The iron gates of Killian’s fortress groaned as they swung open.
Adrian and Kai were pushed forward, their hands still bound. The air was thick with the scent of damp stone and burning torches. The courtyard was vast, filled with armed soldiers. Every step Adrian took was watched. Judged. Kai muttered, “This place feels like a graveyard.” Adrian agreed, but he did not say it. He needed Kai focused. Not scared. At the far end of the courtyard, a tall figure stood waiting. Lord Killian. Dressed in dark robes, he looked exactly as Adrian remembered. Cold. Calculating. Powerful. Killian’s sharp gaze landed on Adrian first. A slow, knowing smile formed. “Adrian.” His name felt like a curse. Kai stiffened beside him. “Wait. He knows you?” Adrian did not answer. Killian stepped forward, clasping his hands behind his back. “I wondered when you would come home.” Adrian’s jaw tightened. This was never his home. Killian turned to Haldor. “Good work.” Haldor bowed. “He did not resist much.” Killian chuckled. “Of course he did not. He knows there is no point.” Kai frowned. “Okay, someone needs to explain” A soldier shoved him forward. He stumbled, but Adrian caught him. Killian’s eyes gleamed. “Still protecting the weak, I see.” Adrian felt it then. The slow burn of anger creeping up his spine. Killian tilted his head. “What happened to you, Adrian?” Adrian did not flinch. Did not blink. Killian studied him a moment longer. Then he turned. “Take them inside.” Adrian’s hands curled into fists. For now, he followed. But not for long. The guards led them down a series of stone hallways. The deeper they went, the colder it became. Finally, they reached a small cell. Damp. Dark. A single torch flashed weakly on the wall. The guards shoved them inside. The door slammed shut. Metal scraped as the lock turned. Kai sighed, rubbing his wrists. “Well. This sucks.” Adrian did not respond. He was already scanning the room. One exit. One weak torch. No weapons. Stone walls. Kai sank against the wall. “Alright, so… what now?” Adrian stayed silent. Thinking. Calculating. Kai groaned. “Seriously, man. Are you going to tell me what is going on? How does Killian know you? Why does he act like you are some long-lost pet?” Adrian exhaled. “It is complicated.” Kai scoffed. “Everything about you is complicated.” Adrian finally turned to him. His eyes darker than before. “I used to be someone else,” he said. “Someone Killian thought he controlled.” Kai’s face twisted in confusion. “Used to be?” Adrian did not blink. “I changed.” Hours passed. Or maybe days. No one came. No food. No water. Kai dozed off, but Adrian sat still. Waiting. Listening. Then, footsteps. A shadow appeared outside the cell. A hooded figure. Adrian tensed. “Who are you?” The figure pulled back their hood. A woman. Dark hair. Familiar eyes. She smirked. “It has been a long time, Adrian.” Adrian’s stomach clenched. He knew her. “Kara.” Kai blinked awake. “Who?” Adrian did not answer. His mind raced. Kara should not be here. Kara was supposed to be dead. She leaned closer to the bars. “You thought you were the only one who escaped?” Adrian’s pulse spiked. The past was not done with him yet. Adrian stared at Kara. His heart pounded. She was real. Standing right there, just beyond the prison bars. Kai rubbed his eyes. “Wait. Am I dreaming? Who is she?” Adrian did not answer. His mind was spinning. Kara had been his closest ally once. Before everything fell apart. Before he escaped. But she had died. Or so he thought. And yet, here she was, smirking like nothing had changed. Kara crossed her arms. “You do not look happy to see me.” Adrian clenched his jaw. “I buried you.” Kai let out a slow whistle. “Oookay. This just got interesting.” Kara chuckled. “You buried a body. Not me.” Adrian felt a chill creep down his spine. “What do you want?” Kara tilted her head. “Oh, come on, Adrian. Is that any way to greet an old friend?” “I do not have friends here.” Kara smirked. “Then I guess you are out of luck. Because I am your only way out.” Kai stood, stretching. “I like where this is going. Please, continue.” Adrian ignored him. His eyes stayed on Kara. “You expect me to trust you?” Kara gave a mock gasp. “After everything we have been through? I am hurt.” Adrian did not flinch. “Last time I saw you, you were bleeding out.” Kara shrugged. “Last time I saw you, you were running.” Silence. Kai cleared his throat. “Wow. The tension here is thick.” Kara leaned in closer. “You want to get out of here or not?” Adrian studied her face. She had not changed. Not really. Still sharp. Still reckless. Still dangerous. “How?” Kara’s lips curled. She had expected him to ask. “I