Elara stared, lips parted—still stunned, but something in her eyes glittered with curiosity…
Kael, inwardly, exhaled.
It worked.
Kael dropped to his knees, sweat clinging to his brow, chest heaving.
He thought—finally… maybe now, life will be easy.
But fate, as always, had other plans.
The High Priest raised a hand.
The roaring coliseum fell silent, the echo of divine hysteria still humming beneath their breath.
In a reverent, booming voice, the priest declared,
"This one—Kaelion Drenlor—is favored by the War God Thalrik. I knew from the beginning he would triumph."
Kael snorted under his breath. Liar.
But then came the words that froze even the summer sun in its tracks.
"And so I speak now not as man, but as vessel. Let the record of this day be carved into temple stone and royal chronicle alike:
We declare Kaelion Drenlor—the Prophesied Child."
A heavy silence dropped like an axe.
The Duke's eyes widened.
The Duchess gasped.
Kael blinked. The what?
He turned slowly, eyes darting to Yue, who floated smugly above the stage, her hands covering her mouth—not from laughter this time, but horror.
"You…" Kael whispered. "What does that even mean?"
Yue lowered her hands, voice flat:
"It means you've just been named the one destined to defeat ancient evil, restore balance, and probably get killed in the process."
Kael groaned internally. What. The. Hell.
But before he could recover—
Elara stood.
Elegant. Composed. Beautiful. Dangerous.
"I wish to propose a marriage alliance," she said clearly, every word slicing through the air like a dagger.
"With Kaelion."
Silence again.
This one... deeper.
Yue didn't laugh.
She just looked at Kael.
With pity.
Real pity.
Suddenly, Kael felt a bead of sweat trace down the back of his neck.
Not from the sun—it wasn't that hot.
Not from exhaustion—he'd faked worse.
No, this was different.
He turned.
Selene stood in the shadow of a pillar.
Still. Silent. Unmoving.
Her face was blank—eerily so.
No smile. No joy. No confusion.
Just… nothing.
But her eyes—those eyes held storms. Deep, quiet, and watching him with terrifying focus.
Kael's breath hitched.
But her eyes—those eyes held storms. Deep, quiet, and watching him with terrifying focus.
Kael's breath hitched.
He had felt fear before—real fear.
The kind that clawed at your chest when facing a wild beast twice your size.
The cold, creeping dread when cornered by undead horrors.
Even the suffocating pressure of standing before the Divine General had been manageable.
But this?
This was different.
This was ultimate fear.
Not of death, but of unknown intent wrapped in the quiet of someone who had always smiled for you… and suddenly stopped.
Selene turned without a word and walked toward the house, her steps slow, measured—controlled.
Kael instinctively moved to follow.
Yue floated in front of him, stopping him with a ghostly hand to his chest.
"Don't," she said, softly. "It'll only make it worse."
Kael swallowed. "But—"
"No. Trust me. Right now… you're safer in front of an angry crowd than behind a closed door with ...her."
Kael stood frozen.
The cheers in the background faded into static.
He wasn't sure what just shifted, but the air around him had turned sharp.
Something had begun—and it wasn't divine.
The duke cleared his throat, voice steady despite the roar that had just swept through the arena.
"As Kaelion has emerged victorious in this duel—and has proven his point regarding the attempted poisoning—let it be known that Aerik Drenlor is to be taken into custody. Effective immediately."
A murmur ran through the crowd, followed by thunderous cheers.
Aerik, still slumped and barely conscious, was dragged away by palace guards—his face a mix of fury and disbelief.
Kael remained silent, his pulse still recovering from the spectacle.
The duke raised a hand again, commanding silence with the weight of authority.
"And as for Her Highness's... proposal," the duke said, voice slower now,
"Our house accept it. The alliance between House Drenlor and the Imperial Line shall proceed."
Cheers erupted once more—louder, longer, jubilant.
Kael blinked. Once. Twice.
He looked around in disbelief.
Did he just skip asking me?
"Wait—what?" Kael muttered, loud enough for Yue beside him to hear.
She floated just above his shoulder, deadpan.
"Congratulations. You're now engaged. Now."
Kael opened his mouth, then shut it. The crowd was already celebrating.
He was a hero. A divine chosen. A prophesied child.
And now... a political pawn also.
Great, he thought, trying to keep the smile on his face as he waved to the people.
Just fantastic.
###
The coliseum had emptied.
Cheers faded into the wind, leaving only drifting dust and the lingering echo of names shouted too many times.
Kael stood alone near the dueling platform, watching as Elara stepped into her carriage—silent, composed, and unreadable. She didn't look back.
Not once.
He took a hesitant step forward. Elara… he thought. There was so much to ask—why she came, why she proposed, why she said nothing now.
But the carriage rolled away.
"…What's running through your damn mind?" he muttered, jaw tight.
The silence answered him.
With a long breath, Kael turned away, shoulders heavy. The applause, the divine lie, the sudden elevation—all of it meant nothing now.
Yue floated beside him with an exaggerated clap.
"Well! That went great. The princess fled, the crowd screamed, and now… you're marching into a storm with a girl who sharpens hairpins."
Kael didn't smile.
He looked toward the quiet eastern wing of the Duke's estate. Selene would be there. Waiting.
He didn't know what to expect—but dread coiled in his chest.
Yue grinned, spinning midair. "You're really going? Brave. Stupid, but brave."
Kael didn't answer. He just walked.