The Truth Within

  Silence thickened in the private lounge, the weight of Ronan’s demand hanging in the air. Cassian had expected resistance—expected skepticism—but now, standing before the inner circle of Lux Arcana, he knew words alone wouldn’t be enough.

  Nyx stepped forward, her gaze sharp and assessing. “We’ll see if you’re telling the truth.”

  Cassian’s muscles tensed instinctively. “And how exactly do you plan to do that?”

  A slow, knowing smile spread across her lips. “With a little magic.”

  Ronan didn’t say anything, but his presence loomed—silent, watchful, waiting.

  Nyx reached into the folds of her coat, pulling out a small, curved dagger etched with intricate sigils. The blade wasn’t meant to cut. It was meant to unlock.

  Selmira and Kaelor shifted beside Cassian, both visibly uneasy, but neither intervened. They knew this was coming.

  Nyx tilted her head. “The Thalrasi keep their strongest secrets warded, but you’ve seen the original prophecy before, haven’t you?”

  Cassian hesitated before answering. “Not directly. But I’ve seen a fragment.”

  Nyx nodded. “Then it’s still in you. You might not remember it clearly, but the mind remembers everything it sees—even the things it tries to forget. I can unlock the imprint.”

  Dorian leaned back against the bar, swirling his drink with mild amusement. “You should be honored, Cassian. Memory magic isn’t exactly something Nyx does for fun.”

  Cassian’s jaw tightened. “And if I refuse?”

  Ronan spoke for the first time since issuing his demand. “Then you leave here in a body bag.”

  Cassian sighed. Figures.

  He glanced at Nyx and gave a sharp nod. “Do it.”

  Nyx stepped closer, pressing the flat edge of the dagger to Cassian’s temple. The metal was cool at first, but then it pulsed, a soft thrum that echoed through his skull. Cassian gritted his teeth as a strange pull sank into his thoughts—

  Then, suddenly, he was somewhere else.

  The past unfolded before him.

  Selyne stood before him, her expression grim as she unraveled a brittle, half-destroyed scroll.

  “This is the real prophecy,” she had whispered, her dark eyes flickering with the weight of what she was about to reveal. “The one they hid. The one they feared.”

  Cassian saw the words—not written in ink but burned into the parchment with magic too ancient to decipher at a glance. The Thalrasi had tried to destroy it, but enough remained to be read.

  And he had read it.

  He could see the passage now, more precisely than ever, recall it.

  When the Phoenix rises from the ashes of the lost, and the Eclipsed One walks in the shadow of the moons, the old order shall burn, and the chains of fate shall be broken. The fire will consume the darkness, and the world will be made anew.

  Cassian gasped, his entire body going rigid as the vision ripped away from him.

  He stumbled, bracing himself against the table. The dagger had been lifted, but the spell’s effects lingered like a resounding, painful echo in his mind.

  Nyx, for once, looked shaken.

  “It’s real,” she murmured, glancing toward Ronan. “He’s telling the truth.”

  Ronan’s amber gaze flickered, unreadable, but Cassian wasn’t done. His voice was hoarse, but the words still came out firm.

  “I know where the last intact copy of the prophecy is.” He lifted his gaze, meeting Ronan’s head-on. “The Thalrasi are rumored to hold it in one of their oldest strongholds. I can take you there.”

  A long silence stretched through the room. No one moved.

  Then, finally, Ronan exhaled, his fingers flexing once before curling into fists. “Where?”

  Cassian swallowed, knowing the answer would change everything.

  “The Vault of Cinders.”

  And with that, the war was no longer about survival.

  It was about the truth.

  Temporary Truce

  The weight of Cassian’s revelation still hung thick in the air, the implications of it sinking into every corner of the war room. The truth had been buried for centuries, twisted into lies that had justified slaughter. Now, it had resurfaced, and there was no turning back.

  Ronan let out a slow breath, the tension coiling in his muscles as he studied the trio before him. They had come a long way—too far to be turned away now.

  He straightened, his amber gaze sweeping over Cassian, Selmira, and Kaelor. “You’ve traveled a long way to bring me this,” he said at last, his voice even but firm. “I won’t ask you to give me more now.”

