CHAPTER 37

Fractured Bonds

Lyra's sudden departure leaves Alden shattered. As he struggles to come to terms with what has happened, the kingdom of Eldoris begins to spiral into chaos. Meanwhile, Kael and Selene are forced to pick a side—should they chase after Lyra, or should they remain in Eldoris to protect what's left? As Alden battles his emotions, a dark revelation forces him to question whether Lyra leaving was her own choice… or if something more sinister is at play.

The fires had long since died down, but the scent of smoke and blood still lingered in the air. Alden stood motionless, his sword still gripped tightly in his hand, his body numb.

She was gone.

His mind refused to accept it. Lyra had left them.

The battlefield was eerily silent. No more screams, no more explosions of celestial energy. Just… emptiness.

Kael finally broke the silence, his voice laced with exhaustion. "We should move. The longer we stay, the more vulnerable we are."

Alden didn't respond. He barely even heard him.

He turned, his gaze landing on the scorched ground where Lyra had stood moments before. The place where she had made her choice. The place where she had looked him in the eyes and decided to walk away.

Something inside him snapped.

Alden whirled around, his eyes blazing. "How could you just let her leave?!"

Kael's jaw tightened. "She made her decision, Alden."

"You should have stopped her!" Alden's voice was raw with emotion. "We all should have stopped her!"

Selene, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. "And then what? Chain her down? Force her to stay when she's clearly terrified of hurting us?"

Alden turned to her, breathing heavily. "She needs us." His voice broke. "She needs me."

Selene crossed her arms, her expression unreadable. "Then why did she leave you behind?"

The words hit him like a dagger to the chest.

His heart pounded. Lyra had always trusted him, relied on him. If she truly believed she was dangerous, why hadn't she let him help her?

Unless…

Unless she didn't trust herself anymore.

Alden sank to his knees, his fingers digging into the dirt. His breath came in short, shallow gasps.

This was his fault.

He had made her doubt herself. He had let his fear show.

He had lost her.

Kael knelt beside him, his expression softer than before. "Alden, she didn't leave because of you."

Alden let out a bitter laugh. "Didn't she?"

Kael hesitated. "She left because she believes this power will destroy everything she loves. If she didn't care… she wouldn't have left at all."

The words offered no comfort.

Selene sighed. "If you really believe she needs you, then find her."

Alden's breath caught.

Find her.

Could he?

Did she even want to be found?

As they returned to the palace, the weight of Lyra's absence grew heavier.

The people of Eldoris were afraid.

Rumors spread like wildfire. Some claimed Lyra had abandoned them. Others whispered that she had been possessed by celestial forces.

The council convened in an emergency meeting; their voices filled with panic.

"We cannot allow this to continue!" one noble shouted. "If the princess has truly lost control, then she must be hunted down before she becomes the very thing we fear!"

Alden's blood ran cold.

Hunted?

"She is not your enemy," he said through clenched teeth.

"She is a threat," another council member countered.

"She is our future queen!"

A heavy silence followed his outburst.

Then, the chancellor stepped forward, his expression grim. "Not anymore."

Alden felt like the ground beneath him had shattered.

That night, Alden couldn't sleep. He paced the castle halls, restless, furious, lost.

And then he heard it.

A voice in the dark.

"She was never meant to rule."

Alden froze, pressing himself against the stone wall. The voice belonged to the chancellor.

Another voice, lower and filled with amusement, responded. "You knew this would happen. The prophecy warned us."

Alden's blood turned to ice.

The prophecy.

He inched closer, listening as the voices continued.

"She was never meant to survive. The stars chose her as a vessel, not a ruler."

Alden's hands curled into fists.

This wasn't just about Lyra's power.

They had always planned to get rid of her.

Alden burst into Kael's chambers, his breath ragged, his fists clenched. The urgency in his eyes was enough to jolt Kael awake from his light slumber.

"She's in danger," Alden hissed.

Kael, groggy, rubbed his temples. "Alden, it's the middle of the night—"

"They want her dead."

That caught Kael's full attention. He sat up straight, his expression sharp.

Alden started pacing, his mind racing as he relayed what he had overheard in the council chamber.

"The chancellor… they've known all along. The prophecy wasn't about Lyra being our queen. It was about her being a sacrifice to celestial forces. They never intended for her to rule Eldoris—they were always planning to use her and dispose of her."

Kael swore under his breath. His usual composed demeanor cracked slightly. "That explains why they turned on her so fast. They never wanted her to stay."

Alden ran a hand through his hair, his body trembling with anger. "They're going to hunt her down. And if we don't get to her first…"

Kael filled in the rest. She wouldn't survive.

He exhaled sharply. "Selene needs to hear this."

Within minutes, the two of them were in Selene's private chambers. She stood by the window, the moon casting a soft glow over her dark cloak. When she turned, her gaze was unreadable.

"I already know," she said, surprising them.

Alden's breath caught. "What?"

Selene sighed, stepping toward them. "I overheard pieces of it before. The council has been moving in secret for years. They believed Lyra's existence would either save or doom Eldoris. They were preparing for both possibilities."

Alden's fists clenched. "And you didn't tell us?"

Selene met his anger without flinching. "Would it have changed anything?"

Alden opened his mouth, then shut it. He wanted to say yes. But deep down, he knew the truth. They had always underestimated the council's ruthlessness.

Kael crossed his arms. "So, what do we do now?"

Selene's gaze hardened. "We find her first. Before they do."

Alden nodded. There was no other option.

The hunt had begun.

By dawn, Alden had made his choice.

He wouldn't let the council take Lyra.

He wouldn't let her believe she was alone.

As the sun cast an eerie golden glow over the kingdom, Alden, Kael, and Selene gathered their supplies. The tension in the air was suffocating.

Kael adjusted the straps of his leather armor, his expression serious. "We don't even know where she's gone."

"We know her," Alden countered. "She's heading somewhere she believes she can be safe—or where she can hide her powers."

Selene pulled out a small celestial map from her satchel, unfolding it carefully. She traced her finger over several points of interest. "If she's looking for answers about her magic, there are only a few places she could go."

Alden studied the map, his jaw tightening. Then, his eyes landed on one name.

The Forgotten Court.

His heartbeat quickened. "She's going there."

Kael's brows furrowed. "Are you sure?"

Alden's chest tightened. "She trusts Eryx. He's the only one who's ever given her answers about her celestial mark."

Selene sighed. "Then we have to be faster."

Without another word, the three of them mounted their horses. Alden gripped the reins tightly, his determination solidifying into something dangerous.

Lyra thought she was running away to protect them.

She had no idea she was running straight into danger.

Alden clenched his jaw.

He would find her.

Even if he had to fight the gods themselves.

As Alden, Kael, and Selene disappeared into the horizon, a shadow emerged from the alleyways of Eldoris.

A pair of piercing golden eyes watched them go.

A slow, satisfied smile curled on the lips of the hidden figure.

A smooth, amused voice broke the silence.

"They're taking the bait."

A second figure stepped into the dim moonlight, their face obscured by a hood. "They're desperate."

"Desperate people make reckless decisions," the first figure mused.

The second figure let out a low chuckle. "This will be easier than expected."

A cold breeze swept through the alleyway, rustling their cloaks.

And then, without a sound, the two figures vanished.

Somewhere far beyond Eldoris, Lyra shivered.

A deep sense of foreboding crept up her spine, but she didn't know why.

She was running.

But from what?

Or from whom?