3 Embers of Destiny

The air was thick with the musty scent of damp stone as I slid down into the darkness beneath the shrine. The stone slab slid back into place with a heavy thud, sealing us off from the world above.

For a moment, all I could hear was my own heartbeat, pounding in my ears, and the soft rustle of the woman beside me, her footsteps silent on the damp earth.

The tunnel stretched before us, swallowed in complete darkness.

"Where does this lead?" I asked, my voice low, as if the shadows themselves might hear me.

"Not far," she replied, her voice surprisingly calm. "But it's safe for now. The soldiers won't follow us in here."

I wanted to ask more, but there was a tension in her voice that silenced me. Safe? The word felt foreign. Was there truly safety for someone like me, a prince reborn in a world that didn't know him?

She moved ahead with purpose, her form barely visible in the faint light that slipped from the surface. Every step she took echoed through the tunnel, but it wasn't a sound I trusted. There were too many hidden threats in the dark.

"Why are you helping me?" I asked, my voice hoarse from the cold air that pressed in from all sides.

The woman's pace faltered for a fraction of a second, her shoulders stiffening. Then she answered, her voice flat. "I told you before—the kingdom depends on you."

"The kingdom?" I repeated, my mind racing. "What do you mean? The last I heard, I was dead."

She paused at the edge of the tunnel, turning back toward me. In the dim light, her emerald eyes gleamed with something I couldn't quite place. Determination? Fear? It was hard to tell.

"Not dead," she said simply, her gaze narrowing. "Not anymore. And that's why you need to come with me."

I hesitated, looking down the dark, narrow passage. The weight of her words settled heavily on my chest. She wasn't just talking about survival. She was talking about something much bigger than either of us could understand.

The air in the tunnel was thick with a strange energy. It didn't feel right—something about the very stone beneath us whispered of forgotten things, of an ancient past. Every step I took seemed to stir the echoes of a world long lost.

"How do you know who I am?" I asked, my voice quieter this time.

She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she reached for something from within her cloak. A small pendant.

It shimmered faintly in the dimness of the tunnel. A silver dragon, its wings spread wide, entwined with a broken chain.

I frowned. The emblem looked familiar—too familiar.

"You wear that symbol," I said slowly, my voice catching in the quiet. "I've seen it before."

Her lips tightened, and for the briefest moment, I saw something flicker in her expression—a hint of pain. "I know you've seen it before. It's the symbol of a kingdom that was betrayed, just like you were. The kingdom of Aeloria."

"Aeloria?" I repeated, the name a dull echo in my mind. The memories—the ones that weren't mine—began to stir again, pulling at the edges of my consciousness. I had heard it before, somewhere, but it was buried deep beneath the weight of everything else.

"That emblem was your family's," she continued, stepping forward, her voice lower now. "It was once the symbol of the royal house. Your house."

The words hit me like a physical blow, knocking the breath from my chest.

I tried to speak, but nothing came out. My heart raced in my chest, thudding against my ribs.

"Wait," I managed, my throat dry. "What happened to my family? What happened to my kingdom?"

She stopped and turned fully toward me, the dim light casting shadows across her face. Her eyes were hard, determined, but there was something else—a softness beneath it all, a sorrow that I couldn't place.

"I don't know exactly," she said. "But I know what happened to you."

"What do you mean?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice steady.

"Your family was killed, Arin. And you…" Her eyes softened as she spoke the name, as if it were a burden, something heavy. "You were hidden away. Your death was a lie. But now, with the king gone, the true heirs are needed. The bloodline needs to be restored."

My heart was pounding in my chest now, my breath ragged.

I was no longer just a man in a strange world. I wasn't some random soul, reborn into the body of a prince. I was a lost heir—a prince of a kingdom that had been torn apart by betrayal, a kingdom that had long since been left to rot.

And yet, here I was.

"How do you know all of this?" I asked, still grappling with the weight of the revelation. "Who are you really?"

The woman didn't flinch. She took a steadying breath, then spoke. "I am not just some stranger. I am Lyra, once a commander in the royal army. I swore an oath to protect you, even when they tried to bury you."

"Swore an oath to me?" The words felt strange on my tongue.

Lyra's gaze softened. "When your father was murdered, I was there. I saw what happened. I watched as they burned everything down and claimed the throne for themselves. But they didn't count on you coming back. And now… now, we have a chance to fix it. To take back the kingdom."

Her words hit me with the weight of a hammer.

But they also filled me with something else—hope.

For the first time since I woke up in this strange world, I didn't feel so alone. There was someone—someone who knew me, who knew my past, and who was willing to fight for a future.

The weight of what I was meant to do pressed heavily on my chest. But deep down, I felt the stirrings of something I hadn't felt before—the spark of purpose.

This was my chance.

I didn't know how I was going to do it—take back a kingdom, confront the lies that had been spread about me. But something inside me began to burn brighter.

The fire was still with me.

And it would lead me home.