Page 57

SELENE

T he moon hangs low above Orthani, shedding a faint glow over the city’s winding rooftops.

I cross a silent courtyard on the way to Ai’s chamber, each step echoing in the hush of night.

My mind roils with conflicting impulses—just hours ago, Eryx came with news that the Red Purna plan to storm Orthani, seeking to weaponize Ai.

The thought that they’d sacrifice her to crack the city’s wards sparks fury and dread in my veins.

I quicken my pace, slipping past slumbering guards.

With Vaelith’s help, I’ve learned the estate’s interior nooks and hidden corridors.

The watch rotation is thin at this hour, leaving me free to navigate unnoticed.

My boots brush along polished stone, leading me toward the corridor where Ai is kept under close observation.

If the Red Purna rush in, we won’t have time to negotiate.

We have to spirit Ai away before they or Orthani’s nobles seize her.

The door stands at the end of the hall, unguarded this late—likely because Vaelith discreetly shifted watch duty to give me access.

My pulse quickens as I recall the plan forming among my improbable allies: Eryx subverting the Red Purna, Vaelith clearing gates for our escape, Zareth neutralizing wards.

The memory of them all pinned to me in that heated union lingers in my mind, a savage reminder that I’ve claimed each man.

But now is not the time for such reflections. Ai needs me.

I press my palm to the door, easing it open.

The room is dim, lit by a single ember in a lantern.

At first, I think Ai’s sleeping in the corner bed.

Then I notice flickers of pale light drifting along the ceiling.

She’s sitting upright on the sheets, small shoulders tense, silver hair shifting as though stirred by an invisible breeze.

My heart stutters—her magic hums through the air in intangible ribbons, warping the space around her.

She lifts her head as I step inside. “Selene,” she says in that quiet voice that always sends chills along my spine. Even though she’s only a child, there’s an eerie calm in her tone. A swirl of tension floats around her, as if the shadows themselves want to converge at her feet.

“Ai,” I say softly, easing the door shut behind me. “It’s late. You should rest.”

She shakes her head, eyes wide, an odd glow flickering in their depths. “I can’t sleep.” Her breath sounds unsteady, as though something churns inside her. “The air around me feels… heavy. Something stirs.”

I edge closer. “Is it your magic?” She’s been known to levitate small objects or ripple the air when her emotions spike. Now, a faint pulse throbs in the room, rattling my nerves. “Can you control it?”

She curls her fingers around the blankets, trembling. “I’m trying, but it grows stronger. The city’s tension, your tension... I sense them. Everything collides in me.”

My chest tightens with empathy. “We’ll figure it out.” I step closer, sliding onto the bed’s edge. “Let me help calm you.”

She exhales a trembling breath, and the faint glow intensifies.

The lamp flame flickers wildly, and I see a subtle rift forming in the air, quivering like a tear in reality.

Startled, I reach out, gently cupping her shoulder.

“Easy,” I murmur, voice soothing. “Focus on me. Breathe in, slow. Breathe out.”

She attempts it, but the swirl of magic around her spikes.

My hair lifts in a soft static crackle, and the entire room seems to shift.

For a heartbeat, I see an image superimposed—a shattered corridor, or a glimpse of another place altogether.

The air warps, threatening to unravel. Ai lets out a whimper.

I gather my own magic, though it’s nowhere near as volatile as hers. My transformative gifts and faint psionic talents are more subtle. Still, I can anchor her. I slide an arm around her shoulders, pressing my free palm to her temple in an effort to funnel calm. “Look at me. We breathe together.”

She meets my gaze, tears sparkling in her eerie, pale eyes. The swirling magic around her vibrates with unstable force, stirring the curtains and scraping a small wooden table across the floor. My heart pounds. I’ve never seen her power surge this wildly.

“Focus,” I whisper, voice firm yet gentle. “You’re stronger than this storm. Slow your heart.”

She nods, gulping air, and I murmur a low incantation the purna often use for centering.

The words flow, pulling my energy to envelop her chaotic aura.

Gradually, the rift in the air flickers, fading to a faint shimmer before vanishing.

Ai sags against me, limbs trembling. The tension in the room eases, though the lamp still flickers unsteadily.

“There,” I breathe, brushing a strand of silver hair from her face. “It’s passing.”

She hides her face against my shoulder, voice muffled. “I keep seeing… fragments. Pieces of Orthani in flames. People screaming. I sense the Red Purna, Orthani’s nobles, all colliding in violent ways. And I see you, standing in the center.”

