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đź“– Chronicles of the Watchers
Chapter 25: The Trial of Light
The Sun-Throne pulsed beneath Kairo, alive with fire. His veins burned as the priests circled him, chanting in a tongue older than the city itself. The chamber reeked of incense and blood.
The golden-masked high priest raised his staff. "The Dawn-Bearer will bless Kaelith. The mark has chosen. He must show the miracle."
Kairo's throat tightened. The chains that bound him shimmered, linking him to the throne's crystal veins. He could feel the city itself humming through him—its forges, its burning streets, even the heartbeat of its people.
And beyond it, a voice. Deep. Familiar.
"It is mine. All of it. Yours, if you yield."
Azariel.
Kairo squeezed his fists until his nails drew blood. "No…"
The priests dragged forward a prisoner—an old man, shackled, his body broken from years of labor. They threw him to the floor.
The high priest's voice rang like steel: "Heal him, Dawn-Bearer. Call the fire to mend what is broken. Show Kaelith you are chosen."
Kairo's pulse hammered. The throne urged him forward, golden fire rising in his hands. For a heartbeat, he thought he could do it—mend flesh, breathe strength into bone.
Then he saw the fire's hunger. It did not want to heal. It wanted to consume.
Azariel's voice pressed harder. "One spark. One surrender. Let me guide it, and the world will kneel."
Kairo's breath came ragged. He looked at the prisoner's terrified eyes, then at the priests kneeling in worship.
If he obeyed, he proved their prophecy true. If he refused, the old man would suffer more.
His chest burned, fire clawing out of him. "I… won't be your weapon."
The flames twisted, flaring wild, scorching the throne itself. The old man gasped—not healed, but his chains shattered, breaking apart in molten shards.
The chamber erupted in chaos.
Some priests screamed that it was heresy. Others cried it was a greater sign than healing. The high priest only stared, silent, as if he had seen a shadow move behind Kairo's defiance.
And in the silence of his mind, Azariel laughed. "Good. Break their chains, boy. Break them all. Every chain burns the same."
Kairo's heart shook. He had defied them, but at what cost?
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⚡ End of Chapter 25.