Full Chapter – Before the Flames Break
Location: Abandoned military outpost on Velthar's southern border. The Flameborn prepare—for what may be their last mission together as just students.
The Briefing
A map of Velthar's palace sprawled across the table, pinned down by Hadi's glowing plasma shards and Max's shadow anchors.
"These are the original blueprints," Max said. "Prefortification. I pulled them from an archivist's mind using echosoul links. Before the Court corrupted the palace."
Grim nodded. Sparks hovered above the table, projecting faint images and whispers from her fragmented memory core.
"There's a passage here," she said, pointing with a flash of energy. "An escape route from the last royal purge. Hidden beneath the Chapel of Thorns. Leads straight into the king's wing."
"Sealed off since the Uprising," Ayesha said. "If it's still viable, we'll be ghosts in their walls."
"And if not?" Tristan asked.
"Then we light the whole castle up from the inside," Hadi grinned.
Team Formation
Grim divided them into groups:
Entry Team – Max, Ayesha, and Hadi:
Stealth. Sabotage. Disrupt the magical defenses protecting the inner palace.
Distraction Team – Tristan and Sparks (still incorporeal):
Stage a royal commotion on the southern steps—enough noise to keep eyes off the shadows.
Assault & Extraction – Grim and Seris (returning with them):
Breach the king's chamber once the wards drop. Guard him until the court arrives.
"You're trusting Seris?" Ayesha asked.
"She didn't betray her kingdom," Grim said. "They betrayed her first."
Seris smirked. "Besides… I like watching nobility squirm."
Training Sparks
Later that evening, Grim found Sparks alone—her glitching form hovering over the shattered glass pond near their camp.
"You're nervous," Grim said.
"I'm still code pretending to be a soul," she murmured. "What if I glitch when you need me most?"
He stepped closer.
"Then I'll catch you."
She blinked, her energy stabilizing briefly.
"You always do."
The Headmaster's Interference
A ripple of blue lightning struck the ground nearby—warped time magic.
Thorne appeared, his age in this moment around forty. Sharp eyes. Strange coat. No shoes.
"You little fireflies just can't stay quiet, can you?"
"You came to stop us?" Grim asked, arms crossed.
"No," Thorne said. "I came to give you this."
He tossed a goldetched token bearing the seal of the old monarchy.
"Royal override. Let's you override Velthar's inner wards. But only once."
Grim caught it. "Why?"
Thorne's smile faded.
"Because if he dies, the continent burns. And I hate fire unless I light it."
He vanished in a clockwork shimmer.
The Final Words
That night, before they moved, Grim gathered them.
"This isn't just a rescue. It's our message."
"To the Court?" Max asked.
"To everyone," Grim replied. "We're not forgotten relics. We're the future's flame. And if anyone tries to snuff us out—"
Sparks interrupted. "We burn brighter."
They moved before sunrise.