Elira stood at the edge of the battlefield, her eyes scanning the sea of bodies that lay in the wake of the battle. The cries of the wounded echoed across the plain, mixing with the distant sounds of the remaining Duras forces retreating into the fog. Victory, hard-won as it was, tasted bitter on her tongue. She could feel the weight of the fallen on her shoulders, the ghosts of the soldiers who had fought and died for this moment.
Kael dismounted from his horse, his expression as grim as ever. "We've captured one of their scouts. He was carrying more than just a map and orders."
Elira turned to him, her heart hammering in her chest. "What do you mean?"
Kael nodded to a small campfire where the Duras scout was being held, tied to a post. The man's face was bruised, his mouth bloodied from the beating he'd taken, but there was no mistaking the defiance in his eyes. He was a soldier—one who had chosen his allegiance.
Elira stepped forward, her gaze fixed on the scout. She didn't need to say anything for Kael to understand her intent. He stepped aside, allowing her to approach.
The scout looked up, sneering as she drew near. "You'll never win this war, woman. Duras will crush you all."
Elira knelt before him, her sword resting against her knee, the weight of her presence more menacing than any threat he could muster. "You're in no position to be making threats."
The scout spat at her feet, his defiance unwavering. "You think your little rebellion can stand against the might of Duras? You're nothing but pawns. You'll die just like the rest of them."
Elira's eyes narrowed, but she remained calm. She had learned long ago that anger was a weakness. "I'm not here to listen to your taunts. I'm here to ask you questions."
The scout's sneer faltered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. "You think I'll just tell you everything? You're wasting your time."
"You'd be wise to rethink your position," Elira said coolly. "Because if you don't start talking, I'll have no choice but to hand you over to the Blackthorn Syndicate. And they don't ask questions before they start cutting."
The scout's eyes flicked nervously to the shadows where the Syndicate's riders had disappeared. He had clearly heard the rumors about their methods. He knew the kind of men they were. The kind who never left survivors.
"Alright," he muttered, his voice low. "What do you want to know?"
"Who's the traitor in my ranks?" Elira's question was direct, her tone leaving no room for evasion.
The scout hesitated, his eyes darting around as if searching for a way out. But there was no escape. Not from her.
"You don't know what you're asking," he said finally, his voice trembling. "The one you trust most is the one who betrayed you. The one you've been keeping close."
Elira's heart skipped. "Who?"
The scout's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Corin."
The world seemed to tilt on its axis. Elira's breath caught in her throat as the word struck her like a physical blow. She stared at the scout, unable to process what he had just said. Corin—the one person she had trusted more than anyone. Her closest ally. Her friend.
"No," Elira said, shaking her head. "You're lying."
But the scout's expression remained unchanged. He met her gaze, his eyes filled with a bitter certainty. "He's the one who's been passing information to Duras. He's the reason the attacks were always timed so perfectly. He's the reason you're still here, because you never saw it coming."
Elira stood up slowly, her mind whirling. She could feel the walls of the camp closing in around her. The traitor was someone she never would have suspected. Someone she had fought beside. Loved beside. Her mind refused to accept it. It couldn't be true. Not Corin.
"I don't believe you," she said, her voice hollow. "You're trying to turn me against him."
"I don't need to try," the scout sneered. "The truth is plain, girl. You just don't want to see it."
Elira felt a surge of anger, but it wasn't directed at the scout. It was a cold, unrelenting rage that built inside her, aimed directly at Corin. She turned and stormed away from the campfire, her heart pounding in her chest.
Corin. Corin.
Her thoughts raced as she searched for him, pushing past soldiers who barely looked up as she passed. She had to confront him. She had to know the truth. Was it true? Had he been betraying her all this time?
When she found him, he was standing by the edge of the camp, his gaze fixed on the horizon. The quiet strength he always exuded was there, but there was something different in the air between them now. A tension. A distance.
"Elira," Corin said, his voice soft. "Are you alright?"
She didn't answer at first. She could feel her heart thundering in her chest, and her thoughts were a chaotic blur of confusion and anger. She wanted to scream at him, demand the truth, but she held herself back. She couldn't afford to let her emotions get the best of her now.
"Corin," she said, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to steady it. "The scout. He told me everything."
He didn't move. Didn't flinch.
"Elira, I—"
"Don't," she interrupted, her voice hardening. "I need to hear it from you. Was it true? Were you the one passing information to Duras?"
For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Corin's face remained unreadable, his eyes fixed on her with an intensity that made her stomach twist.
And then, slowly, he spoke.
"I never wanted this to happen," he said quietly. "But I had no choice."
Elira's heart sank. "No choice? You chose to betray us?"
"I didn't have a choice," Corin repeated, his voice thick with regret. "Duras threatened my family. They gave me an ultimatum. Help them, or they would kill everyone I love. I had to do it, Elira. I couldn't let them die."
Elira's breath caught in her throat, but there was no way to stop the flood of emotions that surged through her. The betrayal cut deeper than any wound she had ever felt.
"You lied to me," she whispered, her voice shaking. "You used me."
"No," Corin said, stepping forward. "I never meant to hurt you. I was trying to protect you, protect all of us. But in the end, I failed. I failed you."
Elira looked away, unable to meet his gaze any longer. The pain in her chest was suffocating. The man she had trusted, the one she had shared her battles with, was the very one who had betrayed her.
"I don't know who you are anymore," she said quietly, her voice cold as ice.
With that, she turned and walked away, her heart shattered in pieces behind her.