Carmen’s Plan
Author: Cindy Chen
last update2025-06-28 10:15:22

The forest lay hushed beneath a velvet sky, broken only by the gentle crackle of fire and the distant chirp of crickets beyond the trees. Overhead, stars glimmered like cold, watchful eyes—silent witnesses to secrets whispered beneath their gaze.

Calen sat near the flames, a strip of charred venison in hand, chewing without thought. His eyes were distant, lost in a storm of worry, and the meat might as well have been stone for all he tasted. The warmth of the fire didn’t seem to reach him.

Carmen and Liora exchanged a glance.

“You’re not even tasting that,” Liora murmured, nudging his boot with hers.

Calen blinked, as if waking from a dream, then exhaled slowly. “Sorry. I just… I can’t stop thinking about her.”

“Elara,” Carmen guessed. “And the child.”

He nodded, shoulders tense. “I left them behind thinking they’d be safe. But I should’ve known Theron would twist everything. And Elara…” He hesitated, jaw tight. “She tricked me.”

Liora arched a brow. “Tricked you how?”

Calen lifted hi
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  • The Storm That Stands Alone

    A curved blade sang toward his neck—but Calen ducked low, twisting, and released a crack of thunder that threw her off balance. He turned into a spin, his foot sweeping the battlefield, summoning a cyclone that scattered the flames and soldiers alike.Ebran chanted, his arms glowing with Aerondale’s war sigils. Pillars of fire erupted from the sky—an invocation forbidden by Vynorian laws. Calen raised a shield of wind above him, but the impact still threw him back, skidding across broken stone and ash.He coughed up blood. But he rose.“You’ll die for that child?” Nyra sneered, reappearing in front of him.“I’ll die for every child you would silence,” Calen roared.And then he surged forward—lightning wreathing his body, his storm magic no longer just a weapon, but an oath.Their blades clashed mid-air—wind against shadow, thunder against silence.Every strike shook the earth.Every heartbeat echoed the song of the Sacred River, now screaming for justice.But Calen knew—this wasn’t ju

  • The Tides of Betrayal

    Blood mingled with rain as it poured over the ruined cliffs of Vynoria. Smoke coiled from shattered towers, the scent of steel and ash choking the air. But despite the chaos, the warriors of Vynoria had begun to push back.Led by the Queen herself, Elara descended from the high sanctum like a flame cast from the heavens, sword of light in her grip, her white robes stained crimson. At her side fought Carmen, her pendant pulsing with waves of heat, unleashing spirals of fire that split through the enemy lines.Seraphina, blood running down her temple, directed the remaining spellcasters with gritted teeth. “Keep them from the inner court! One more push!”For a moment—it seemed they could win.Calen stood atop the central wall, his arms raised high, storms swirling in his palms. Lightning struck the vanguard of Aerondale, flinging armored warriors like rag dolls. His cloak torn, body burned, but his eyes never wavered.Then—A rumble.Not from the sky. But from beneath them.The Sacred R

  • It’s Starting

    The air trembled with distant thunder, though no storm touched the skies.Calen stood still beside Carmen, their gazes locked after sharing the same haunting vision—the rise of Tharstan, the ender of realms. For a moment, even the chaos of the battlefield felt muted, swallowed by the dread they both carried. But the silence shattered like glass.A horn blared in the distance.Then another.And another.The hills beyond Vynoria burst with motion—armored battalions of Aerondale poured down in waves, their banners a cascade of red and gold under the grim sky. Siege towers rolled over the horizon, and spells lit the air like wildfire. The army wasn’t just attacking—they were trying to end everything.“Here they come,” Carmen muttered, her hand instinctively reaching for her weapon. The newborn baby nestled safely inside the warded tent behind them, protected by layers of enchantment and guarded by Liora, Seraphina, and the best warriors of Vynoria.Calen’s eyes narrowed. “He wants us dead

  • Whispers in The Blood

    The sky burned red over Rivermoore.Aerondale's catapults screamed from the ridges, hurling flame and smoke across the southern walls. Siege engines groaned with the rhythm of war. Steel clashed against enchanted stone, and every breath in the city tasted of fire, iron, and fear.Calen Storm fought near the broken eastern gate, his cloak torn, his stormlight flaring from both hands. Every motion summoned lightning to his fists, but his focus frayed.Not because of the battle.Because of what he saw.Tharstan. In the vision. No longer chained beneath the obsidian lake, but standing—awake—his eyes pits of infinite shadow. The chains broken. The seals undone.It can’t be real. It can’t be now.And yet it felt close. Too close. A pressure in the air, as though the world itself held its breath.He barely turned in time to deflect a blow from Evan Drake’s vanguard captain. Sparks flew as their blades met, but Calen’s reaction came half a second too slow.Pain flared along his ribs. He stumb

  • Siege of the Rising River

    The dawn broke not with birdsong, but with the clash of steel and the rumble of siege engines.From the cliffs above Rivermoore, Aerondale’s war horns echoed, their sound cold and final. The sky was still gray with mist when the first volley struck—flaming boulders hurled from trebuchets, smashing into the outer walls with thunderous force.Queen Elara stood on the upper rampart of the south tower, cloaked in silver armor that shimmered faintly in the morning haze. Her face was pale, her eyes weary, but her voice rang out strong as she gave her orders.“Hold the line! Pull civilians back to the inner quarter! Shield the temple grounds!”Below her, Vynorian archers loosed their arrows in organized volleys, striking Aerondale’s advancing front lines. Along the riverbanks, elemental wards glowed and hummed, reacting to the incursion with protective pulses.Seraphina moved like fire through the ranks, rallying spellcasters and shieldbearers. “Blightfire or not,” she barked, “they will not

  • The River’s Daughter

    The temple corridor echoed faintly as Calen’s footsteps faded into the silence beyond. His presence—like the storm that followed him—left behind a kind of weight. One no words could quite capture.Back in the sanctum chamber, Queen Elara lay still, the newborn child sleeping in her arms, wrapped in soft cloth woven from silver-threaded river flax. Her hair clung damp to her temples, but her gaze was steady.Seraphina stood near, arms crossed, calculating not just possibilities, but threats. “We’ll need to move soon,” she murmured. “Aerondale won’t give us another day. Maybe not even another hour.”Elara’s voice was soft but unwavering. “Then let them come. Avenya will still be seen.”From the corner, Carmen groaned and flopped onto a low stone bench. “So what’s the plan here? Walk into the plaza, lift the baby like she’s a prophecy, and pray Aerondale doesn’t have itchy fingers on their siege triggers?”“That’s not entirely off Vynorian tradition,” Seraphina muttered without looking u

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