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I glance at Azrael, his eyes burning with the same intensity I remember, calculating and expectant.

Without another word, I break the seal on the scroll.

The parchment feels rough beneath my fingers, its faint scent of pine mingling with the sharp tang of ink.

As my eyes scan the text, my breath catches.

The contents are not just startling; they are damning.

The Blood-bond Ritual, decreed by the High Council, is not a union of souls but rather a form of subjugation.

Lord Kaelen’s power is vast, ancient, and uncontrollable.

The bond will tie him to Lady Elara, siphoning her essence as a fail-safe should he rebel.

If he resists, her life force will drain to ensure his compliance.

The bond is unbreakable, except through death.

The words blur as my mind races, yet I compel myself to press on, revealing darker truths:

Lord Kaelen’s lineage traces back to forbidden magic, the Blood- bond Curse of Lord Garth, which lies dormant in his bloodline. The curse will consume both participants if activated, binding their wills to the Council .

This isn’t unity or peace; it’s control. And I... I am the Council’s weapon, their sacrifice. I clutch the scroll tightly, the weight of the revelation crushing me. Azrael’s eyes bore into me; his face remained unreadable.

“Now you understand,” he says softly. “You’re not merely a pawn in their game, Elara. You’re their weapon and their shield. They’ll exploit you until nothing is left and cast you aside.”

My hands tremble as I lower the scroll. “Why tell me this now? Why not earlier? Why do you even care?”

Azrael approaches, speaking in a hushed, intense tone. “I made a mistake, Elara. When I departed, I believed I was shielding you from me, the Council, everything. But witnessing their plans...” he pauses, his jaw clenched. “It’s

unforgivable. I couldn’t just watch it unfold.”

I glare at him, anger simmering beneath the surface. “And

I’m expected to trust you now? After you stormed off?”

He exhales, his expression softening. “No, I don’t expect you to trust me. But I expect you to fight back in the way I know

you can. You deserve more than this fate, Elara.”

His words reignite a spark within me. The betrayal revealed in the scroll feeds the fire. “If this is true, I can’t allow the ceremony to proceed. I won’t permit them to use me or Kaelen

like this.”

Azrael nods, his voice steady. “Then we have work to do.

But you’ll need allies, and you’ll have to decide who you can truly trust.”

The weight of his words settles heavily.

There’s no turning back now. The Council’s lies have been exposed, but the path ahead is dangerous.

My grip on the scroll tightens as a truth tumbles from my lips before I can stop it.

“I spent the night in Kaelen’s castle,” I whisper.

“It wasn’t planned, we kissed. And it wasn’t just him; I wanted it, too. ”

Azrael’s expression falters, the confident mask cracking. His ember-like eyes dim, and for a moment, he appears wounded, as though I’ve struck him. “I see,” he finally says, his voice tight. He looks away, regaining his composure.

“Azrael,” I begin, stepping closer, but he lifts a hand to halt me.

“No, it’s fine,” he says, though his tone betrays him. “Kaelen is powerful, alluring, and dangerous. Of course, you’d be drawn to him. The bond pulls you toward him.”

“That’s not fair,” I snap, guilt twisting in my gut. “You left Azrael. After I opened up to you both completely, you vanished. What did you expect?”

He sighs, running a hand through his hair.

“I didn’t come back to burden you with my feelings.

But if we’re confessing truths...” He hesitates, his gaze locking onto mine.

“You were never meant to mean this much to me. When I left, I thought I was protecting you. But I was wrong. And every damn minute since, I’ve felt that mistake like a blade in my chest.”

I stagger back, astonished. “Azrael...”

He presses on, his voice now softer. “I’ve tried to bury it, but it’s always been there, this pull, this need to keep you safe. And tonight, when I realised how close they are to taking you, I wanted to burn the entire palace to the ground just to keep you out of their grasp.”

His confession lingers in the air, the room contracting under its weight. “Azrael, I don’t know what to say,” I confess, my voice trembling.

He steps closer, his hand hovering near mine. “You don’t have to say anything. Just understand this: I will stand by you, whatever path you choose. Even if it kills me.”

