Chapter 16 – Before the Collapse
Ashes of the Realm: A Solareth Chronicle
Scene 1: After He Left
The fire had burned down to dim orange embers, whispering softly like it knew a secret. Its glow cast faint shadows across the forest clearing. Morning mist hovered at the edges of the trees, and the chill in the air bit against their skin, but none of them moved to add wood. The warmth was fading, and so was everything else.
Kris sat near the dying fire, his blade laid across his lap. He wasn't polishing it or preparing for another battle. Just holding it. Letting his fingers run along the dull edge where it had locked with Vinam's. Again. And again.
He hadn't noticed it before—how many scars the metal held. Tiny dents, shallow scratches. It had defended him so many times, yet now it felt heavy. Not from exhaustion, but from what it had almost done: hurt someone he once trusted more than himself.
Zagan stood a few feet away, his arms crossed and his eyes fixed on the treeline. He hadn't said a word since Vinam disappeared. Not one. But his fingers drummed lightly against his sleeve, over and over. That was Zagan's tell. He was thinking. Strategizing. Or maybe...
Maybe he was trying not to feel.
Footsteps crunched lightly through the underbrush behind them. Kris didn't look up.
"Took you long enough," he muttered.
Jessica appeared, her expression tense. She had blood on her hands—not her own. Likely a bandage from the earlier scuffle. She knelt between them, glancing at Zagan first, then Kris.
"Where is he?" she asked. Her voice was sharp. Demanding.
Zagan didn't answer. Kris exhaled, shoulders slumping forward.
"Gone," he said quietly.
Jessica blinked. "Gone where?"
"He opened a portal. Said he had to leave before... it took over."
"'It'? You mean the sword?"
Zagan finally turned to face her. His expression was hard. Colder than usual.
"Ruinbloom. The real form of the Blooming Destroyer."
Jessica stared between them. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came. Then she stood.
"You let him go? Just like that?"
"We didn't let him," Kris replied. "We couldn't stop him."
She took a step back, shaking her head. "You two are some of the strongest mages in the realm. And you're telling me you couldn't stop one boy?"
Zagan clenched his fists. "He wasn't just a boy. Not anymore."
The words lingered in the air, suspended between memory and disbelief.
Jessica folded her arms. "So what now? Do we just sit here and wait for him to come back with that cursed blade and—"
SFX: Distant galloping. Hooves on dirt. Fast. Urgent.
All three turned at once.
From the trees burst a figure on horseback, armor glinting under the sun. A Solareth rider. His cloak was torn, one side of his face bloodied. The horse stumbled to a stop, nearly collapsing under the strain.
"Kris! Lady Jessica! Lord Zagan!"
Kris stepped forward, sword sliding into its sheath.
"What happened?"
The rider nearly fell off his saddle. He handed Kris a sealed scroll, struggling to speak.
"Cromos... has declared war. Total war."
Jessica froze. Zagan's eyes narrowed.
"When?"
"Hours ago. Their commanders are already inside Solareth's borders. Zascare. Nihra. And another. One we've never seen before."
The rider coughed violently, spitting blood.
"You must return. Now. The King has ordered it. The capital—"
He collapsed.
Jessica rushed forward to catch him.
"He's burning up. Gods, what did they do to you?"
The rider looked at her, eyes barely open.
"The sky turned black," he whispered. "It... cracked."
Then he passed out.
Scene 2: The Ride Back
They rode hard.
The forest blurred around them, hooves slamming against the earth. None of them spoke. There was no time. Only silence and wind.
Kris rode ahead, teeth clenched.
"We were supposed to be recovering," he said. "One day. Just one day."
"This isn't coincidence," Zagan replied.
Jessica pulled up alongside them. "You think this was planned? Vinam leaving, and then Cromos attacking?"
"Maybe not planned," Zagan said. "But timed. Or sensed."
Kris's knuckles tightened around the reins. "So what are you saying? That Vinam tipped them off?"
Zagan didn't answer.
Jessica glanced at him, eyes narrowing.
"Do you still trust him?"
"I don't know anymore."
Scene 3: Ashes on the Horizon
By late afternoon, the skyline of Solareth came into view—or what was left of it.
Pillars of smoke coiled upward. The walls had been breached in two places. Craters lined the outer districts. The magical barrier shimmered faintly, flickering like it was on its last breath.
"Gods..." Jessica whispered.
Zagan pulled his horse to a stop, standing in his stirrups to get a better view.
"Zascare's magic," he said. "Those shockwaves. They're breaking the leyline anchors."
Kris nodded. "If the central ward collapses, the palace will fall."
Jessica drew her blade. "Then we make sure that doesn't happen."
Kris's eyes burned.
"We fight. With or without him."
Scene 4: The First Strike
The gates of Solareth were a battleground.
Guards clashed with armored monstrosities. Fireballs lit the sky. The streets were chaos incarnate.
As the trio dismounted, Zagan immediately summoned a ward to shield a group of civilians.
"Get to the eastern shelter! Move!"
Kris charged forward, slicing through a wave of enemy soldiers with a burst of blue flame.
Jessica ducked under a collapsing beam, shielding a child as she punched a brute across the street.
They were a blur—three warriors cutting through the tide.
And then the world seemed to slow.
From the heart of the battle came a booming laugh.
"There you are."
Zascare emerged, blade in one hand, a crown of bones upon his head. Behind him, Nihra hovered in midair, her eyes glowing violet. The third figure stood shrouded in shadow.
"Solareth's champions," Zascare sneered. "Where is the broken one? The boy with the cursed sword?"
Zagan stepped forward.
"Gone. And you should be grateful."
Zascare grinned. "I wanted to see what broke him. Guess I'll have to settle for what's left of you."
Kris raised his sword. "We're not what we were."
Zagan's magic flared.
Jessica cracked her knuckles. "We're stronger."
Scene 5: Last Light
They fought.
Magic collided. Blades clashed. Screams filled the air.
Kris deflected a blast from Nihra, barely dodging Zascare's follow-up strike. Jessica summoned a barrier just in time to block the shadowy figure's whip-like weapon.
Zagan spun through the chaos, casting sigils into the air.
But it wasn't enough.
Their energy was draining.
They were winning battles, not the war.
Zagan narrowed his eyes through the smoke and blood. Then, without warning, he raised his voice over the din.
"Zascare!"
The battlefield quieted for just a breath.
Zagan stepped forward, flames rippling at his feet, eyes glowing.
"You and me. One-on-one. Right now."
Zascare tilted his head, intrigued.
"Trying to play hero, are we?"
"No games," Zagan growled. "You want power? Come take it."
Kris reached out. "Zagan, don't—"
Zagan didn't look back. "Get to the palace. Protect the King. I'll hold him here."
Zascare's grin widened. "Finally. A challenge."
And with that, they surged toward each other, the battle about to change forever.
To be continued...