The skies over the Ash-Born's fortress were filled with a storm that reflected the turmoil in Kael's heart. The dark clouds blew in from the north, casting a menacing shadow over the landscape. The rebellion would soon flare up its fires burning rapidly and there would be no retreat. But Kael was aware that this was merely the start of things to come. The Emperor would never permit this rebellion to go unpenalized.
The rebel army was ready.
But Kael wasn't sure that he was.
As he walked back and forth across the war room, Ceyla stood over a table covered with maps and battle strategies, her dark eyes moving over the layout of the territory. The Ash-Born had made some progress, but the Empire's vengeance would come quickly, and they knew it. There was no longer time to lose.
"You've rallied the troops, Kael," Ceyla said without looking up. "But the Empire has more than just soldiers. They have gods."
Kael's fists curled and uncurled, his head reeling with memories that were his and yet not his. The burden of his past existence the Soulforger's existence oppressed him like a weight one could grasp. He had commanded armies, brought down empires, battled the gods. But now, in this new body, this new self, everything was… unfamiliar.
"Ceyla, how did we do it before?" Kael's voice was hoarse, as if the answer lay just beyond his reach, hidden under a pile of forgotten memories.
She finally lifted her gaze, her eyes soft but firm. "You possessed the Soulfire, Kael. The fire that blazed across the heavens. The ability to defy the gods themselves. But it was not power alone that made you the Soulforger. It was your will—the force of your conviction."
He held her eyes, and for an instant, it seemed the years disappeared. The Ceyla of old the girl who had been at his side, who had believed in him when the world hadn't remained, the same flame of determination in her eyes. But there was something more, something concealed beneath her peaceful façade.
"Not telling me something?" Kael asked, his voice slicing through the tension like a knife.
Ceyla breathed slowly, the seriousness of the moment weighing on her shoulders. "There is something you do not know about yourself, Kael. Something that you have forgotten."
"Then remind me."
Her eyes flickered toward Seris, who had been silently observing from the doorway. The younger woman's expression was unreadable, but there was an unease in her posture—a tightness to her stance.
"It's about your soul," Ceyla whispered, her voice dropping. "The Soulforger's power—your power—it isn't a weapon. It's the product of an ancient curse, a binding that connects you to the heavens. The reason the gods are afraid of you is because you shouldn't be in this form. You were a soul meant for greatness—but the heavens knew you would threaten them, and so they bound your essence in ways they never explained to you."
Kael's heart stuttered. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying," Ceyla answered, her voice dark, "that the Soulforger—you—are not merely a power of creation. You are a living key. A key to shattering the gods' grip on the world."
The epiphany struck Kael like a lightning bolt. His former life had been tied by the same powers that wanted to dominate the world. The Soulforger was not just a warrior. He was a catalyst, an agent of change meant to remake the world by either shattering or remaking the heavens themselves.
But why can't I remember?" Kael demanded, frustration clear in his tone. "Why are things so disjointed? The memories, the feelings—they're all just beyond my grasp.
Because the heavens cancelled them," replied Ceyla, her breath coming short from frustration. "When you died, your spirit was divided. The gods were determined to rid the world of any trace you might have had, to prevent you from coming back. They thought they could control you. They thought they could shatter you.
"But they didn't," Kael stated, his tone firm with new resolve. "And here I am now, stronger than ever. They will regret thinking less of me."
Ceyla's eyes were softening, but in them was a sadness that Kael did not quite comprehend. "You have always been one of destruction, Kael. But I believe the price of your power will be too much to pay."
Back in the heart of the Empire.
The Emperor leaned back on his obsidian throne, the burden of the world weighing heavily upon him. His fingers tapped out a rhythmic beat on the armrest as he gazed at the map spread out on the table in front of him, following the Ash-Born rebel movements with an icy, analytical eye.
He had heard the rumors of Kael's rebellion—how the Soulforged Sovereign had kindled the embers of the past to emerge anew. But the Emperor was not fool enough to take a human for granted. Kael Thorne was no ordinary human. He was a force of nature, a fire that could never be reduced to cold ashes. The Emperor had seen it with his own eyes.
His thoughts wandered back to the day of the Soulforger's fall, when Kael had fallen at the hands of the gods themselves. It had been a betrayal, a crossroads that had shattered the Emperor's faith in the heavens. Yet even then, the Emperor knew Kael would rise again. He had always known.
"Your Majesty," a voice said, breaking him from his reverie.
The Emperor spun around to watch Master Xian come into the room, a figure of power, his face drained of color by urgency.
"Report," said the Emperor.
Xian bent low. "The Ash-Born are organizing. They've already started attacking distant Empire colonies. The Celestial Guard is being sent out to hold them back, but…"
"But?" The Emperor's voice was a thread of menace.
"The Soulforged Sovereign is leading them, Your Majesty. He has returned. And he is stronger than ever."
The Emperor's eyes grew narrow. "I have waited centuries for this moment. Kael Thorne is but a man. A man who will perish like the rest."
He rose from his throne, his eyes frigid and calculating.
"Prepare the Inheritor. And call for the other one."
Xian lingered for a moment before nodding. "As you command, Your Majesty."
The Emperor swung round to stand by the window, where stars twinkled remotely in the blackness.
"The universe might have rejected me, but I shall have my vengeance. Kael Thorne is not the first who shall oppose destiny."
And in the Ash-Born Fortress.
Kael sat at the center of the war room, his fingers laced tightly in front of him. The rebellion was underway in earnest, and the initial wave of battles had been fierce. But the Ash-Born were resolute, and Kael could sense the flames of their determination as if they were his own.
"We're ready," Ceyla said, her voice steady as she entered the room. "The first wave of attacks on Empire outposts is underway. The people are rallying to our cause."
Kael looked up, his face grim. "And the Empire?"
"They'll retaliate. And when they do, we'll be ready."
A quiet moment passed between them before Seris stepped forward, her eyes filled with a strange mix of concern and determination.
"Kael," she started, her voice gentle, "there is something I haven't told you. Something about who I truly am."
Kael's forehead creased. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm not merely some soldier," Seris said, looking down. "I was brought here. by the gods."
The statement struck him like a punch to the heart. "What?
Seris swallowed hard as he looked into her eyes. "I was with a group that was supposed to make sure you never regained your powers. But now… now I see what you can do. And I will stand with you. No matter what it costs."
Kael gazed at her, his mind reeling. She had been sent to thwart him, to shatter him. And yet here she stood, offering her allegiance.
And for the first time, Kael felt the real weight of what was to be. The rebellion wasn't simply a battle for liberty. It was a battle against the gods themselves. And everyone—everyone—would be forced to decide.