  Cassian exhaled, clearly exhausted from the memory extraction. Selmira and Kaelor looked equally drained, though neither said a word.

  Ronan glanced toward Dorian. “See them to their accommodations. Let them clean up, rest. We’ll meet again this evening. Then, you will tell me everything.”

  Dorian smirked, stepping forward. “A little hospitality? You’re spoiling them.”

  Nyx rolled her eyes, already moving toward the door. “Make sure they don’t go wandering.”

  Cassian arched a brow but didn’t argue. He knew better than to test the limits of their hospitality just yet.

  Dorian gestured toward the exit, a lazy grin on his lips but a watchful glint in his eyes. “Come on, travelers. Let’s get you settled in before Ronan changes his mind.”

  Cassian exchanged a look with Selmira and Kaelor before nodding. For now, they would rest. But come nightfall, they would reveal everything.

  And Lux Arcana would never be the same again.

  Ronan didn’t waste time.

  As soon as the newcomers were escorted out, he turned on his heel and strode toward the private elevator, his mind already racing ahead. Elysia needed to hear this.

  He found her in their suite, seated on the couch near the large bay window, shifting through the compiled records and fragmented histories Nyx had given her. Loose parchment and aged scrolls surrounded her, the soft glow of candlelight casting shadows over the documents. She was so focused she hadn’t noticed him enter.

  Surprise flickered across her face when she finally looked up and saw him.

  “Ronan?”

  He didn’t sit beside her. Instead, he took the chair across from her, his expression serious. “We need to talk.”

  Her brows furrowed as she set down the page she had been reading.

  “What happened?”

  He held her gaze, knowing there was no way to soften this. “The guests arrived. Cassian, the one who led them, isn’t just a former Thalrasi. He’s part of a resistance within their ranks. And what he told me…” Ronan hesitated for a moment, then exhaled. “It changes everything.”

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  Elysia straightened, sensing the gravity of his words. “What do you mean?”

  He leaned forward, his voice steady but edged with something more profound—something ancient and inevitable.

  “The prophecy we were told—the one the Thalrasi used to justify their war—it was a lie. The real prophecy was buried, hidden even from most of their ranks.”

  Elysia’s breath hitched. “A lie?”

  Ronan nodded. “The original prophecy foretells the fall of the Thalrasi—not their victory. It speaks of when the Phoenix rises and the Eclipsed One stands beside her… the old order will burn, and the chains of fate will break.”

  Elysia’s heartbeat thundered in her ears. The pieces of her fragmented past, the flashes of fire, the voices whispering warnings—it all made sense now.

  “They’ve been trying to erase us because they were afraid.”

  “They still are,” Ronan said, observing her. “And now that we’re both here, now that I’ve survived to maturity and you’ve returned… they know the truth could come out.” He exhaled. “That’s why we’re their top priority.”

  Elysia’s hands trembled as she reached for one of the documents she had been reading before he entered. It was a half-burned record, salvaged from the ruins of an old Thalrasi stronghold, detailing attempts to eliminate the Phoenix across lifetimes.

  “It wasn’t just this life,” she whispered. “They’ve been hunting me for centuries.”

  Ronan’s expression darkened. “Because they knew you were the key to their destruction.”

  A tense silence stretched between them, heavy with the weight of history, of battles fought and lost. Elysia had seen it in her dreams, in her visions—

  We always lose.

  But now, for the first time, she wasn’t sure that was true.

  She lifted her gaze back to Ronan, something fierce burning in her eyes.

  “They’re scared.”

  Ronan smirked, but it had no humor—only a promise.

  “They should be.”

  A shiver ran down her spine, but she nodded. “So what happens next?”

  “We meet again tonight to discuss everything in full.” Ronan stood, his stance unwavering. “But I wanted you to hear it from me first.”

  Elysia inhaled deeply, steadying herself. The war wasn’t just about survival anymore.

  It was about finishing what had begun centuries ago. And this time, they wouldn’t lose.

  The Truth Unveiled

  The meeting room deep within Lux Arcana’s subterranean stronghold was dimly lit, its obsidian walls pulsing faintly with the layered wards protecting those inside. A long blackwood table stretched across the center of the chamber, its polished surface reflecting the faces of those gathered around it.

