The Letter They Tried to Burn
My hands shook as I read the letter. The ink was faded, but each word sliced through me like a blade.
"To the last living blood of Thalor,
If you are reading this, then they failed to destroy everything. They killed our name, our crest, and our history. But they did not kill you."
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. The masked man watched me quietly, as if he already knew what the letter said.
"You were hidden for a reason. You were never meant to die in that fire. Someone from within the royal court saved you, erased your identity, and made the world forget. But blood remembers."
I stopped there. My eyes burned.
"I—I don't understand. Who wrote this?" I asked.
The masked man stepped closer, his voice quieter now. "Your uncle. Lord Cassian. He was one of the last loyal to your house. He died protecting that letter."
Uncle Cassian. I had no memory of him—but my heart clenched at his name, like my soul did remember.
"And who are you?" I whispered. "Why are you helping me?"
He hesitated, then pulled off his mask.
And my world tilted.
His face… was familiar. Not from dreams or visions, but from my childhood. Hidden deep in my mind, like a ghost behind a locked door.
"You knew me," he said. "Before the fire. I was your brother's sworn shield. My name is Riven."
Brother. I had a brother?
The air around me seemed to vanish. My thoughts raced.
"If I had a brother, where is he now?" I demanded.
Riven's eyes darkened. "That's why I brought you here. Because he's alive. And the ones who betrayed you… they're hunting him now."
Would you like to title Chapter 34 "The Brother in Hiding", or something else? Ready to continue?
My hands shook as I read the letter. The ink was faded, but each word sliced through me like a blade.
"To the last living blood of Thalor,
If you are reading this, then they failed to destroy everything. They killed our name, our crest, and our history. But they did not kill you."
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. The masked man watched me quietly, as if he already knew what the letter said.
"You were hidden for a reason. You were never meant to die in that fire. Someone from within the royal court saved you, erased your identity, and made the world forget. But blood remembers."
I stopped there. My eyes burned.
"I—I don't understand. Who wrote this?" I asked.
The masked man stepped closer, his voice quieter now. "Your uncle. Lord Cassian. He was one of the last loyal to your house. He died protecting that letter."
Uncle Cassian. I had no memory of him—but my heart clenched at his name, like my soul did remember.
"And who are you?" I whispered. "Why are you helping me?"
He hesitated, then pulled off his mask.
And my world tilted.
His face… was familiar. Not from dreams or visions, but from my childhood. Hidden deep in my mind, like a ghost behind a locked door.
"You knew me," he said. "Before the fire. I was your brother's sworn shield. My name is Riven."
Brother. I had a brother?
The air around me seemed to vanish. My thoughts raced.
"If I had a brother, where is he now?" I demanded.
Riven's eyes darkened. "That's why I brought you here. Because he's alive. And the ones who betrayed you… they're hunting him now."