My stomach clenches. The child’s magic likely grants glimpses of possible futures, or some heightened awareness. “Tell me more,” I say softly. “Do you see which path prevails?”

She pulls back, gaze locking with mine, eerily calm again. “No single path is certain. But you must choose your fate soon. Will you burn Orthani to ash, letting vengeance devour it? Or will you shape it into something new?”

A shiver crawls up my spine. “Shape it? How would I shape a city that’s built on cruelty?” My voice trembles with the memory of how Orthani enslaves humans, hunts purna, and fosters a caste system that crushes the weak.

Ai’s eyes hold an unsettling clarity. “You stand at the crossroads. If you flee, the Red Purna might succeed in their rampage, or Orthani might strike back, plunging the realm into deeper shadows. But if you stay, you can tilt the scales. Not by running from power, but by claiming it.”

I chew my lip, heart pounding. My plan with Vaelith, Zarix, and Eryx is to slip Ai away before the Red Purna’s assault, let Orthani and the Red Purna collide.

Then we vanish. But Ai’s words suggest that simply leaving Orthani to burn might cause untold suffering.

Could I truly shape Orthani rather than watch it crumble?

I sigh, smoothing her hair. “Ai, I never meant to lead a city. I just wanted to free us from being hunted. To keep you safe.”

She grips my wrist, voice tinged with urgency.

“But if you abandon Orthani to the Red Purna’s wrath, countless lives will pay the price.

Humans, orcs, even some elves who never embraced cruelty.

And the city’s resources—someone will fill that power vacuum, maybe someone worse.

You can’t pretend your hands are clean if you walk away. You have the strength to intervene.”

My chest tightens, recalling the last nights with Eryx, Vaelith, and Zareth.

Each man once loathed or feared me, yet I united them, turned them into something more than rivals.

If I harness that synergy, could I reshape Orthani?

A swirl of defiance pulses in me. The city burned my life to cinders, but Ai’s right—my moral burden extends beyond personal revenge.

I cradle her cheek, voice shaking. “I can’t do it alone. Orthani is massive, the Red Purna unstoppable. Even with my men, we’d be outnumbered.”

Her expression flickers with a faint smile. “Since when has that stopped you? You made Vaelith bend, Eryx betray his old loyalties, Zareth kneel. Orthani, too, might bow if you demand it.”

My breath catches. The notion of making an entire city kneel unsettles me, yet a forbidden thrill sparks in my core. Could I claim Orthani as I claimed those men? The thought stirs a dark excitement, tempered by fear of becoming just another tyrant.

Gently, I guide Ai to sit upright, smoothing her nightclothes.

The threads of her aura calm, though a faint hum lingers.

“We’ll discuss it more, but for now, your magic must remain stable.

Rest, if you can.” I stand, scanning the small room.

The wooden furniture is skewed, a testament to her outburst. “I’ll stay close in case it flares again. ”

She nods, sliding under the blankets. “Selene?” she whispers, eyes half-lidded. “Promise me you won’t let them use me. Not Orthani, not the Red Purna.”

I place a hand over hers. “I swear. None will harness you as a weapon.”

She exhales, tension easing, and her eyelids drift shut.

Within moments, her breathing steadies. I linger, heart swirling with Ai’s cryptic warnings.

Must I burn Orthani, or shape it? My plan was always to escape, letting the city devour itself.

But Ai sees a bigger picture, one that demands I become something more than a fugitive.

A soft knock at the door startles me. I slip out, carefully closing it behind me. In the hallway stands Vaelith, arms folded, expression grave. “I felt a surge,” he mutters under his breath. “Ai’s power?”

I nod, stepping away from the threshold so our voices won’t wake her. “She lost control for a moment. I calmed her, but she had… visions.”

Vaelith’s brow furrows. “Visions?”

I recount how Ai spoke of the city’s uncertain future, how she claims I must choose my fate. His gaze shifts, mouth set in a grim line. “So she sees you as the hinge Orthani’s future swings on?”

I run a hand down my arm, unsettled. “It’s madness, right? I’m just a purna who once wanted to sabotage this place. But Ai suggests I might rule it instead.”

He stares at me, tension flickering. “You know I serve Orthani—once, I never questioned it. But seeing the council’s cruelty, Zareth’s attempts to enslave you, I realize Orthani rots from within.

Maybe you can shape it. If you become a figure the city fears or respects enough, you might dethrone the old order. ”