Chapter 105: The Price of Destiny

Kael’s body lay in Vaiolet’s arms, lifeless, cold. His skin, which had once been warm under her touch, now felt like marble. His eyes, those that had so often looked at her with devotion, were fixed on nothingness, their light extinguished forever.

Vaiolet couldn’t breathe. Her heart pounded so hard she felt it would burst in her chest, but at the same time, a sense of emptiness consumed her.

Kael was dead.

And her mother… her mother was alive.

Queen Emera slowly stood, her eyes still glowing with the magic that had brought her back. Her lips trembled, as if trying to comprehend what had happened. Her gaze fell on her daughter and the man lying beside her.

—What… what happened?— she asked, her voice trembling.

Vaiolet clenched her teeth, her chest rising and falling with ragged breaths.

—He…— Her voice broke. —He sacrificed himself for you.

Emera’s eyes widened in horror.

—No…

The energy of the Source still vibrated in the air, leaving a feeling of electricity and emptiness. The mages and warriors who had accompanied Vaiolet watched the scene in silence, unable to intervene in her pain.

Vaiolet trembled. Her body couldn’t take it anymore.

This was supposed to be the happy ending. Her mother was supposed to return, and everything was supposed to be fine. But it wasn’t.

Kael was dead.

And with him, a part of her.

—It can’t be…— Emera whispered, kneeling beside her daughter. With trembling hands, she touched Kael’s face, but his skin was ice-cold. The magic couldn’t bring him back.

Vaiolet closed her eyes tightly, feeling the tears overflow.

—I didn’t want this— she said, her voice shattered. —Not like this…

But it was too late.

The sacrifice had been made.

The kingdom would have its queen, but Vaiolet had lost the man who had risked everything for her.

The silence was broken when a loud rumble shook the fortress. Outside, the enemy army was still fighting, unaware that the fate of the kingdom had already changed forever.

—We must leave— said one of the mages. —We can’t stay here.

Vaiolet didn’t move.

She couldn’t.

Emera looked at her with her heart in her eyes.

—Daughter…

—I can’t leave him here— Vaiolet whispered.

But there was no choice.

With unbearable pain, Vaiolet allowed herself to be pulled away from Kael’s body. Her strength left her completely as her feet left the ground, and she felt her mother’s arms around her.

She had fought her entire life to bring her mother back.

But now, all she wanted was for Kael to return.

And she knew that would never happen.

As the queen held her, Vaiolet felt something inside her break. The fortress trembled around her, the echoes of battle resounded in the distance, but none of it mattered. Her entire being was trapped in the image of Kael, in the life they could never have, in the love that slipped through her fingers like sand.

A dull noise made her lift her head. In the distance, the enemy forces began to retreat, seeing that the Source of Life had been restored. Her soldiers had no idea of the sacrifice it had cost. They didn’t understand that victory had come at the price of a broken heart.

—Vaiolet… we must go— Emera whispered softly but urgently.

Vaiolet forced herself to stand, but she felt as if every step tore a piece of her soul away. She let her mother guide her, her gaze still fixed on Kael’s lifeless body.

—Bury him with honor— she ordered in a thread of a voice.

The soldiers nodded, and Vaiolet let a tear fall before turning and walking away.

From that moment on, nothing would ever be the same.

The wind howled across the desolate plain as the army returned to the castle. Victory was assured, but the air didn’t feel triumphant. The shadow of loss weighed too heavily on everyone.

Vaiolet rode in silence, her gaze lost on the horizon. Her mind was trapped in the last image of Kael, in the feeling of his lifeless body in her arms. There were no words, no comfort, no explanation that could make her feel anything other than that deep, tearing emptiness.

They had won, yes. The enemy had been defeated, her family no longer held power over the throne, and her mother had been restored as queen. But the victory had come at too high a cost.

—Daughter…— Emera whispered, riding beside her.

Vaiolet didn’t respond.

She couldn’t.

Her hands were clenched around the reins, and though her mother was alive, the feeling of having lost the most important thing in her life left her in a state of unbearable numbness.

The journey to the castle felt eternal. Each step of the horses raised dust and ash from past battles. Her soldiers, tired but proud, marched behind, carrying the wounds and scars of war.

When they finally reached the city gates, they were greeted with cheers and tears of joy. The people hailed them, celebrated the return of the queen, the defeat of the traitors, and the dawn of a new kingdom. But Vaiolet heard nothing.

For her, the world had been reduced to a distant whisper, to a sense of emptiness that even the roar of the crowd couldn’t fill.

The royal council was gathered in the great hall. They looked at Emera with reverence, but the queen didn’t address them. Her eyes were fixed on Vaiolet, on the weight her daughter carried on her shoulders.

—Vaiolet… It’s time to look to the future— Emera said gently. —You’ve done too much.

Vaiolet nodded mechanically. She knew her mother was right, but resting wouldn’t change anything. It wouldn’t bring Kael back. It wouldn’t erase the sacrifice.

That night, the princess locked herself in her room, without lighting the candles. The darkness was her only company.

She collapsed onto the bed, but sleep didn’t come. Her mind was trapped in the past, in the moment Kael had fallen.

She saw him in her memories: his tired smile, his hand in hers, the love in his eyes before life left him.

The pain consumed her, burning her from within.

She couldn’t go on like this.

With faltering steps, she got up and left her room. Her feet instinctively carried her to the highest tower of the castle, where the moon illuminated the night with a cold, silvery glow.

From there, the kingdom stretched out before her, vast and silent.

—Kael…— she whispered, feeling the weight of his absence crush her.

The wind caressed her face, as if it were his response.

She hugged herself, feeling the cold seep into her bones.

She knew she had a duty, that she had to move forward for her mother, for the people, for those who had fought by her side. But inside her, something was breaking.

She knew she couldn’t bear it much longer.