The King's Guard

Chapter 106

Kael and Liam crept along the rooftops of Veridale’s northern district. Below them, torches flickered in the streets, casting long, trembling shadows over the cobblestones.

Liam moved with the grace of a shadow, his dark cloak blending seamlessly with the night. Kael followed, every sense alert. Despite the joy of reunion, a tension hung in the air, heavy and unyielding.

“Kael,” Liam said softly, keeping his gaze forward, “I need to tell you everything I know. About Thorian… about the Queen… about why Stormhaven is so invested in Veridale.”

Kael nodded, eyes narrowing. “I’m listening. But start with Stormhaven. What are they really playing at?”

Liam’s lips pressed into a thin line. “King Thorian is not just a ruler. He’s a player in a game that stretches far beyond our borders. He manipulates Veridale, the Corps, even Archon himself, to consolidate power. He funds both sides of the conflicts: using war and chaos to hide his ambitions.”

Kael exhaled slowly, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. “So every uprising, every betrayal, it’s been orchestrated to… what? Keep the Queen trapped?”

Liam’s jaw tightened. “Not just the Queen. Stormhaven’s ‘Temporal Division’ has been experimenting with her secret power for decades. They were the ones who first discovered her ability to walk through fractured time, and they’ve been trying to control it ever since.”

Kael’s heart hammered. The visions he had experienced in the Rift, the whispers of silver light, the echoes of a golden-haired woman, now it all connected. “So… my Rift… the visions… it’s linked to her?”

“Yes,” Liam said, his tone firm. “He’s a pawn,” he continued bluntly, “A very dangerous pawn, but still a pawn. Thorian ensures that Archon’s moves serve his strategy, even if Archon believes he’s in control. And Velreth… he knows the truth but profits from the chaos. Every betrayal, every assassination attempt, every coup, it’s all tied back to Stormhaven.”

Kael clenched his fists. “So… the Queen… she’s alive because of Thorian?”

“Yes,” Liam said softly, almost reverently. “But not free. She’s trapped in a temporal fold, suspended between moments. Stormhaven keeps her there to study her, control her, use her as leverage. And every second she remains there… Veridale suffers.”

Kael’s chest tightened, a mix of anger, fear, and determination surging through him. “We have to free her,” he said, “No matter the cost.”

Liam’s eyes met his. “And we will. But understand this, Stormhaven isn’t just a kingdom. It’s an empire of shadows, and Thorian’s web stretches farther than you realize. We’re going to need allies, Kael. And we can’t trust anyone completely.”

Kael’s lips pressed into a thin line. “We’ll make them trust us, or we’ll make them fear us. Whatever it takes.”

Liam’s gaze softened, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“You really are reckless, you know that?” he said.

Kael chuckled, though it was short, almost bitter. “And you’re still the one who’ll follow me into a trap without blinking.”

Liam laughed, low and genuine. “Some things never change.”

As they moved toward the northern district’s clandestine meeting point, Liam spoke again. “Kael… there’s something else. The letters I found: directives from Thorian himself, they mention the Queen by name. They speak of her as ‘The Golden Hostage.’ And the wording… it implies she was conscious, aware, even communicating through fragments of time. That’s why you’ve been seeing her in the Rift. She’s trying to reach you.”

Kael’s breath caught. He had always sensed her presence, that ripple of silver light, the whispers that stirred when he touched the Rift’s edge. But now… now it wasn’t just a vision. It was a call for help.

“We have to find her,” he said, voice trembling slightly with a mix of fear and resolve.

“We will,” Liam promised. “But first… we survive tonight. Thorian’s agents are everywhere. If we slip, even for a moment, the trail goes cold.”

Kael nodded, focusing on the present, on the immediate task. But inside, a storm raged. The Queen. Thorian’s manipulation. Everything converged in that moment, sharpening his purpose.

He turned to Liam, searching his face for reassurance. “We’ve faced impossible odds before. But this… this feels different.”

Liam nodded, placing a hand on Kael’s shoulder. “It is different. Because this isn’t just about survival. This is about restoring what was stolen. And I’ll be damned if I let them take her from the world.”

“We make it through this,” Kael said quietly, “then we save her. Together.”

Liam’s lips quirked into a small, confident smile. “Together,” he agreed.