Deep in the reawakened halls of Bloodhaven, torches flickered with fresh flame. The once-dead fortress now pulsed with life—Knights training, ancient war scrolls unsealed, war rooms lit with strategy. But amid the fire and steel, tension coiled in the shadows.
Aarav stood at the central balcony, overlooking the courtyard. Kieran approached silently, his voice low.
"We need to talk about Rhea."
Aarav's body tensed. "What about her?"
Kieran hesitated. "She hasn't been seen since the night the Elders' magic stirred. Draven's scouts say they found signs of a struggle near the outskirts. Blood. Scent trails. No body."
Aarav clenched the stone railing until it cracked beneath his fingers.
"They took her."
Veyron emerged from behind a pillar, unusually grim. "If the Elders have her, they won't kill her. Not right away. They know what she means to you. What she is."
Kieran nodded. "She's part of your awakening. Her blood is bound to yours, Aarav. If they break her—"
"They won't," Aarav said, voice low and sharp. "They can't."
But deep inside, fear twisted like a blade.
Rhea had been his anchor. Her and her sister, the twin flame and shadow. There was a reason they had come into his life. They were more than lovers. They were links to his past.
And now, she was gone.
Nyssa entered the room, her armor gleaming. "Our scouts intercepted a message. The Elders are assembling the Revenants. Dark-blood assassins. Modified. Unnatural. They're moving fast."
Aarav's mind raced. The Elders were mobilizing quicker than expected. And if they had Rhea… they might try to use her blood against him.
"We change the plan," he said. "We move now. We hit one of their outposts—cut off the Revenants before they're deployed."
Draven stepped forward. "That's suicide. Their outposts are shielded with blood magic. We can't teleport in or out. You'd be walking into a trap."
"Good," Aarav said, his eyes glowing. "Let them think they've trapped me."
Veyron smirked. "And Rhea?"
Aarav's voice dropped to a whisper—one of fury and promise.
"I'll burn the world to get her back."
As the war horns of Bloodhaven sounded for the first time in a century, the army of the forgotten king began to march.
The Elders had made their move.
Now it was Aarav's turn.
To be continued…