have my ways.” Adrian did not like that answer. Kara sighed. “Look. I need you just as much as you need me. Killian has been hunting me for years. If we help each other, we both get what we want.” Adrian’s jaw tightened. “And what do you want?” Kara’s smile faded. “Killian dead.” Kai let out a low whistle. “Wow. That is bold.” Kara did not even look at him. “I am not playing games, Adrian.” Adrian leaned against the cold stone wall. His thoughts raced. Killian had to die. He knew that. But Kara’s return complicated everything. “Kara,” he said slowly, “if we do this, there is no turning back.” She grinned. “I was never planning to.” Kai sighed. “Alright, cool. So, just to clarify, we are teaming up with the possibly dead ex-friend to kill the scary warlord?” Adrian glanced at him. “You do not have to come.” Kai scoffed. “Oh no, I am coming. Someone has to be the voice of reason.” Kara rolled her eyes. “You mean the comic relief?” Kai grinned. “That too.” Adrian exhaled. This was a mistake. It had to be. But it was the only option. He turned to Kara. “Fine. Get us out.” Kara smirked. “Thought you would never ask.” She pulled something from her sleeve, a thin metal wire. A lockpick. Adrian arched a brow. “Still a thief, huh?” Kara winked. “Some things never change.” She slid the wire into the lock, twisting it with expert precision. A click echoed through the cell. The door creaked open. Kai’s eyes widened. “That actually worked?” Kara smirked. “Welcome to the rebellion, boys.” Adrian stepped forward. A storm raged in his chest. This was only the beginning. And Killian had no idea what was coming.
Latest Chapter
When the Past returns
Adrian’s hands burned with heat. The fire inside him pulsed under his skin, alive and restless. He could feel it moving, calling, wanting to act. His chest rose and fell quickly as he stared at the figure stepping out of the shadows.“Killian,” Adrian said, his voice low, rough. “You’re alive.”Killian’s lips lifted in a small smile, but it didn’t reach his cold eyes. “And you are awake,” he said. His voice was calm, but it held a weight that pressed down on Adrian’s chest. Years of hate, of waiting, of planning… it was all there.Adrian’s fists tightened. Heat ran through his arms and into his shoulders. “You left me for dead. You took my kingdom. My crown. My life… Why?”Killian’s eyes glinted in the moonlight. “You think it was that simple? You were weak. You let them get to you. I did what had to be done.”Kara stepped closer, her sword held loosely but ready. “He’s lying. He always lies.”Kai crouched beside Adrian, dagger in hand. “Don’t let him mess with your mind. Focus on wha
The Price of power
Adrian sat on a fallen log, staring at his hands. The flames had gone, but the heat inside him would not leave. It pulsed under his skin, restless, alive. The others were quiet. Kara leaned against a tree, arms crossed. Kai cleaned his daggers, though his hands were stiff. Even the old man, who always seemed calm, studied him too closely. Adrian clenched his fists. “Why do I still feel it?” The old man exhaled, throwing dried leaves into the fire. The flames moved in blue waves. “Because it’s part of you now. The fire doesn’t sleep. It waits.” That didn’t make him feel better. Kara kicked a rock. “Next time, maybe warn us before setting the whole place on fire?” Adrian frowned. “I didn’t mean to..” Kai cut in. “You lost control. We saw it.” Adrian swallowed. He had felt it too. For a moment, he wasn’t fighting, he was something else. Something bigger. Something dangerous. The old man stirred the fire with his staff. The flames turned deep blue. “Your power is waking up, Adri
The Storm Approaches
The night was too quiet. Adrian stood near the fire, staring into the dark trees. Something was out there. He could feel it. A strange pressure pressed on his chest, like unseen eyes were watching him. The wind blew, rustling the leaves, but it wasn’t the wind that made his skin prickle. Kara paced back and forth. “I don’t like this.” Kai sat on a rock, sharpening his dagger. “You don’t like anything.” She shot him a glare. “I like being alive.” Adrian didn’t join their argument. His hands felt warm, his fingertips tingling. It had been happening more often, this strange heat inside him. Then it happened. A voice. Adrian. It wasn’t spoken. It was inside his head. A whisper, distant but clear. His breath hitched. His fingers twitched. The fire behind him moved, as if it had heard the voice too. “The wards are breaking,” he muttered. Kai stopped sharpening his dagger. Kara froze. The old man, sitting quietly by the fire, finally spoke. “They found us.” Everyone went still.