  Ronan sat at the head of the table, his amber eyes sharp and unreadable. To his left, Elysia, her posture tense, fingers curled into her palms as she waited for the answers she had spent lifetimes searching for.

  Dorian lounged beside her, his usual smirk tempered by caution, while Astrid and Valarian sat across from them. Their presence, with its weight, reminded him that this was no ordinary meeting.

  On the opposite end of the table, Cassian, Selmira, and Kaelor stood, outsiders in a room full of war generals.

  Cassian knew what this moment meant. There would be no second chances if he failed to convince them of the truth.

  Ronan exhaled, his voice low and steady. “Start talking.”

  Cassian didn’t waste time. “The prophecy that the Thalrasi have spent centuries using as a justification for war—the one that claims Elysia’s return and your existence will bring destruction—it’s a fabrication. The real prophecy, the one they buried, tells a different story.”

  Valarian’s sharp gaze flickered to him, unimpressed. “We’ve heard this part. Get to the point.”

  Cassian glanced at Selmira, who nodded before stepping forward and placing a small leather-bound journal on the table. The air around it shimmered with old magic, a testament to how much had been erased.

  Selmira’s voice was calm, measured. “This is the closest thing we have to an unaltered translation of the true prophecy. It took years to gather, hidden in the depths of Thalrasi strongholds, passed down in whispers by those who never believed in their cause.”

  Kaelor leaned forward, arms crossed. “Most of the Thalrasi don’t even know it exists. The High Council burned every record they could find, but some fragments survived.”

  Ronan’s jaw tightened. “So what does it say?”

  Cassian met his gaze. “It says that when the Phoenix returns, and the Eclipsed One walks at her side, the world as we know it will change. That those who built their power on blood and chains will fall, and the cycle of oppression that has lasted for centuries will be broken.”

  Silence filled the room.

  Elysia felt her pulse quicken. She had always known she was hunted, but she had never known why.

  Cassian continued, his voice lower now. “The Thalrasi have feared this for generations. They twisted the prophecy into something else entirely, convincing their warriors that if you two were ever to stand together, it would mean the end of all things. But what they truly fear—what they have always feared—is that if the truth got out, they would lose everything.”

  Elysia swallowed hard. “Then why not kill us when they had the chance? Why let Ronan live at all?”

  Cassian exhaled. “Because the Eclipsed One cannot be killed before he reaches full maturity. If they had killed Ronan as a child, he would have been reborn elsewhere, and they would have lost track of him. Their only option was to let him live—but under their watch.”

  Ronan’s expression didn’t change. “That’s where they were wrong.”

  Cassian met his gaze. “I know. They never had you under their control, did they?”

  Ronan leaned back, his amber gaze burning with something ancient and unyielding. “The resistance found me first. They taught me how to hide in plain sight, how to move through the world without leaving a trace. The Thalrasi may have been hunting me, but they never had me. They thought they could wait for the right moment to strike, to use me if needed, or eliminate me when the time came. But they never truly knew where I was, or who I had become.”

  Cassian nodded, understanding dawning on him. “That’s why they’re panicking now. They thought they could control your fate. But you slipped through their fingers. And now, with Elysia back, their worst nightmare has come true.”

  Astrid, who had remained silent until now, tapped her fingers against the table. “And now that they know she’s back?”

  Kaelor smirked grimly. “They’re terrified.”

  Dorian exhaled, his usual amusement gone. “So let me get this straight. The Thalrasi aren’t just trying to kill Ronan and Elysia. They’re trying to erase them completely—wipe out any trace of the prophecy so that no one ever questions their rule.”

  Selmira nodded. “That’s exactly what they’re doing. And if they succeed, the cycle continues.”

  Ronan was quiet momentarily, his fingers tapping against the table’s wood. Then, finally, he looked at Cassian. “You said you know where the last intact copy of the prophecy is. Where?”

  Cassian’s expression darkened. “The Vault of Cinders. One of the most heavily fortified Thalrasi strongholds. If we want to recover the prophecy, we’ll have to fight our way in.”

  Elysia inhaled sharply. “Then we don’t have a choice. We go after it.”

