Lord of Deception

The letter arrived under the cover of night.

Slipped beneath her chamber door, sealed in black wax, its presence felt almost… forbidden.

Elara hesitated, fingers trembling as she picked it up.

She shouldn't open it.

She knew that.

But something about the dark seal, the elegant script of her name—it called to her.

The Hero was resting in the next room, his breathing uneven, his soul wounded from his exile.

She had spent years standing by his side.

Loving him. Supporting him.

And yet…

Somewhere, deep inside, a whisper of doubt had begun to fester.

Had he failed the people? Had he failed her?

With a quiet breath, she broke the seal and unfolded the parchment.

Her eyes scanned the words—Kael's words.

"Dearest Elara,"

"I hesitate to write, for I know the weight of your heart in these trying times. But I cannot stand idly by, knowing the burden you carry alone."

"You have given him your unwavering devotion. Yet now, you see what he has become—a man drowning in the consequences of his own failures."

"What of you, Elara? Do you not deserve more? To be more than just the woman who picks up his broken pieces?"

"The world sees you as merely the Hero's lover. But I see you, Elara. I see the woman whose kindness outshines the stars, whose spirit should not be shackled by another's ruin."

"He has fallen, and in his fall, he will drag you down with him."

"Ask yourself—are you prepared to fade into oblivion alongside a man who no longer stands for what he once was?"

"Or… will you allow yourself to embrace the destiny you were meant for?"

"I will not tell you what choice to make. But should your heart seek something more—"

"You know where to find me."

—Kael Ardyn

Elara's hands shook as she finished reading.

Her chest felt tight.

Her loyalty told her to burn the letter. To forget the words that dripped with such dangerous seduction.

And yet…

A small part of her whispered:

"What if he's right?"

She swallowed hard.

The Hero needed her.

Didn't he?

Then why did it feel like she was suffocating?

Elara clutched the letter to her chest, her mind a storm of doubt.

"You think she'll come?" Evelyne asked, arms crossed as she leaned against the stone balcony.

Kael gazed at the moonlit city, his expression unreadable.

"Not yet," he murmured. "But she will."

Evelyne scoffed. "You're playing with fire, Kael. She's devoted to him."

Kael smirked, turning to her. "Devotion is a fragile thing, Evelyne. It withers when left in the shadow of doubt."

Evelyne raised an eyebrow. "And if she doesn't break?"

Kael's fingers traced the rim of his wine glass.

"Then I'll break her myself."

A chill ran through the air.

Kael did not need Elara's love.

What he needed was to take everything the Hero cherished and turn it into his own.

The next morning, the Hero noticed the change.

Elara's touch wasn't as warm.

Her eyes lingered on him for too long, as if searching for something she couldn't find.

She smiled, but it was forced.

She kissed him, but there was hesitation.

He felt it.

And it terrified him.

"Elara," he whispered as they stood in the quiet of their small cottage. "Do you still believe in me?"

Elara opened her mouth—then paused.

A heartbeat of silence.

It was the longest moment of the Hero's life.

And in that single hesitation, he knew.

Doubt had already taken root.

He clenched his fists, trying to suppress the dread rising in his chest.

"No."

"I won't lose her."

"I can't."

To be continued....