In a realm where vows are sacred law, and to speak is to shape fate, Aralyndra—the last daughter of a forgotten bloodline—is forced into a marriage that will unify the warring kingdoms… or destroy them.

But on the night of her wedding, when the stars bleed and the sky splits open, an exiled god falls from the heavens—Karna, the man once denied the Throne of Heaven. With dragons in his wake and vengeance in his blood, he speaks a single name:

> “Astraeva.”



A name she doesn't remember.
A name the gods fear.

Now hunted by kings, betrayed by prophets, and haunted by memories she never lived, Aralyndra must reclaim the truth buried in her blood. For she is more than mortal. She is the voice that once gave birth to reality itself.

And as ancient machines rise, dragons choose new riders, and forgotten gods crawl from the cracks of history, the world teeters on the edge of a war it cannot survive.

The final throne is empty.
The gods are waiting.
And the vow that could save them all… might burn everything to ash.

> "An oath once sworn is a bond forged in fire—


but when broken, it can burn the world."


The air was thick with tension as Ashmarch's council gathered once again under the shattered dome. The fragile unity forged in the Council of the Forsaken now trembled on the edge of collapse.


Aralyndra stood tall, but her eyes betrayed a storm within. News had arrived of a betrayal—a pact broken by one of their own.


> "How could this happen?" Karna's voice was low but sharp. "Who among us would betray the cause?"


Saelira's hands clenched her Fragment tightly. "The Usurper's reach is longer than we imagined."


> "It was Kaelen—the god of storms. He has broken his vow and taken a secret alliance with the Usurper."


Mirael's eyes narrowed. "He's played us all. Feeding information, weakening our defenses."


Aralyndra's heart clenched. Trust was their strongest weapon—and now it was shattered.


Determined to confront the traitor, Aralyndra dispatched a covert team—herself, Karna, Saelira, and Thorne among them.


Their mission: track Kaelen, uncover the truth, and if needed, bring him to justice.


The trail led into the tempestuous skies above the Folded Mountains—Kaelen's domain.


The mountains raged with fierce winds and violent storms, reflections of Kaelen's torment and rage.


Lightning crackled ominously as the team pressed forward.


> "He's hiding in the eye of the storm," Karna said.


Aralyndra's grip on Whispersong tightened. "Then we'll find him there."


At the summit, Kaelen awaited—his eyes wild with fury and desperation.


> "You think you understand the war," he spat. "But I do what I must to survive."


> "By betraying your own?" Aralyndra demanded.


> "The Usurper offers power. Stability. The world cannot survive divided."


Words turned to battle as Kaelen summoned storms of lightning and wind.


Aralyndra countered with songs of binding and truth.


Karna's Truthbreak clashed with Kaelen's bolts, sparks flying.


Saelira chanted to protect her allies, her Fragment glowing fiercely.


Kaelen's rage peaked, threatening to engulf them all.


But Aralyndra's voice rose above the tempest.


> "You break the very bonds that keep us alive."


A sudden strike from Karna disrupted Kaelen's attack, forcing him to stagger.


> "This war is not about power," Aralyndra said. "It's about choice. Freedom. Hope."


> "I… will consider your words," he murmured.


> "The storm inside me is not so easily tamed."


The team left the mountain, uncertain if Kaelen was ally or enemy.


Back in Ashmarch, mistrust rippled through the council.


Aralyndra knew this fracture could be their undoing.


> "We must hold fast," she vowed. "Or be torn apart."


That night, beneath the shattered dome, Aralyndra stood alone, gazing at the stars obscured by gathering clouds.


The war had many fronts—not all visible, and not all fought with swords.


Some battles were fought in hearts and minds.


And the greatest threat was often within.


Chapter 27 - Chapter 28 – The Broken Oath