The sun had not yet risen when Seraphina emerged from the ruins, her fingers still glowing faintly with the energy of the Flame Mirror. The forest behind her was quiet, too quiet, like it had swallowed every whisper of truth she had just unearthed.
She didn't speak.
Vale, walking beside her, glanced sideways but didn't ask. The others sensed the change too. It wasn't fear. It was fire. A resolve burned inside her now, untamed and hungry.
They reached the edge of the forest by dawn. A small encampment awaited them—refugees, rebels, and soldiers who had joined Seraphina's cause over the past few months. The Empress's name no longer inspired loyalty. It inspired dread.
A young girl ran forward as they arrived, her eyes wide with hope. "Lady Seraphina, there's news!"
Seraphina knelt. "What news, little hawk?"
"The western fief has fallen. The Empress sent the Night Blades… they say they slaughtered even the children."
Seraphina's heart twisted. Rage surged through her veins. Behind her, the divine beast snarled low.
"No more running," Seraphina whispered. "No more waiting." She stood and turned to the gathered crowd, voice ringing like a bell through the cold morning air. "Gather every sword. Every banner. We march at dawn tomorrow."
There was a pause, then an eruption of cheers. Even through the grief and fear, her people believed in her. But belief alone wouldn't win a war.
---
Later That Day – Seraphina's Tent
The Flame Mirror fragment rested on the table before her, now cracked and humming with ancient power. Her fingers hovered above it.
Vale entered, face grim. "You plan to use it again?"
"Yes."
"You saw what it did to you."
"I saw what it revealed. I know the Empress's weakness now. She bleeds like any other."
Vale crossed his arms. "It's not her blood I fear—it's yours. Every time you touch that mirror, it feeds on you."
Seraphina smiled faintly. "That's why I must act before there's nothing left of me to feed on."
---
A Night Before the Battle – A Hidden Garden
She needed silence. She found it in the overgrown gardens of an old manor nearby. Moonlight danced across the wilted petals.
She wasn't alone.
The assassin sat near a fountain, sharpening his blade. "You never sleep before war?"
Seraphina shook her head. "And you?"
"I dream only of the faces I've killed."
They sat in silence for a while.
"I never wanted to be a ruler," she admitted. "I just wanted to save the villainess I thought I understood."
"You've become her."
"No. I've become myself."
The assassin looked at her, eyes unreadable. "And when it's all over?"
"I hope I'm still someone I can recognize."
---
Meanwhile – The Imperial Palace
The Empress stood in her private chamber, the air thick with incense. Her fingers danced over glowing runes on the walls—wards of protection and old forbidden spells.
Her spymaster approached, bowing low. "She's coming."
The Empress didn't turn. "I know. I can feel her. The mirror awakened her magic fully."
"The generals are… afraid."
"Let them be. Fear breeds obedience. But prepare the southern gates for collapse. I want Seraphina to march in—let her believe she's winning."
The spymaster hesitated. "Why?"
The Empress turned, her unveiled face as flawless as a statue—and just as cold. "Because I've waited seven years for her. And I want her to see everything fall before I tear her apart."
---
Next Morning – The March Begins
Trumpets sounded across the plains. Seraphina rode at the front, cloak billowing, her divine beast beside her in full battle form—feathers glowing, tail lashing like flame.
Vale, the assassin, and the knight captain rode behind her. They had no illusions. The Empress was a monster born of betrayal—but Seraphina was not the same frightened reader who once hated her through pages.
Now, she was her successor.
The gates of the southern capital gleamed in the distance.
Seraphina lifted her sword.
"This kingdom was built on lies," she shouted. "Let it burn… and from its ashes, we rise!"
The army roared.
And the final war began.
---
End of Chapter 24