Scene 1 – The Shattered Shackles
The sound of the chains breaking echoed like thunder. Golden fragments burst outward, dissolving into sparks that floated down like embers from a dying forge.
Jemil's knees almost buckled. His body screamed in pain, every nerve alight. The burning mark carved across his chest glowed brighter now, the jagged lines reaching down to his ribs and creeping up toward his throat. Each pulse of it felt like a heartbeat that wasn't his own, a rhythm forced upon him.
Kaelina caught him before he collapsed. Her arms were strong, but trembling. Not from weakness—never from weakness—but from the weight of the moment.
"You chose me…" she whispered, her voice breaking, her forehead pressing against his. Her breath trembled across his lips. "You defied her."
Jemil's mouth quirked into the faintest of smiles, even as blood dripped from his lip. "Kaelina… I'll always choose you. Shackles or eternity… I'll choose you."
