Kaelrith had never trusted royalty.
And today, he didn't plan to start.
He stood in the practice arena, sword in hand, glaring at the prince who now walked Blackspire's halls as if he belonged.
> "You're a threat," Kaelrith said coldly, circling him. "Royal blood or not."
Caelan didn't flinch. He drew his blade—unenchanted, a soldier's steel.
"I didn't come here to fight."
Kaelrith moved like lightning, blade striking forward.
"Too bad," he growled.
Their swords clashed.
Steel rang against steel, a flash of sparks lighting the training arena. Blackspire's guards watched in tense silence, unsure whether to interfere.
But Seraphina stood with arms crossed, watching without blinking.
> "Let them fight," she said.
> "If one breaks, we'll know where his loyalty lies."
---
Kaelrith moved with brutal precision, his strikes trained to kill, not spar. Caelan, to his credit, parried with surprising grace. He wasn't just a pampered prince—he'd been trained for war.
Still, Kaelrith had fury on his side.
> "You wear the same crest as the woman who tried to murder Seraphina seventeen years ago," he growled.
Caelan blocked a heavy blow and slid back.
> "And you act like you own her. Like she's some prize you protect."
The next clash was vicious.
Kaelrith's blade came within inches of Caelan's throat.
"You don't get to talk about her."
"I'm not here to take her," Caelan snapped. "I'm here to stand beside her. Because I—"
He stopped himself.
But Kaelrith saw it in his eyes.
"Because you love her?"
Caelan didn't answer.
He dropped his blade.
"I won't fight you," he said. "Not for her. Not against her."
Kaelrith's sword hovered near Caelan's neck.
Then, slowly, he lowered it.
"Prove it," he said. "Swear your sword to the girl. Not the crown. Not your bloodline. To Liliana."
Caelan met Seraphina's gaze across the arena.
Then knelt.
And pressed his sword into the stone.
"I swear my blade to Liliana of Flame. From this day, until my last."
---
> System Update: Oath of the Flame
Prince Caelan has formally pledged allegiance to Liliana
Royal Loyalty: Broken
Alliance Path Locked In: Fireborn Triad (Seraphina, Liliana, Caelan)
Kaelrith Approval: +20% (Tolerated Ally)
---
Later, Seraphina found Caelan tending to his bruises in the healer's wing. She leaned against the doorway, watching as he dabbed at a split lip with a cloth.
"You knew he'd challenge you," she said.
He looked at her, half-smiling.
"I'd be disappointed if he hadn't."
"You didn't have to swear the oath."
"Yes, I did," he said. "Because the only way to change the future… is to choose a side now."
She walked closer, her voice lower.
"And which side is that, Caelan?"
He looked at her—tired, bruised, and quietly sincere.
> "Yours."
She didn't answer.
But for the first time in a long while, Seraphina allowed herself to hope.
---
Meanwhile, back at the royal palace, the Queen stood before a massive obsidian door deep beneath the castle.
Beside her, the High Magister quivered.
"This… this is forbidden magic," he whispered. "It was sealed for a reason."
The Queen didn't look at him.
"Unseal it."
The magister hesitated. "Even the dragons feared what lies beyond—"
"I am no dragon," the Queen snapped. "And I do not fear forgotten gods."
With a wave of her hand, glyphs across the door flared crimson.
The runes cracked.
Chains rattled.
And the door opened.
Behind it was a sleeping giant—a creature of molten armor and endless hunger. Chained by divine shackles.
Its name was once lost to time.
But now, it opened its eyes and spoke a single word:
> "Flame…"
The Queen smiled.
"Wake up, my pet. Your daughter awaits."
---
> System Alert: Forbidden Weapon Activated
"The Scorched Titan" – An ancient war construct has been awakened
Queen's Forces: +1 Cataclysm-Class Summon
Time to Arrival at Blackspire: 36 hours
---
Back at Blackspire, the night passed in fire-colored dreams.
Liliana awoke gasping, flames swirling in her palms.
Seraphina rushed in, wrapping her arms around her.
"Another vision?" she asked.
Liliana nodded.
"There was something… burning. A monster. It was looking for me."
Seraphina's heart sank.
She remembered the legends—the Scorched Titan, once sealed beneath the palace after the Flame Wars.
"Get Kaelrith," she whispered. "Now."
---
By dawn, Seraphina stood in the war chamber with every general, mage, and strategist Blackspire had.
She placed a crystal orb at the center of the table. Liliana touched it, and an image flared—of a black-armored giant walking through fire, earth crumbling beneath its steps.
"It's coming here," Seraphina said. "The Queen has unleashed her final card."
"And it's coming for the child," Kaelrith muttered.
"Not just her," Seraphina corrected. "It's coming for all of us."
Vex, the mage, stepped forward.
"There's an ancient counterspell—but it needs three casters. All with a link to the fireline."
Seraphina looked at Liliana.
Then at Caelan.
Then back at herself.
Three flames.
Three fates.
Three who must stand together.
"Then we burn brighter than ever before."
---
> System Main Quest Activated: "Stand of the Flameblood"
Objective: Prepare for the Titan's arrival
Victory Condition: Seal or destroy the Scorched Titan
Casters Required: 3 (Liliana, Seraphina, Caelan)
Countdown to Battle: 36 Hours