Chapter Six
276 Words
The days following the battle were tense. Lyra and Kael moved through the ruined keep, ensuring that no more enemies lurked in the shadows. The Oathbound knight remained at their side, his loyalty unwavering despite the chaos that had unfolded.
“We need to leave this place,” Kael said one evening as they gathered near a crumbling tower. “There’s nothing left for us here. The crown has already brought enough destruction.”
Lyra nodded. “Agreed. But where do we go? We can’t just wander the world with the crown on your head. You’ll draw every power-hungry fool in the land.”
Kael’s gaze darkened as he thought of the Oathbound, the dark-robed woman, and the dragon. “I don’t know. But I do know this—the kingdom of Eldrith isn’t gone. It’s just waiting for the right person to claim it.”
The Oathbound knight, ever silent, spoke at last. “If you seek to restore the kingdom, you will need more than just the crown. You will need allies—those who have not fallen to the curse.”
“And I will need to learn how to wield the crown’s power without succumbing to it,” Kael added, his voice grim. “I can feel it, pulling at me. Trying to make me into something I’m not.”
“You are already what you need to be,” the knight said, his voice low. “But you will have to make a choice. Lead, or fall.”
The words hung in the air like a threat, and Kael knew that whatever path he chose, it would come with a cost.
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