Chapter 65: Ashes and Embers

Chapter 66: Ashes and Embers

The wind howled outside, whipping against the stone walls of the hideout, as though trying to tear down the very foundation that kept them safe. Inside, the fire crackled, casting warm light over Kael, Elyra, and Vespera—who were sitting around the central table. The tension was palpable, like the air before a storm.

Kael's eyes flicked over the maps spread across the table. He didn't touch them, though. He didn't need to. He had memorized every inch of them, every route, every weak spot in their plan. But the quiet gnawing feeling in his gut told him that no plan was ever enough when dealing with the Pale Flame.

Elyra's fingers gripped the edge of her chair tightly, her knuckles white. The battle earlier had left her shaken, but more than that, it had left a wound that wasn't so easily healed. Rhysten's death had carved something into her—a scar she didn't want but would carry regardless.

"I'm not sure how much longer we can keep this up," Elyra said, her voice raw, though quiet. Her gaze was distant, unfocused as she stared out the window. "They're everywhere. They're watching us. We keep running, but we're only leading them to more of us."

Kael looked up from the table, his expression unreadable. His dark eyes were calculating as they met hers. "We've always known it would come to this. They won't stop until they burn everything we have, everything we are."

Vespera shifted in her seat, her eyes flicking from Kael to Elyra, but she didn't say anything. The silence stretched between them like an uncomfortable thread. She was the quietest of the three—always watching, always waiting, like a snake in the grass.

"I don't care what it takes," Elyra continued, her voice growing more intense with each word. "I'll burn the world down before I let them take anything more from us. We have to hit them first. We can't wait around for them to strike."

Kael's jaw clenched, but he nodded slowly. "I agree. But it won't be easy. They have power we can't even begin to understand."

Vespera finally spoke, her tone cool but sharp. "And that's why we need to stop thinking like warriors and start thinking like spies. The Pale Flame has always worked in shadows, in whispers. We fight on their terms, we lose."

Elyra shot her a sharp look. "What are you suggesting?"

Vespera's lips twitched into a wry smile. "I'm suggesting we stop playing defense and start playing the game their way. We get inside their fortress. We pull apart their alliances from the inside."

"And how do we do that?" Kael interjected, his skepticism evident. "We don't even know where their fortress is. And we've already learned how they can twist the world around them."

Vespera's smile deepened. "Oh, we know where it is. We've known all along. All we need is the right bait."

A beat of silence followed, and Elyra's pulse quickened. "What do you mean by bait?"

"Vespera," Kael began, his voice cold. "I swear to the gods, if this is another one of your games—"

"It's not a game," Vespera said, her voice cutting through his rising anger. "It's a sacrifice."

Elsewhere, in the shadows

Deep in the heart of the Pale Flame's influence, a flicker of movement stirred. A dark figure, draped in black, walked through a labyrinth of ruined temples. The air reeked of ash, the remnants of the god-scorched land long forgotten.

The figure came to a stop in front of an obsidian door, etched with symbols older than time itself. With a single, fluid motion, the door opened. Inside, in the flickering glow of distant torches, stood a woman. Her eyes glowed like embers, her lips twisted into a smile.

"You've come," she said softly, almost reverently.

The figure stepped into the room, the shadows of his cloak whispering as he moved. "Is it done?"

"It is," the woman replied, holding out a small object—a locket. The same locket that Vespera wore.

The figure took it in his hand, his fingers curling around it like a vice. His eyes flared with a cold fury that would have turned the heavens to ice. "She has betrayed us," he muttered, his voice low and dangerous.

The woman only smiled again, her expression unreadable. "All betrayals are necessary. This is the way of the Pale Flame."

Back at the hideout

"We don't have much time," Kael said, his eyes hard as they locked onto Vespera. "Tell us everything. Now."

Vespera glanced at Elyra, her gaze lingering for a moment before she turned her attention back to Kael. "I'm not proud of this. But it's the only way we'll survive."

Elyra's heart was pounding in her chest as she leaned forward. "What is it?"

"The Pale Flame's power is fueled by their ability to manipulate and twist emotions. Fear, grief, despair—they feed off it. If we want to destroy them, we have to break that connection."

Kael nodded. "Go on."

"There's a ritual," Vespera said, her voice soft, almost apologetic. "It's ancient—old magic, blood magic. But it's the only way to sever their hold over this world."

Elyra's eyes widened. "And what does it require?"

Vespera's face was tight, a mixture of sorrow and resolve. "A life."

The room went dead silent. Elyra's stomach twisted, and her hand clenched around the edge of her chair.

"You're talking about sacrificing someone," Elyra said, her voice trembling. "You want us to give someone to them?"

Vespera shook her head slowly. "No. I want us to make them sacrifice themselves."

Kael's gaze sharpened. "How?"

"A willing soul," Vespera explained, her voice quiet but resolute. "Someone who knows the risks but still chooses to stand against the Pale Flame, even at the cost of their life."

Elyra's breath caught in her throat. "And you think one of us should be that person?"

Vespera met her gaze, her eyes dark with something unreadable. "I'm not asking you to sacrifice yourself, Elyra. But the question still stands. Who will take that burden? Who will give everything to break the Pale Flame's grip?"

The silence that followed was thick with the weight of the decision.

Kael was the first to speak. "We'll do whatever it takes."