Title: Crimson Thrones: Volume 147 – The Hidden Betrayer
By Sabbir Ahmed
Veyrath had survived the Core of the kingdom—but survival bore scars invisible to the eye.
The leyline beneath the city had been stabilized, yet residual fractures remained. Strange whispers haunted the corridors of the palace, shadows moved where none should exist, and the Unforgotten felt subtle gaps in their memories. Something—or someone—had exploited the chaos of the Core battle, leaving a wound within the kingdom itself.
Seraphine convened the council, her eyes sharp as blades. "We fought the Shrouded Veil openly," she said, "but one of our own has betrayed us."
Gasps rippled through the chamber. Kaelen stepped beside her, quiet fire flickering along his palms. "Betrayal is a shadow," he said. "It thrives in trust, patience, and fear. And this one has hidden well."
The child of continuity appeared, older and still untouchable by time. "They have left traces only a mind attuned to continuity can detect," the child said. "The hidden betrayer moves through memory and shadow alike. To confront them, you must unravel not just lies, but the gaps within yourselves."
The investigation began. The Unforgotten combed the palace and surrounding lands, tracing fragments of memory, subtle distortions in reality, and lingering whispers that did not belong. Slowly, an unsettling truth emerged: the Shrouded Veil had never truly left—they had placed an agent within the heart of Veyrath during the chaos of the Core battle.
Seraphine's heart sank as she realized the magnitude of the threat. The betrayer was close, someone trusted, someone whose knowledge of the kingdom and its people could undo everything. And unlike the Veil's previous assaults, this enemy did not strike openly. They manipulated hearts and minds, twisting perception, making allies question each other, and forcing the Unforgotten to confront fears they thought long buried.
Kaelen placed a hand over Seraphine's. "We've faced impossible odds before," he said. "But this is different. This is not just power. This is trust itself being weaponized."
The first confrontation came when the betrayer revealed themselves—not in battle, but in council. A former advisor of Seraphine's, thought loyal, stepped forward, eyes cold and unwavering. "The Shrouded Veil wins where kingdoms trust blindly," the traitor said. "And now, Veyrath will bend beneath our hands."
The Unforgotten formed a circle around the traitor, their combined clarity pushing back the web of deception. Yet the betrayer was cunning, weaving illusions and half-truths to fracture their unity. Even Kaelen and Seraphine were forced to confront doubts about decisions they had made, memories they had trusted, and bonds they had believed unbreakable.
Seraphine's voice rang out, cutting through the fog of deceit. "Memory is not just knowledge—it is choice. And we choose Veyrath. We choose each other."
Kaelen's quiet fire flared, a living light that anchored perception and strengthened bonds. The Unforgotten pressed forward, not with anger, but with unity, unraveling the layers of deception.
The betrayer's mask cracked, revealing fear beneath the cunning. "You… you cannot understand," they hissed.
Seraphine stepped closer, eyes blazing. "We understand enough. You underestimated the strength of what binds us: love, memory, and the courage to face ourselves."
The first victory against betrayal had been won—but whispers remained. Shadows lingered in corners, fractures persisted in the leyline, and the Shrouded Veil's presence still haunted Veyrath.
Kaelen tightened his grip on Seraphine's hand. "We've survived Core, Shadows, and Mirrors," he said. "But the war within our walls… this will test the kingdom—and us—like never before."
And somewhere deep in the darkness, the Shrouded Veil watched, smiling.
Even when exposed, the true threat always hides in plain sight…