  Ronan met her gaze, his amber eyes unreadable. “We don’t rush into this blind. We plan. We prepare. We gather every advantage we can.”

  Valarian finally spoke, his voice slow and deliberate. “You know what this means, don’t you? If we do this, if we recover the real prophecy and bring it into the light… everything will change.”

  A heavy silence settled over the room.

  With fire burning beneath her skin, Elysia had never been more certain of anything.

  “It is time to change history.”

  Verifications and Revelations

  The heavy doors of the meeting chamber sealed shut behind Cassian, Selmira, and Kaelor, leaving the resistance leaders alone in the war room. The air was thick with tension, the weight of the conversation still settling in.

  Ronan exhaled, running a hand through his hair, his mind already sorting through what they had just learned.

  “Thoughts?” he asked, breaking the silence.

  Nyx scoffed, leaning back against the table. “He’s telling the truth.”

  Dorian raised a brow. “That quickly? You’re sure?”

  Astrid, who had remained silent throughout the initial meeting, finally spoke. “Yes.” She stepped forward, her eyes glowing faintly, the remnants of magic still swirling around her fingertips. “I didn’t need memory magic to confirm it—his energy doesn’t lie. Cassian believes everything he told us.”

  Valarian folded his arms. “That doesn’t mean he isn’t dangerous.”

  Astrid tilted her head. “No, but it does mean we can use him.”

  Ronan narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

  Astrid let out a slow breath before revealing the final piece of the puzzle.

  “Cassian isn’t just a rogue Thalrasi, or a resistance sympathizer.” She met Ronan’s gaze directly. “He’s Valrek’s bastard son.”

  Silence.

  A sharp, suffocating silence that hung over the room like a blade.

  Dorian’s smirk disappeared instantly. Even he had not seen that coming. Nyx stiffened, exchanging a look with Valarian, who cursed under his breath.

  Ronan’s expression didn’t change. But something hardened in his gaze, something dark and considering.

  Astrid continued her voice even. “Cassian only found out recently. His mother, Amaris, raised him away from Valrek’s influence. He wasn’t trained as an heir. He was discarded before he even had a chance to be used.”

  Dorian exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “Well. That explains the daddy issues.”

  Astrid ignored him. “He has no loyalty to Valrek, but he does have knowledge. Access to old Thalrasi records. He can help us.”

  Nyx let out a dry chuckle, shaking her head. “You know, I almost feel bad for him.”

  Ronan, who had been quiet up until now, finally spoke. “I don’t.”

  The room turned toward him. His expression was unreadable, but his amber eyes burned with something deadly.

  “If Cassian is Valrek’s bastard, then he has a target on his back just as much as we do.” Ronan leaned forward, his hands pressing against the table. “Valrek may have discarded him, but that doesn’t mean he won’t use him if given the chance.”

  Astrid nodded. “That’s why we have to make sure Cassian chooses a side—and quickly.”

  Valarian tapped a finger against the table, considering. “If he’s willing to betray the Thalrasi, we use him. If not—”

  Ronan finished for him. “We eliminate him.”

  Dorian raised his glass in mock agreement. “Lovely. And here I was, hoping we could all get along.”

  Nyx rolled her eyes before looking back to Astrid. “So, now that we know Cassian is who he says he is, what’s our next move?”

  Astrid crossed her arms, thinking. “We need to plan the Vault of Cinders infiltration. But more than that, we need Cassian’s knowledge of Thalrasi defenses. He knows how they operate, how they think. We need to use that.”

  Ronan nodded, his expression unreadable. “Then we start planning. Now.”

  Beyond the walls of the war room, Cassian, Selmira, and Kaelor sat in a private guest suite, the weight of their secrets pressing in around them.

  Cassian exhaled, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “You think they’ll actually trust me?”

  Selmira smirked. “I think they’ll use you.”

  Kaelor chuckled darkly. “Same thing, really.”

  Cassian leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.

  He had spent his entire life working for the Thalrasi, idolizing the man who had ruined his mother’s life and casting him aside like a mistake.

  Now? He was about to burn everything Valrek had built to the ground.

  And he was going to enjoy it.

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