the path ahead

The battlefield lay in eerie silence, broken only by the distant rustle of wind through the trees. Blood stained my hands, still warm from the lives I had taken. The weight of it sat heavy on my chest. I had fought before—escaped before—but this was different. The bodies scattered across the ground were because of me.

Kael stood nearby, wiping his blade clean. His eyes met mine, unreadable, before he gestured toward the dead.

"Bury them," he said.

I swallowed, my stomach twisting. "Why?"

"If you can't face the dead, you'll never survive the living."

My fingers dug into the dirt, cold and damp. With every mound of earth I pushed over a lifeless body, the whispers in my head grew louder.

He was right.

Hesitation had no place in war.

As I finished covering the last of the bodies, Kael crouched beside one of the fallen men, his brow furrowing. He grabbed the dead man's wrist, rolling up his sleeve to reveal a burned-in sigil—a serpent coiled around a dagger.

Recognition flickered in his eyes. "This is bad."

I stepped closer. "You know this mark?"

Kael nodded grimly. "It belongs to one of the enemy kingdoms. If they've put a bounty on you, it means they don't just want you dead." His jaw clenched. "They want you back."

A chill ran through me. Someone was pulling the strings behind these attacks, and whoever it was… they knew exactly who I was.

Then, the air shifted. Cold, unnatural.

The whispers came again.

Elaris…

I froze.

The trees swayed without wind, the shadows stretching unnaturally. Something watched from the depths of the forest, unseen but there. My pulse quickened.

Kael stepped in front of me, sensing it too. "Don't listen to them."

But I wasn't sure I had a choice.

---

A Shadow Among the Trees

We left the ruins behind, moving deeper into the wilds. The farther we went, the quieter the world became, as if nature itself held its breath.

Then we heard it—the clash of steel.

Kael signaled for silence. Ahead, in a clearing, a lone warrior fought against a swarm of bounty hunters. He moved like a phantom—quick, efficient, deadly—but he was outnumbered.

Kael was already moving. "We help him."

I didn't hesitate this time. Together, we entered the fray.

The fight was brutal. A blade nearly caught my shoulder, but I ducked, driving my dagger into the attacker's side. Kael cut through two more with ease, while the lone warrior took down the last with a clean strike to the throat.

For a moment, the forest was still.

The stranger turned to us, breathing heavily. His gaze locked onto mine. Sharp eyes. A quiet intensity. A guarded smirk.

He sheathed his sword, tilting his head. "You saved my life."

Kael stepped forward, his tone sharp. "Or maybe you're just another bounty hunter after her."

The stranger raised his hands in mock surrender. "I don't care about the bounty. I care about staying alive."

I studied him. He didn't look like a mercenary. There was something calculated in his stance, something that spoke of experience beyond simple coin-driven fights.

He was dangerous.

And for some reason… familiar.

---

The Warning

That night, as we camped, the whispers returned.

Louder. Closer.

I had thought they were fading, but now they pressed against my skull, filling the air around me. The throne spirit was stirring again.

I stepped away from the camp, drawn into the darkness.

Then—a flicker of golden light.

It hovered in the air before me, soft yet unwavering. This time, it spoke clearly.

"A new shadow walks beside you."

"He is neither ally nor enemy."

"His path and yours are entwined, but one will break before the end."

I sucked in a sharp breath. "What does that mean?"

The light flickered… then vanished.

"You talk to ghosts, too?"

I spun around.

Malrik stood there, watching me with quiet curiosity.

For the first time, I wasn't sure what to say.

---

A Fragile Alliance

By morning, Kael still didn't trust Malrik, but I made the choice.

"We keep him with us," I said.

Kael scowled. "And if he turns on us?"

"Then I'll handle it."

Malrik leaned lazily against a tree. "Charming. I'd hate to disappoint."

We packed up, and as we moved, Malrik finally revealed what he knew.

"I was part of a mercenary band," he admitted. "Hired by someone powerful to track down a runaway heir." His eyes flicked toward me. "Didn't take me long to realize they weren't after a criminal. They were after a queen."

I stiffened.

Kael's grip on his sword tightened. "Who hired you?"

Malrik only smiled. "Let's just say… they're not done hunting yet."

Unease settled in my gut. The enemy wasn't just sending faceless bounty hunters. They were sending people like him. Skilled. Ruthless. Unpredictable.

But for now, I needed him.

We set out toward the Shadow Claws—the rebels who had once fought for my father.

As we left the camp behind, the whispers came one last time.

"You cannot escape the throne, Elaris."

And deep down, I knew they were right.