Chapter Twenty-Three: The Dream of Ash and Blood
Darkness clung to Kael's mind like thick mist.
For days—perhaps weeks—his body had been still, suspended in a deep and unnatural sleep brought on by his brutal battle with Mihai. But within that slumber, he had seen. Not dreams. Memories.
He had lived Andrew's life.
Watched his father Andreas rise to glory—and fall into madness.
Felt the pain of betrayal, of wars waged in shadows, of friends lost to ambition, and of love crushed beneath iron boots.
He saw the siege of the capital. The deaths. The war that ended the age of empires.
And the final blow—his father's death at the hands of his uncle.
When his eyes finally opened, his chest rose with a jagged breath, and the scent of old stone, fire, and iron filled his lungs.
Kael was back.
But he was not the same.
Mihai sat nearby, cloak draped across his shoulders, a small flask of spiced tea in his hand. His gaze shifted the moment Kael stirred.
"You're awake," Mihai said, calm as ever.
Kael sat up slowly, body aching from the duel—but it wasn't the pain that weighed on him. It was the truth.
His voice was rough, his throat dry.
"You showed me everything…"
Mihai gave a subtle nod.
"Yes. You needed to see it."
Kael clenched his fists. "Why… why did he become like that?" His voice cracked. "Why didn't Andreas just ask Andrew for help? He said it was all for Natalia—but why go so far? Why betray him? Why destroy everything?"
Mihai leaned back against the cold wall of the chamber, silent for a moment.
"Because Andreas wasn't just trying to save Natalia."
"He was trying to control the outcome."
Kael frowned.
Mihai continued, voice colder now.
"Andreas feared weakness. Even love, to him, was a battlefield. He believed Andrew would never do what was necessary—that sentiment would hold him back. So he manipulated events, twisted fate to force the results he wanted."
"Even if it meant betrayal."
Kael looked away, heart pounding.
"But Andrew would have done anything for her. For all of them."
Mihai gave a small, bitter smile.
"Andreas knew that. That's why he never asked. Because deep down, he envied Andrew. His strength. His loyalty. His love. And he couldn't bear to owe that man another thing."
Kael stared at the floor.
The image of his father was no longer a noble shadow wrapped in myth. It was flawed. Bloody. Real.
And despite it all… he still felt sorrow for him.
He was about to speak again when Mihai stood, casting his gaze toward the open balcony.
"You've walked in Andrew's shadow, Kael. And now you carry pieces of both men inside you."
He turned back.
"The question is… who will you become?"
Kael didn't answer.
Because deep inside, he still didn't know.
But one thing was certain—his path wasn't done.