Chapter Twenty-Four: Smoke Beneath the Throne
"Power means nothing if you don't know what you're willing to burn for it."
—Kael
The message came at dawn.
A scout, breathless and bloodied, collapsed at Kael's feet, clutching a torn scroll bearing the seal of the empire. The crimson wax bled across the parchment, a warning in itself. Riven helped the boy up while Kael broke the seal.
His eyes scanned the words. His pulse roared like fire in his ears.
The Emperor knows.
Somehow, the imperial court had learned not only of the rebellion's movements—but of Kael himself. His existence was no longer a secret. The Flamebound Prince, the outlaw godling, was officially marked for execution. And worse—so was Riven.
"He's making this personal," Kael said, voice low and rough.
"He always has," came the voice of Corren, the tactician. He stepped forward, face pale. "We thought we had time before the capital took notice. We were wrong."
Kael crushed the scroll in his hand. "Then we burn that illusion down. We move before he does."
That night, Kael stood alone outside his tent, hands trembling with fire he refused to release. The sky was cloudless—too calm. It reminded him of home, before it all fell apart. Before he lost his name, his mother, his innocence.
Riven found him there, silence stretching between them like the dark space between stars.
"They're after you because they're afraid of you," Riven said quietly.
Kael didn't respond. The weight of it all sat too heavy.
"Then let them be afraid," Riven continued, stepping closer. "But don't let them take you from me."
Kael turned slowly, meeting his gaze. Riven's hand rose, fingertips brushing Kael's jaw, soft but firm.
"I mean it," Riven whispered. "Don't let them take you. We fight this together. We burn only what we choose."
Kael's breath hitched. "I'm scared. Not of dying. But of what I'll do if they try to hurt you."
Riven didn't flinch. "Then do it. Let the world burn for me, Kael. Just don't burn alone."
The kiss they shared was brief, searing. A promise made in the dark.
By morning, the rebellion had shifted course. Scouts mapped the empire's weak points. Riven organized the hidden allies within the city's underbelly. Kael sat with generals, planned a siege, and prepared to confront his past.
But behind every plan, every drawn sword, every flickering torch, the truth remained:
This war wasn't just about the empire anymore.
It was about who they'd become when it was over.
And if they'd still be standing.
Together.