His words stir something raw within me conflict, desire,

hope. “You don’t get to vanish, making me think you are such a prick, and then reappear telling me what the Council is actually doing and confess your feelings,” I say, my voice hardening.

A flicker of regret crosses his face. “I understand this is a lot for you, Elara. If you allow it, I’ll dedicate my life to making things right. But right now, you have to choose, will you let them dictate your future, or will you stand up for what belongs to you?”

His challenge stirs a defiance I believed was long buried. While the Council may have set the pieces in motion, Azrael is correct. My choice still holds significance.

“I won’t let them win,” I whisper, my voice becoming stronger. “Not the Council, not the bond. None of it.”

Azrael smiles faintly, a blend of relief and pride illuminating his face. “Then we’ll make them regret ever underestimating you.”

The storm within me begins to calm, a flicker of resolve cutting through the chaos. The path ahead is uncertain, but for the first time, I feel as though it’s mine to choose.

I stare at Azrael, his words igniting in my mind like embers that refuse to fade.

For so long, I’ve been bound to the path others have carved for me, with every step dictated by the treaty, the Council, and now the bond with Kaelen.

But here, in this moment, Azrael’s unwavering belief in my strength begins to break the chains I’ve grown so accustomed to bearing.

“I want to believe you,” I murmur, my voice betraying the vulnerability I attempt to suppress. “I want to believe I have a choice, but it’s not that simple, Azrael. If I defy the treaty, there will be war. The Council won’t hesitate to destroy me or Kaelen for their control.”

Azrael steps closer, his presence a wave of warmth against

the cold weight of my words. “Then we fight,” he says, as if the answer is as natural as breathing.

I shake my head, frustration swelling within me.

“It’s not only about fighting! Can’t you understand?

It’s about those who will suffer if I make the wrong choice.

The people under Kaelen’s protection, the innocents in Ebonshade and beyond, they’ll be caught in the crossfire. How can I condemn them to that fate?”

His jaw tightens, and for a brief moment, the fire in his eyes fades, giving way to a softer, sadder gaze. “You’ve always borne the weight of the world, Elara. But what about you? What about your life, your freedom, your happiness? When do you get to be important?”

His words struck me like a blow to the chest, unleashing the doubts and fears I’ve tried to bury.

My breath catches, the knot in my throat tightening.

“I don’t know,” I admit, my voice trembling.

“I don’t even know if I matter anymore. All I’ve done is survive, Azrael.

Survive and endure, because that’s all I know how to do. ”

He reaches out then, his hand cupping my cheek with a tenderness that seems at odds with the storm brewing behind his eyes. “You do matter, Elara. To me, you always have. And if you can’t see it yet, I’ll fight for you until you do. Until you believe it as much as I do.”

The vulnerability in his touch and the raw conviction in his voice, it’s almost overwhelming. My walls, already worn thin, start to crack under the pressure of his resolve.

“And Kaelen?” The question slips from my lips, barely a whisper. “What will happen if I choose to fight, Azrael? What will happen to him?”

Azrael’s hand falls slowly, and his expression hardens,

though a shadow of pain lingers in his eyes. “That’s up to him. If Kaelen is the man you think he is, he’ll stand with you. But if he chooses to side with the Council and opts for their chains over freedom... then he has already lost himself.”

His words cut deeper than I expected, and I look away, the image of Kaelen bound by forces that neither of us can control, slicing through my thoughts like a blade.

“I don’t know if I can fight both of you,” I whisper, the truth unravelling from within. “I’m bound to Kaelen, but my heart...” My voice falters, the words catching in my throat.

Azrael steps back, his warmth receding, yet his presence remains unwavering. “You don’t have to decide tonight, Elara. But know this: whatever path you choose, I’m here. For you. Always. ”

The weight of his words hangs between us, thick and unyielding.

As the night stretches on, the threads of destiny tighten around me, threatening to pull me in a hundred directions at once.

Yet, for the first time in what feels like an eternity, a faint flicker stirs deep within, an ember of hope that refuses to be extinguished.