The streets of Veylon never slept. Knives flashed in alleys, whispers traded like gold, and betrayal was the heartbeat of the city. Ren walked them with Kael and Aria at his side, but even among the crowds, he felt alone. His Black Celestial pulsed with every lie spoken around him, drinking in the tension like poison.
They had barely survived the assassins at the inn. And now, rumors spread: A boy with the Black Celestial walks among us.
That was when the past caught up to them.
The attack came in the form of fire.
As they walked through the market square, a lance of flame tore through the air, scattering stalls into embers. People screamed, scattering.
Ren turned sharply but it wasn't Hollowborn. It was a group of mages, cloaked in red and gold, their staffs burning with the same patterns as Aria's Ember Chains.
At their lead stood a man with scarlet hair and sharp amber eyes. His Celestial mark glowed fiercely across his face, etching him in firelight.
"Aria Valenheart," he called, his voice echoing. "The guild has not forgotten. Or forgiven."
Ren glanced at her. Aria's face had gone pale. She whispered, "…Cairn."
Kael raised his blade. "Friend of yours?"
Aria's staff trembled in her grip. "Once. Before I betrayed him."
The fire mages attacked, flames raining down in chains and spirals. Ren and Kael darted forward, cutting down the onslaught, while Aria hesitated her staff raised, but her heart torn.
Cairn stepped forward, his fire lashing at her feet. "You swore to the guild. You swore never to betray us. And then you left. For what? For strangers?"
Aria's voice cracked. "You don't understand. They used us. They"
"Lies!" Cairn roared. His Celestial flared Celestial of Infernal Covenant. The flames surged, a tidal wave of fire consuming the square.
Ren's Black Celestial pulsed violently. Betrayal burned in the air but it wasn't his. It was Aria's. He felt it sink into his mark, feeding him unwanted strength. His vision darkened at the edges.
"Aria," he shouted, holding back Cairn's flames with his blade wreathed in black fire, "are you with us? Or against us?"
Aria's eyes widened. For a heartbeat, her smile flickered the false, secret smile Ren had seen since they met. A smile hiding guilt.
She clenched her staff. "I was the betrayer once. But not again."
Her Celestial blazed her chains of fire surged brighter than ever before, wrapping around Cairn's flames, binding them tight. She screamed as she fought, the magic tearing at her soul, but she didn't stop.
Kael charged, his Crimson Vow igniting, and struck Cairn's staff aside. "She's not yours to chain anymore!"
Ren leapt forward, his Black Celestial flaring with the weight of Aria's betrayal and her resolve. His blade cut through the inferno, piercing Cairn's defenses.
The battle ended in a clash of light and shadow, fire scattering into the night sky. Cairn fell to his knees, his Celestial mark flickering weakly.
He glared at Aria. "You will always be the betrayer."
Aria's staff lowered, her eyes trembling. "Maybe. But I will not betray them."
Ren's Black Celestial cooled, the whispers of power fading. For once, he didn't feel poisoned by betrayal. He felt… steadied.
Later, at the inn, silence lingered between them.
Kael broke it first, with a smirk. "So. You betrayed a whole guild of fire maniacs. Figures."
Aria shot him a glare. "It's not funny."
Kael leaned back in his chair. "Didn't say it was funny. Just means I'll be sleeping with one eye open now."
Ren finally spoke, his voice quiet but firm. "I don't care about your past, Aria. What matters is now. Don't betray us."
Aria met his eyes, her lips twitching into that familiar smile. But this time, it wasn't hiding. "…Then I won't."
The air between them felt lighter if only for a moment.
Outside, Veylon whispered still. The Kingdom of Silent Blades was not finished with them.
And neither was betrayal.