The iron chains dug into my wrists, their sharp edges biting into my skin as I was dragged through the dark corridors of the imperial prison. The stench of damp stone and decay filled the air, suffocating me as my bare feet scraped against the cold ground.
The guards sneered, their laughter echoing in the narrow passageway. To them, I was nothing more than a fallen empress, a traitor who had lost everything.
But they did not know the fire that burned within me.
As the heavy cell door creaked open, I was shoved inside, my body collapsing onto the filthy floor. The clang of the door locking behind me sealed my fate. This was to be my grave.
Or so they thought.
I lifted my head, my vision blurred, but my resolve sharpened. I would not die here. I would not let Kaelion and Selina win. If they thought I would simply disappear, they were mistaken.
Hours passed, or perhaps days I could no longer tell. The only sign of time moving was the occasional sound of footsteps in the corridor. The guards rarely came, tossing stale bread and water through the small opening at the bottom of the door. A cruel reminder that they wanted me alive… for now.
Then, one night, as the moonlight barely reached through the tiny window above, a sound broke the silence.
A whisper.
"Evelyn."
My breath hitched. No one had called me by my name since I was thrown into this hellhole. I turned my head slowly, my eyes adjusting to the darkness. A hooded figure stood outside my cell, their face obscured.
"Who are you?" I whispered back, my voice hoarse from days of silence.
"A friend," they murmured before slipping a key through the bars. "You must leave. Now."
I hesitated. Could this be a trap? Was Kaelion toying with me, only to break me further?
But then I saw it a small crest pinned to the figure's cloak. The Rosendale insignia.
My family's mark.
Tears burned my eyes. My family… Were they still alive?
I didn't have time to question further. With trembling fingers, I took the key, sliding it into the rusted lock. The door creaked open, and the figure pulled me forward.
"We don't have much time," they urged. "They plan to execute you at dawn."
So soon? A sharp pang of panic gripped me, but I forced myself to stay calm.
We moved quickly through the prison, each step fueled by sheer willpower. The guards were either asleep or bribed, for no one stopped us. As we reached the final gate, my savior pulled back their hood.
It was Gideon Rosendale my cousin.
"You!" My voice choked with emotions I could not name.
"There's no time, Evelyn," he said, pressing a dagger into my hand. "We must leave the capital before they realize you're gone."
I nodded, gripping the weapon tightly. For the first time in days, hope flickered in my chest.
But hope was fragile.
The moment we stepped into the cool night air, a sharp voice cut through the silence.
"Stop them!"
Torches blazed to life as soldiers poured into the courtyard. We had been discovered.
"Run!" Gideon shouted, shoving me forward.
My body, weak from days of starvation, screamed in protest, but I forced my legs to move. I would not die here.
Arrows whizzed past us, and I heard Gideon curse as he blocked an incoming strike with his sword. He was strong, but we were outnumbered.
Just as I thought we would be overwhelmed, a deafening boom shook the ground. Smoke erupted from the western walls, and through the haze, I saw figures emerging cloaked warriors with their weapons drawn.
"Rebels," Gideon breathed.
I barely had time to react before I was pulled onto a waiting horse. A woman, her face half-hidden behind a mask, handed me the reins.
"Ride north," she commanded. "You will find sanctuary there."
"But"
"No time for questions," she cut me off. "Go, or die here."
With one last look at the burning city behind me, I kicked the horse into motion. The wind whipped through my hair as we rode into the night, leaving behind the ruins of my past.
But I was not leaving in defeat.
I was leaving to return.
And when I did, the empire would tremble.