She Chose the Wrong Hero

Elira didn't speak.

Not right away.

Kael's words still echoed in her mind. "You don't even understand what's broken."

She had wanted answers. But now that she stood in front of him, she only felt more confused.

"What did you mean by that?" she asked softly. "What don't I understand?"

Kael didn't answer. He looked at her for a long moment, then turned away and walked back to the throne. The sound of his boots echoed through the empty hall.

"You weren't supposed to come here yet," he said. "Not like this. Not with him."

He glanced at Aeren.

Elira stepped forward. "Then tell me the truth, Kael. No more riddles. No more half-truths."

Kael sat down again, leaning back as if tired. "Truth is dangerous," he said. "That's what I've learned. It doesn't save people. It breaks them."

"I still want to hear it."

A long silence followed.

Then Kael spoke.

"There's something buried beneath this fortress," he said. "Something that was sealed hundreds of years ago. The Order knew about it. That's why they built this place here—to keep it hidden."

Elira's heart beat faster. "What is it?"

Kael's eyes darkened. "A door."

She blinked. "A door?"

"Yes. A door that leads to a place that shouldn't exist. A place full of voices and shadows. I found it, Elira. I touched it."

Her throat felt dry. "And what happened?"

"I saw everything," he said. "The end. The fire. The fall of the capital. The sky turning black. I saw your death, again and again."

Elira took a small step back.

"You think I lost my mind," Kael said with a bitter smile. "But I didn't. That door showed me the truth. The world is already broken. We're just living through the cracks."

Aeren's voice was calm but sharp. "Then why didn't you close it?"

"Because it won't stay closed forever," Kael said. "It's waking up. I only slowed it down."

Elira looked around the hall. Everything here felt colder now.

"Is that why you moved the soldiers here?" she asked. "To guard the door?"

"Yes," Kael said. "But I needed more than swords. I needed power. That's why I started searching for the relics."

Aeren shook his head. "You stole them."

"I had to," Kael said. "The nobles wouldn't listen. The king wouldn't listen. You wouldn't listen."

Elira stepped between them before the tension could rise.

"So what now?" she asked. "What happens next?"

Kael looked at her like he hadn't expected that question.

"I'm still trying to stop it," he said. "Even if I have to do it alone."

"You're not alone," she said, softer now. "You never had to be."

Kael's eyes met hers. For a second, the cold expression on his face broke. His voice dropped to a whisper.

"Then why did you leave me?"

Elira froze.

"I didn't leave you," she said. "I died."

He looked away.

"No," Kael said. "You chose him."

He nodded toward Aeren.

And Elira understood.

This wasn't just about war. Or magic. Or fate.

This was about trust. About heartbreak. About a hero who didn't know how to be saved.

Aeren's voice broke the silence. "What's under that door, Kael?"

Kael didn't answer right away.

Finally, he said, "Something with many names. But the Order called it the Hollow Star."

Elira's hands went cold. She had read about that name once, buried in old texts. It wasn't a relic. It was a curse.

"Then we need to see it," she said. "All of us. Together."

Kael stood again. Slowly.

"Are you sure you want to?"

"No," she admitted. "But I have to."