Sparks in the Dark
Adrian sat in the dim firelight, moving his fingers. His hands no longer felt like his own. Every time he closed them, he swore he could feel the fire still there… hiding under his skin, waiting. The old man had said it would take time to control it. But Adrian didn’t have time. Kara nudged him with her boot. “You’ve been staring at your hands for an hour.” Adrian looked up. “I don’t want to lose control again.” Kara raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t lose control. You made fire. That’s the whole point.” Adrian sighed. “It didn’t feel like I was the one controlling it. It just… happened.” Kai, who had been sharpening his dagger nearby, spoke without looking up. “Maybe that’s the problem. You’re trying to control something that isn’t meant to be controlled.” Adrian frowned. “Then how do I use it?” Kai smirked. “You learn to move with it. Not against it.” Adrian wasn’t sure he liked that answer. The old man walked in, his steps light but steady. “It’s time.” Adrian stood. “For wha
The Awakening and Weight of Power.
The flames moved. Alive. Waiting. Adrian’s breath came fast. He could feel it now. The pull in his chest… like something long asleep was waking up. The old man watched him closely. “Do you feel it?” Adrian swallowed hard. “What… what is this?” “The truth,” the man said. “Your blood remembers.” Kara shifted uneasily. “That doesn’t sound good.” But Adrian couldn’t look away from the fire. It called to him. And before he could stop himself, he reached out. The moment his fingers neared the flames, they changed. The fire turned white… hot, moving in strange shapes. A name burned in his mind. A name he didn’t know. A name that felt like it belonged to him. Adrian staggered back, his heart hammering. The old man’s voice was calm. “You are remembering.” Adrian clenched his fists. It didn’t make sense. His whole life, he had been… normal. No magic. No power. Yet now, he could feel it. It was like something had been locked inside him. Hidden away. And now… It was breaking op
The truth in the flames
Adrian’s hand gripped his sword. The old man in the doorway didn’t move. His gray eyes held a look that was hard to read, like he was waiting. Kara’s voice was sharp. “Who are you?” The man smiled. “Come inside.” Adrian didn’t trust him. But the cold bit into his skin, and Kai... barely standing, needed warmth. He made the choice. They stepped in. The cabin was small but warm. A fire crackled in the hearth, filling the room with light. Shelves lined the walls, stacked with books and strange vials. The man walked to the fire, stirring a pot of something that smelled like herbs. He turned to them. “Sit.” No one moved. Adrian studied him. He was old, too old to be dangerous. But his presence felt strong. “Who are you?” Adrian asked. The man’s eyes gleamed. “Someone who has been waiting for you.” Adrian’s jaw tightened. “Why?” The old man chuckled. “Because you are not who you think you are.” Silence. Kara crossed her arms. “Great. Another cryptic old man.” The man ignore
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