The strength it once had." Her voice softened. "The strength you once had."

Kael felt something stir in his chest. Recognition. A past that refused to stay buried.

For a thousand years, his enemies had erased his name from history.

But now, here was someone who still spoke it. Who still believed.

His fingers curled into a fist. Perhaps fate had not abandoned him after all.

Kael leaned forward, his voice calm but unwavering. "If I do this… I lead on my terms."

Selene's emerald eyes gleamed. "Of course, Your Majesty."

A long silence stretched between them.

Then—

Kael smirked. "Then tell me, Selene. Where do we begin?"

---

The First Target

Selene pulled a folded parchment from beneath her cloak, sliding it across the table. Kael unfolded it, his gaze sweeping over the inked lines.

A fortress.

No—a prison.

Kael's eyes flicked to Selene. "What is this?"

"The Blackhold." Selene's voice was quiet but firm. "One of the empire's hidden dungeons. Used for prisoners too valuable to execute."

Kael's jaw tightened. He knew the name. Blackhold had been his once—a secret stronghold where he had locked away traitors, spies, and war criminals.

And now, he was the traitor.

Selene tapped the map. "Inside that prison is a man who once fought for you. A general."

Kael's pulse quickened. "A general?"

Selene nodded. "His name is Darius Vale. He was one of your most loyal commanders… and one of the few who survived the purge."

Kael remembered the name. Darius Vale. The Wolf of Eldoria. A man who had led countless battles in Kael's name.

"If he's alive," Kael murmured, eyes sharp, "why haven't they killed him?"

Selene exhaled. "Because they want him to break. He has information the empire still fears."

Kael frowned. "And you're sure he's still in Blackhold?"

Selene nodded. "My sources confirm it. He's been there for over a decade."

Kael smirked. "Then it's time we paid him a visit."

Selene grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that."

Kael folded the map, slipping it into his cloak. His first real step toward reclaiming power had just presented itself.

Now, all that remained… was the execution.

---

A Dangerous Path

The streets of Halrith were darker than before, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and burning torches. Kael and Selene moved through the alleys like shadows, their cloaks drawn tight against the chill.

"We'll need supplies," Selene whispered. "Weapons, horses, a plan."

Kael smirked. "I assume you already have one?"

Selene chuckled. "You'll see soon enough, Your Majesty."

Kael's golden eyes flickered. For the first time since his rebirth, the pieces were falling into place.

He would build an army.

He would crush those who betrayed him.

And soon… the world would remember the name Kael Drax.

The Forbidden Emperor had begun his return.