Ashes of the FutureChapter 18 – The Shape of Shadows
Fog still lingered like a second skin over Tondc, a stubborn remnant of yesterday's rain. It clung to rooftops and crept between buildings, muffling the usual sounds of morning. Kira stood at the eastern watchtower, staring at the ghost-like silhouettes of trees beyond the walls. Her fingers were wrapped around a steaming cup of something bitter and vaguely herbal—courtesy of a village healer who insisted it would clear her mind.
She wasn't sure if it cleared anything, but it was warm, and right now, that was enough.
Behind her, boots thudded against the wood.
"You're up early," Lexa's voice came from behind, a husk of sleep still clinging to the edges.
"Couldn't sleep. Kept thinking about that spy," Kira replied without turning. "How many more are out there? Watching us from the dark?"
Lexa came to stand beside her. "Many. But fewer today, thanks to you."
Kira's laugh was low and humorless. "That's a temporary victory. They'll send more."
"Then we'll make them regret it."
They shared a quiet moment watching the forest. The mist was thick, but not impenetrable. Like the truths between them—dense, but not impossible to see through with effort.
"I've been thinking," Lexa began, voice careful, "about what you said. Needing time."
Kira finally glanced at her. "And?"
"I understand. But I want you to know, whatever this becomes, it doesn't have to wait until the war ends. We don't have that luxury. We live in slivers of peace. Moments between battles. If you want it… this… we make it work in the now."
Kira's expression softened. "You're good with words."
"Only when I mean them."
That afternoon, Indra summoned Kira for a training demonstration. A group of younger warriors had arrived from Trikru's outskirts, and Lexa wanted them to see her newest rising shadow in action.
The arena was a rough ring of packed earth surrounded by jagged wooden stakes and bored spectators. Kira stood opposite a tall Trikru youth with a chip on his shoulder and a heavy axe in his hand.
He grinned with all the arrogance of someone who'd never fought for his life.
"Don't worry, sky girl," he sneered. "I won't scar your pretty face."
Kira cocked her head. "That's funny. I was just thinking I'd break your nose."
Indra didn't intervene. She only gestured for them to begin.
The boy lunged.
Kira stepped sideways, fluid as smoke. Her fingers brushed his wrist and twisted. The axe clattered to the dirt. Before he could recover, she swept his leg out from under him and planted her foot against his throat.
It was over in five seconds.
The silence that followed was thick with disbelief.
Indra smirked. "Again."
They sparred for over an hour. Kira took on three more opponents, each tougher than the last. She didn't win every bout cleanly, but she won. Her reputation among the warriors rose with every blow.
Lexa watched from the shadows, arms folded. Pride was not something she wore openly, but today it etched itself quietly into her gaze.
When it was over, Kira walked toward her, bruised and grinning.
"Still think I'm too soft for Trikru?" she asked.
Lexa stepped closer. "You're sharper than most of them. Softer in the right ways."
Kira raised an eyebrow. "Was that a compliment or flirtation?"
"Yes."
Kira laughed, then winced and touched her ribs. "Okay, that one hurt."
"Come," Lexa said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know someone who can fix that."
In the healer's tent, while her bruises were being tended, Kira let her mind wander. She thought of her old world, of the people she'd left behind. She wondered if any of them would recognize her now—this version who bled beside warriors and traded glances with war queens.
She wasn't sure they would. She wasn't sure she wanted them to.
That night, the dream returned.
Fire. Screams. Lexa falling.
But this time, she reached her in time. Caught her before the arrow struck.
They fell together.
Woke together.
Kira bolted upright in the tent, breath ragged. Lexa stirred beside her, brows furrowed.
"Again?" she murmured.
Kira nodded.
Lexa reached out, slow and deliberate, fingers brushing hers. "You're not alone. Whatever it is, we'll face it together."
Kira looked at her, eyes shadowed but resolute. "I won't let you die."
"You may not get to choose."
"Then I'll break the rules."
Lexa smiled faintly. "I think you already have."
The next day brought word from the north. A small border village had been razed. Survivors fled toward Tondc, half-mad with grief. Azgeda had struck again.
Lexa assembled her commanders.
Kira stood beside her, no longer as an observer, but as a shadow equal.
"We hit back," one war chief growled.
"We bait them," another said. "Draw them into the marshes."
Kira listened, then stepped forward.
"Let me lead a small unit," she said. "We'll strike at their supply line. Disrupt their next move before it forms."
Lexa's expression was unreadable. "Dangerous."
Kira smiled. "That's what makes it effective."
Indra nodded. "I approve."
Lexa looked at her a long time before giving a single nod.
"Then go. And return."
"I will."
Kira turned and left with her strike team, blades sharp, eyes sharper.
Lexa watched her go, heart heavier than she liked to admit.
The shape of shadows had changed.
Now they had a name.
Kira.
End of Chapter 18
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