CHAPTER 7 ( Betrayal within the tower)
667 Words
The Tower of Nyx had never felt colder. Even the moonlight seemed muted, struggling to pierce the thick obsidian walls. Kael and Lyria had spent the day training together, testing her magic against his blade, forging the beginnings of trust that neither wanted to admit aloud.
But as night fell, a different kind of tension crept into the Tower—a tension not born of prophecy or power, but of human deceit.
---
The Unexpected Visitor
A soft knock echoed in the central chamber.
Kael’s hand went to his sword instinctively. Lyria stepped beside him, chains humming faintly with unease.
“Who’s there?” Kael demanded.
“Theron,” a familiar voice said. The commander of the Tower’s guards stepped into the dim light. But there was something… off. His normally calm demeanor carried a subtle edge of urgency, almost panic.
“Commander, what is it?” Lyria asked, her voice cautious.
Theron’s gaze flicked between them. “We have a problem. Someone breached the inner wards… someone who knows the layout too well. I tried to stop them—but…” His voice faltered.
Kael’s eyes narrowed. “But what?”
Theron swallowed hard. “They made it past the gates. They—” He stopped, shaking his head. “It’s… one of our own.”
---
The Betrayal
A sudden crash came from the upper halls. Sparks and a muffled shout echoed down the stone corridors. Kael bolted forward, sword drawn. Lyria followed, silver light flaring from her hands.
They rounded the corner to see two guards—both of them loyal to the Tower for decades—standing with the intruders, weapons raised. One of the guards held a small, intricately carved talisman, glowing faintly with energy.
Kael’s heart froze. “No… it can’t be.”
“Why are you helping them?!” Lyria demanded, anger and disbelief in her voice.
The older guard sneered. “The prophecy… the princess… you think we’ve protected the kingdoms all these years? We’ve been used as pawns. The true power isn’t in Vhalaris or Elandris—it’s in her. And some of us… want it for ourselves.”
The talisman pulsed. Lyria felt a pull, a tug on her power, and nearly staggered. Kael lunged, knocking the talisman from the traitor’s hand just before it could touch her. Sparks flew as the magic collided with his blade, and the corridor lit up in a blinding silver flash.
“Lyria! Focus your energy!” Kael shouted.
She inhaled sharply, centering herself. Lunar energy streamed from her hands, wrapping around the traitors in bands of silver light. They shrieked, dropping their weapons as the magic forced them back against the wall.
Kael stepped forward, restraining them, his sword ready. “This ends now!”
---
The Aftermath
The chamber was silent except for the heavy breathing of the two allies. Lyria’s chains glowed faintly as if trying to soothe her frayed magic.
“They were trying to steal you,” Kael said quietly, eyes still scanning for more threats. “To harness your power for themselves.”
Lyria’s jaw tightened. “And if they had succeeded… the prophecy… all of Isyra would have been at risk.”
Kael’s fists clenched. “We can’t trust anyone here anymore—not even those we thought loyal.”
Lyria nodded slowly, her eyes reflecting moonlight and resolve. “Then we trust each other. That’s all we have left.”
For the first time, Kael allowed himself to meet her gaze fully. In her eyes, he saw something more than fear, more than power—he saw determination. And in that moment, he realized: the alliance was no longer just a necessity. It was the only thing keeping them alive.
Outside the Tower, the desert winds shifted. The darkness beneath Isyra stirred again, sensing cracks in the walls of human loyalty. The threat was no longer only armies or prophecy—it was betrayal, and it had found its way inside the Tower.
- Writer
