Nernia
The palace walls felt too quiet, too still—as if the sea itself held its breath.
Nernia shifted beneath the silken sheets, pain a steady throb in her side where the blade had pierced too close. Every breath reminded her of the war that had nearly cost her life. Eleven days of relentless battle. Eleven days of Kaelen never leaving her side.
And yet… he never said the words again.
She sat up slowly, her body still aching, her skin marked by healing wounds. Outside, waves crashed against the shore, a rhythm as ancient as the prophecy that had haunted her since birth.
A knock came. It was soft, hesitant.
Kaelen.
He stepped inside with a bowl of crushed herbs and seawater. His usually cold expression had worn thin these days, replaced by quiet concern and shadows beneath his eyes.
"You should be resting," he murmured, not meeting her gaze.
"I'm tired of resting," she whispered, "I want answers, Kaelen. I want to know why we're chained to this fate."
He paused, setting the bowl down.
"There's something you should see."
Kaelen
The ancient scroll was hidden beneath the temple ruins—sealed away in a vault only accessible to the royal bloodline. He hadn't planned to show her. He'd wanted to protect her from the truth.
But that had nearly gotten her killed.
As she traced the faded ink with her fingers, Nernia's eyes widened. "This... this says the prophecy can be broken."
Kaelen nodded slowly. "But it demands a price."
"A heart willing to die for love," she read aloud.
Silence stretched between them.
"And if it's not given?" she asked, voice barely above a breath.
"Then the sea will reclaim its own."
She looked up at him, eyes burning with something fiercer than any storm. "Have you already decided to give your heart away to the sea, Kaelen?"
He turned from her, jaw tight. "It's easier than giving it to someone who will have to pay the price."
"But maybe…" she took a step closer, hand trembling as she brushed his fingers. "Maybe we can find a way where neither of us has to die."
Kaelen
He wanted to believe her. Stars, he wanted it more than anything. But the prophecy wasn't a fairytale—it was etched into the bones of their kingdom. A curse disguised as fate.
Still… in her presence, hope felt almost real.
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