CROWN OF ASHES

TWO

VENUSTAS

The evening air tasted dry and heavy, like dust and old memories.

It was always like that on the edge of Malus—right where our world ended, and Circiter’s began.

The land here didn’t feel right. The bushes were wild and thorny, twisting like they were trying to tear through the sky. Big stone markers stood along the border, chipped and crumbling. They didn’t speak, but they didn’t have to. They warned you all the same.

Stay out. Don’t cross. You don’t belong.

But I was going to cross anyway.

“You look like you just swallowed a bug,” someone said behind me.

I turned. And there he was. Eddington Vale, leaning against one of the old stones like he had all the time in the world. A slingshot hung from his belt, and a smirk played on his lips. That was Eddie for you—always trying to make light of things, even when our world was falling apart.

He smiled, crooked and charming in that way only he could be. My Eddie.

We weren’t lovers. Not really. But we were everything else—best friends, partners in crime, each other’s safe place.

We grew up side by side on the cracked streets of Malus. We shared crusty bread, ran from guards, and stayed up whispering stories into the night when we were too scared to sleep.

He knew all my secrets—especially the ones I didn’t say out loud.

I knew how his eyes darkened when he was really scared. He knew the way my voice went quiet when a vision was coming. I could tell when he hadn’t eaten, even if he said he was fine. And he always noticed when I was getting those visions.

He walked over and handed me a peeled nut. It was small and sticky in my palm. Probably stolen from Old Man Tiberon’s cart again.

“For strength,” he said, his voice softer now. “Or luck. One of those should help.”

I smiled, even though I hated that he’d taken it. He was too good for stealing. But that was the only way people like us survived.

“Thanks,” I whispered.

We stood in the shadow of the watch stone. The world felt still, like it was holding its breath.

Crossing into Circiter was dangerous. Everyone knew it. You could be arrested, beaten, or worse.

But I had no choice. My parents were getting older, and I was the only one left to look after them. There wasn’t enough food anymore. Not in Malus.

So I had to take risks.

Eddie shifted beside me, adjusting the strap of his slingshot. He always got fidgety when he was nervous.

“We won’t get caught,” he said, trying to sound sure. “And if we do, I’ll say it was all my idea.”

I turned to him, heart tight. “Don’t be stupid, Eddie.”

He shrugged like it was nothing. “Someone’s gotta be.”

But I knew he meant it. He’d take the blame for me if he had to. That’s just who he was. He always had my back. Even when I didn’t deserve it.

The sky above us turned a soft purple, the last bit of sunlight fading away. Crickets started to sing from the brush. The moment was quiet, but inside, I was shaking.

“I’m scared,” I said before I could stop myself.

Eddie didn’t laugh. He didn’t make a joke. He just looked at me with those warm, serious eyes and said, “Me too. But we do it anyway, right?”

I nodded. Because he was right.

A soft rustle in the bushes made both of us freeze.

Then, a shadow moved. A girl stepped out, fast and nervous, like she expected someone to grab her any second.

“Madiya,” Eddie breathed, the relief in his voice so clear it made my chest ache.

Madiya was his secret contact. A girl from Circiter. She wasn’t supposed to be talking to people like us—people from Malus. If anyone in her world found out, especially her father, she’d be in real trouble.

Her dad was a scholar. Respected. Important. The kind of man who thought Malus kids were nothing but trouble. He called us "Malus rats." I’d heard the term more times than I could count.

But here she was anyway, risking everything.

She was small and quick, with sharp eyes and a face that always looked like she was waiting for something bad to happen. Her hands clutched a little leather pouch like it was gold.

“I can’t stay long,” she whispered. “Hurry.”

From the pouch, she pulled out two small, dark seals. They were made of a strange wax that shimmered faintly in the low light.

Circiter seals.

Only someone from Circiter could carry them. And they were our only chance of moving through the city without being noticed—at least for a short while.

“This is madness,” Eddie muttered, but he stepped forward and rolled up his sleeve.

I did the same, even though my heart was pounding.

Madiya pressed the seal right over the brand on my arm. That mark—burned into my skin since birth—told the world I was from Malus. That I was less than.

The wax was cold at first.

Then it burned.

Not just warm—hot. Like fire, only for a second. I bit my tongue to stop myself from crying out. A strange, sweet smell filled the air. Herbs. Smoke.

Eddie hissed softly beside me, but he didn’t move either.

The seals covered our brands completely, hiding what we were. Hiding who we were.

“Done,” Madiya said, stepping back. “Don’t talk. Keep your heads down. Circiter ears catch everything.”

I nodded, still holding my breath.

Once, I asked her why she helped us. She didn’t owe us anything. She barely knew us. I thought maybe she felt guilty, or maybe she was just curious.

