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“Two years ago.” His words sent a shock through me.

“It looks as if it's been abandoned for decades,” I whispered,taking in the complete devastation. How could it have gotten like this so quickly?

“We evacuated it, taking residents back to Ravenfell. Many refused, not wanting to leave their belongings—their land, behind. All who stayed either eventually sought refuge in Draxon or died here in these houses.” Aether turned, but he didn’t look at me. Instead, he focused his attention on the dirt. “Lael was one of the children we brought back to the city. Both his parents had already passed. Poisoned by the very vegetables they grew, like the land had corrupted them.”

I stood there, not knowing what to say. Not even knowing how to feel.

“The last time I was here was the day the sky stood still. First the sun, and then the moon. Night and day became one in the same. The seasons all blurred into each other. We’re stuck—stuck reliving the same day over and over while the realm dies.”

"You’re fighting for this?" The bitterness in my voice surprised even me, but I couldn't stop the words. "For a land that's already dead?"

Even as I said it, shame burned through me. How dare I question the worth of saving this place? I thought of the children in Ravenfell, kicking their worn ball in the streets. Of the woman begging for a medic. Of Lael, orphaned by the very earth that should have sustained his family.

This wasn't just about a dying land. It was about people—people who had done nothing to deserve this slow death. People who still found ways to live, to hope, even as their world crumbled around them.

But helping them meant turning against everything and everyone I had ever known. It meant accepting that Sídhe's prosperity—the peace I had fought so hard to protect—was built on this devastation. That my service in the Guard had contributed tothis.

"Would you abandon them?" Aether's question cut through my thoughts like a blade.

"No," I whispered, and the word felt like both a truth and a betrayal. How could I turn my back on such suffering? But how could I fight against my own people?

The weight of the choice pressed against my chest until I could barely breathe. If I helped Umbrathia, I would be betraying Sídhe. If I refused, I would be condemning these people to a slow, brutal end. There was no right answer—no path that didn't end in betrayal of someone or something.

“And you’re certain that I am the answer to all of this?” It seemed unbelievable.

“I’ve never been more sure in my whole life.”

"I'll do it," I said finally, my voice stronger than I felt. "I'll meet the Void." The words tasted like surrender and defiance all at once. I felt him hum in contemplation.

“We’ll take you to see Urkin tomorrow. First thing,” he finally said.

“Should I be scared?”

Aether didn’t answer.

After a few moments, Tryggar pranced back up to us, a husk of dried bark hanging from his jaw, and we re-mounted, Aether helping lift me onto the Vördr’s back. I was too drained to flinch as he slid into the saddle behind me.

We flew on in silence after that, the wasteland stretching out beneath us. I forced myself to keep looking, to absorb the full weight of what we were up against. I’d grown up hearing tales of glorious victories and noble sacrifices. But there was no glory here. Only ashes and shadows.

Tryggar let out another low sound, his wings tilting as they began to climb again, heading toward the horizon. I adjusted my grip, leaning into the movement, and for the first time since we’dtaken flight, I felt a flicker of determination. The land below might be a graveyard, but perhaps it could be something again, one day.

“What’s beyond this?” I asked, breaking the silence.

Aether’s voice came quietly, almost as if he were speaking to himself.

“Whatever’s left.”

CHAPTER TEN

The Citadel piercedthe mist like a blade of obsidian, its towers twisting impossibly high into the perpetual twilight. Where the outer city suffocated under masses of desperate people, these streets stood eerily empty, as if the very air had been carved away. Our footsteps echoed off black stone walls that seemed to absorb what little light remained.

Aether led me through a series of checkpoints, each guard more heavily armed than the last. Their eyes followed my every move, hands never leaving their weapons. Even Rethlyn's levity had vanished, replaced by a sharp alertness as he walked beside me.

The air grew colder as we approached the Citadel proper, and I could have sworn the shadows deepened, becoming almost liquid in their movement. A group of men in charcoal uniforms stood beyond the final gate, their red insignias gleaming like fresh blood against their sleeves. Something about their stillness set my teeth on edge.

"Valkan's men," Vexa muttered, “they shouldn't be here."

Aether's hand moved to his weapon, a subtle gesture that sentripples of tension through our group. "Keep moving," he ordered, his voice low and sharp. "Don't look at them."