The Shattered Crown

Chapter 7 – The Betrayal

The descent from the Mountain of Whispers was harsher than the climb. The narrow trails wound along steep cliffs, and the wind howled like a beast, threatening to shove them into the abyss below. By the time Eira, Kael, and Lumo reached the foothills, exhaustion weighed heavy on their steps.

But they weren’t alone.

Selwyn awaited them at the base, cloak drawn close, eyes glinting beneath his hood. “You succeeded,” he said, his tone unreadable. “Three fragments now. You are proving yourselves worthy.”

Kael crossed his arms. “You seem to know an awful lot about us, Selwyn. Too much, maybe. Why keep showing up only when it suits you?”

Selwyn’s lips curved faintly. “I walk the line between shadow and light. That is my nature. Whether you trust me or not is irrelevant.”

Eira shifted uneasily, clutching the fragments close. “If you’re truly here to help, then prove it. Travel with us, not just appear when it’s convenient.”

For a long moment, Selwyn said nothing. Then, finally, he nodded. “Very well.”

That night, they made camp in a sheltered hollow. The fire crackled, casting long shadows across the rocks. Kael sharpened his dagger, Lumo curled up by the flames, and Selwyn sat apart, polishing his blade in silence.

Eira lay awake long after the others had quieted. Something about Selwyn unsettled her—his calm, his secrecy, the way his gaze lingered on the fragments. She was just drifting into uneasy sleep when a faint scrape pulled her back awake.

Her eyes snapped open. Selwyn stood by her satchel, fingers brushing the pouch where the fragments were hidden.

“Selwyn?” Her voice was low, wary.

He froze, then turned, expression unreadable. “You should be asleep.”

Kael stirred at her tone, hand instantly going to his dagger. “What’s going on?”

Lumo’s eyes gleamed as he sat up, fur bristling. “I knew it. Shadows cannot resist temptation.”

Selwyn sighed, straightening. “I wasn’t going to take them. I only needed to be sure…”

“That’s a lie,” Kael snapped, stepping between him and Eira. “You were about to steal them.”

The tension crackled like lightning. Eira’s heart pounded. She wanted to believe Selwyn—he had guided them, tested them, even praised her progress. But the fragments pulsed in her satchel, as if warning her of danger.

“Tell us the truth,” she demanded, voice trembling but steady. “Why are you really here?”

For the first time, Selwyn’s mask cracked. Shadows flickered around him, darker than the night itself. “Because Morvanna knows of you now. And if you fail, she will succeed. If I must take the fragments to keep them from her, I will.”

Kael drew his dagger, steel glinting in the firelight. “Try it, and you’ll regret it.”

Eira’s magic flared instinctively, golden light spilling from her hands. “No one will take these fragments—not you, not Morvanna. They belong to Eldoria.”

For a tense moment, Selwyn’s shadowy aura swelled, and Eira thought he might attack. But then he stepped back, sheathing his blade. “Very well,” he murmured. “But know this—I will not let your hesitation doom this kingdom.”

With that, he melted into the darkness, vanishing as if he had never been there.

Silence lingered long after. Kael finally exhaled, muttering, “I never trusted him.”

Lumo flicked his tail. “Trust is a fragile thing. Perhaps he walks his own path—but paths may cross again, for better or worse.”

Eira stared into the fire, her thoughts churning. Selwyn had betrayed their trust, yet his warning rang true: Morvanna now knew of their quest. And with every fragment they gathered, the danger grew sharper.

The crown was mending—but so were the forces rising against them.