She never gave a real answer.

But once, when we were alone, she said, “Because this world’s broken.” That was all. But her voice cracked, and her eyes looked as sad as mine felt.

Now, I looked her straight in the eye and said, “Thank you, Madiya.”

She gave a small shrug, like it didn’t matter. But I knew it did. To all of us.

She glanced behind her, nervous again. “Go,” she whispered. “Now.”

We didn’t argue.

Eddie touched my hand briefly. Just a brush of fingers. A promise.

Then we turned, slipping into the darkness beyond the border, leaving Madiya behind.

We slipped into the growing darkness and crossed the invisible line between two worlds.

Ahead was Circiter, shining like a dream.

The air changed the moment we stepped over.

It was cleaner. Softer. There was no stink of smoke or rot here. Instead, the air smelled like sweet bread and roasted meat. My stomach twisted with hunger, but I pushed it aside. We had a reason for being here. No time to stop. No time to admire the lights.

The streets were smooth and clean. Lamps hung from poles, casting soft golden light that made everything look warm and gentle. People walked around, smiling, laughing, dressed in fine clothes, like they didn’t have a care in the world.

It made my heart hurt.

They didn’t see us.

They didn’t see what we’d come from.

We kept to the side roads, quiet and out of the way. The wax seals Madiya gave us still hid our Malus brands. For now. But I could feel it—like a thin layer of glass, ready to c***k at any moment.

As we neared the market square, the air buzzed with energy. Lanterns swayed above us, their light flickering like tiny stars. People crowded around stalls, still shopping even though it was late. Sellers shouted their offers, voices blending into a chaotic song.

That’s when Eddie brushed his hand against mine.

A signal.

I froze.

Royal Guards were entering the square.

They marched in perfect rows, their silver armor shining under the lanterns. Everyone around us went quiet. The crowd split open for them like a wound. No one dared speak.

The guards pasted a scroll to the tall stone wall in the center of the square. It had the Queen’s seal at the top—a flame inside a circle, bold and proud.

People rushed forward to read.

We followed.

I kept my head low, eyes scanning the words.

It was about the Games.

The Game of Blood and Sovereign Flame.

I already knew what it was—a brutal competition where people from every caste fought for power, for a chance at glory. Anyone could enter. Anyone could die.

But this year... something was different.

I saw the line, bold and cold:

“By order of Her Majesty the Queen, the Royal House shall compete. All children of the crown will stand equal to their subjects.”

Gasps echoed through the crowd. People whispered, stunned.

The Royals? In the Games?

That had never happened before.

“This is bad,” Eddie said quietly, and I agreed.

Then it hit me.

A vision.

Like a storm crashing through my mind.

Flames.

Chains.

A crown lying in the dirt.

A Royal, face bloodied, falling to the sand.

And Leah’s voice—sharp and clear: “You have to go.”

I snapped back to the present, dizzy and sick. My knees buckled, and I grabbed the nearest wall to steady myself.

Eddie was there in an instant.

“Venustas?” he asked, his voice low. “What is it?”

I couldn’t tell him. Not now. Not here.

“I’m okay,” I whispered.

But I wasn’t.

I reached for a scroll, yanked it from the wall, and pulled Eddie with me. We ducked into a side alley behind the market, away from the crowd and the eyes.

It was dark and narrow back there. The air smelled like garlic and old blood. But it was quiet. Safe.

Eddie crouched beside me, his hand hovering near mine.

“You had another one, didn’t you?” he asked softly.

I nodded, still catching my breath. “Yes.”

He didn’t ask more. He never did. He knew I’d talk when I was ready. That was something I loved about him. He didn’t need all the pieces to believe in me.

Footsteps echoed down the alley. We both tensed.

But it was Madiya.

Her face was pale with worry as she rushed over and handed me a small cloth sack. “Bread,” she said, eyes darting behind her. “You have to go. Fast. They’re starting face checks.”

I opened the bag. Still warm.

“Madiya…” I said, my throat tight. “You shouldn’t keep doing this. If they catch you—”

“I know,” she cut in. Her voice was small, but steady. “But I’m doing it anyway.”

She wouldn’t look at me.

I wanted to hug her. To tell her how much this meant. But there wasn’t time.

“Your seal is fading,” she added, looking at my arm. “Go now.”

I nodded, clutching the sack to my chest.

With one last glance at her, we vanished into the shadows again, moving fast. The stolen scroll was rolled tight in my fist, my heart pounding with every step.

We ran past quiet houses and shuttered windows. Through the last stretch of stone streets. Toward the wild bushland that split Circiter from Malus like a scar.

My feet ached. My chest burned.

The Queen’s decree. The Royals. The Games.

I had to enter.

I had to win.