Kaevryn POV
The moment I step into the chamber, heat crashes into me like a living thing.
Servants are screaming.
Smoke curls toward the ceiling as flames climb hungrily across the silk curtains near the windows. Panic spreads through the room in violent waves, people stumbling over themselves in desperation to escape.
"She's lost control!"
"Get away from her!"
"The room is burning!"
One servant nearly falls while rushing past me.
But I barely notice any of them.
My eyes remain fixed on Elyasan.
She stands frozen at the center of the chamber, her breathing uneven as golden light flickers beneath her pale skin like trapped sunlight trying to escape. The air around her ripples with dangerous heat.
Fear.
That is what fills the room.
Everyone is afraid of her.
Everyone except three people.
Lady Lysandra remains standing near Elyasan despite the fire spreading around the chamber.
Seraphine stands farther back, though the arrogance on her face is gone now. Her expression has shifted into stunned disbelief.
And me.
I walk forward slowly.
"Your Highness!" someone shouts. "Do not go near her!"
I ignore them completely.
Another curtain catches fire behind Elyasan, flames rising higher this time.
The servants scream again and flee the room entirely.
Within moments, only a few guards remain at the entrance too afraid to move closer.
Elyasan does not even seem aware of the destruction around her.
Her eyes look distant.
Panicked.
Lost.
Like she is somewhere far away from this room.
"Elyasan."
My voice comes out calm despite the chaos.
Her gaze snaps toward me instantly.
The golden light around her flickers harder.
For one dangerous second, the heat intensifies so sharply that even I feel it against my skin.
But I do not stop walking.
Slowly, I approach her.
"It is alright," I say quietly.
Her breathing trembles.
No one has ever looked less alright.
"I…" Her voice breaks softly. "I did not mean…"
Another burst of heat spreads through the room.
The flames behind her rise higher.
Lady Lysandra quickly orders the guards to put them out, but my attention never leaves Elyasan.
She looks terrified.
Not of us.
Of herself.
Something twists painfully in my chest at that realization.
"Look at me," I tell her softly.
And she does.
Gods.
Those eyes.
There is so much fear inside them that it almost unsettles me.
"You are safe," I say carefully.
The words feel strange leaving my mouth.
Safe.
I do not know why I say them.
But the moment she hears them, something changes.
The violent heat in the room begins to weaken.
The golden light flickering beneath her skin slowly fades.
Her shoulders tremble once.
Then twice.
Like she has been holding herself together for too long.
I take another step closer.
Close enough now to see the tears gathered in her eyes.
"It is over," I murmur.
For a moment, Elyasan simply stares at me.
Then slowly…
The panic leaves her face.
Not completely.
But enough.
Enough for her body to finally give up.
The second her knees buckle, I catch her instantly.
The room falls silent.
Elyasan collapses against my chest unconscious.
And for some reason I cannot explain…
Relief floods through me first.
"She needs a healer immediately," Lysandra says, finally moving toward us.
"No."
Both women look at me sharply.
I tighten my hold around Elyasan carefully.
"She will not wake up surrounded by frightened healers and rumors."
Seraphine crosses her arms.
"And where exactly do you plan to take her?"
I glance down briefly at Elyasan's unconscious face before answering.
"My chambers."
Seraphine's brows rise immediately.
Lysandra, however, says nothing.
She only watches me carefully.
As if she notices something I do not.
Without another word, I carry Elyasan out of the burning chamber.
—
The fire had been contained quickly.
But the rumors?
Those spread faster than flames ever could.
By nightfall, nearly the entire palace knew what happened.
I sit near the large window inside my bedchamber while the healers quietly finish checking Elyasan before leaving.
She still has not awakened.
Golden candlelight flickers softly across her sleeping figure.
George stands beside me silently for a while before speaking.
"The servants are terrified."
"Servants are always terrified of something."
"This is different."
I already know that.
I lean back slightly in my chair, my gaze remaining fixed on Elyasan.
She looks smaller unconscious.
Softer.
Nothing like the dangerous creature everyone saw earlier.
George exhales quietly.
"They are calling it Sunfire."
My jaw tightens faintly.
Of course they are.
"They think she cursed the room."
"She nearly burned it down."
"She lost control," I correct coldly.
George grows quiet again.
Then—
"You care about her."
I finally look at him sharply.
"Careful."
"I am serious."
I look away again immediately.
"She is important to the kingdom."
"That is not what I meant."
Annoyance flickers through me.
George has always noticed too much.
"She is unstable," I say flatly. "That power could become dangerous if left unchecked."
"But you still walked toward her."
Silence.
Because he is right.
I did.
When everyone else ran…
I walked closer.
George studies me knowingly before lowering his voice slightly.
"She looked calmer when you spoke to her."
Something about those words unsettles me.
I glance toward Elyasan again.
Even unconscious, there is sadness written across her face.
Like pain follows her even into sleep.
George folds his arms.
"What if the problem is not her power?"
I frown slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"What if the problem is this palace?"
The room falls quiet after that.
Outside, the night wind moves softly against the windows.
And for the first time since bringing Elyasan here…
I begin to wonder if perhaps this kingdom may destroy her long before she ever learns how to survive it.
George stands near the window, arms folded, watching her for a long moment before speaking.
"How did you know something was happening?" he asks quietly.
I do not look away from her when I answer.
"My scar."
George straightens slightly.
That alone is enough to make him understand I am not speaking lightly.
"It woke again," I continue, voice lower now. "But this time… it was different."
A pause.
My jaw tightens slightly.
"My wolf called out."
George frowns. "Your wolf?"
I exhale slowly through my nose.
"The part of me that is supposed to be dead…" I correct him curtly. "It reacted."
Silence settles between us.
Even George, who has known me long enough to question almost everything, says nothing for a moment.
Then carefully, he asks, "To her?"
I finally glance away from Elyasan and toward him.
"Yes."
My answer is simple.
But it carries weight neither of us ignores.
"I heard it before I even reached the hall," I continue. "Not words… not fully. Just… a pull. A call. Like something inside me refused to stay silent."
My fingers tighten faintly at my side.
"And all I could do was follow it."
George studies me for a long moment, expression unreadable.
Then, slightly lighter, he says, "That sounds dangerously like fate, Your Highness."
A faint exhale leaves my nose.
"Do not start with fate."
A small smirk tugs at his lips.
"I would never dare."
The tension eases slightly between us.
George glances at Elyasan again, his expression softening just a fraction.
"She almost burned half the chamber."
"I noticed."
"And yet…" he hesitates. "You still brought her here instead of leaving her with the healers."
My gaze returns to Elyasan.
Unconscious.
Silent.
Still.
"…Yes," I say simply.
George nods slowly, as if that answers more than I intended.
Then he straightens.
"I should return to my post."
I finally look at him.
"George."
He pauses.
"If anyone asks," I say carefully, "she was moved here for security reasons."
His lips twitch slightly.
"Of course, Your Highness."
A beat.
Then more seriously, he adds, "And Kaevryn…"
I glance up again.
"Be careful."
I do not respond immediately.
Because there is nothing simple about what he is implying.
Finally, I nod once.
George gives a short bow before heading toward the door.
But just before he leaves, he glances back at Elyasan one last time.
Not with fear.
Not anymore.
With something closer to concern.
Then he exits quietly, leaving the room in silence once more.
And I remain standing there.
Watching the girl who set half a room on fire…
And somehow still managed to be the one thing I followed without hesitation.