Three days later, dawn broke over a line of riders cutting through the mist. Twenty of us, cloaked in black and silver, moved north beneath banners that hadn't flown since the Vale name was outlawed. Every hoofbeat was a drumroll toward rebellion.
Reiss rode beside me. "You really think twenty men can take the Northern Fort?"
I kept my eyes on the pale horizon. "No. But twenty who believe they're already dead can make the world remember us."
Behind us, Sera's horse trotted lightly over the frozen mud. She'd traded her robe for battle leathers, staff slung across her back, a dagger strapped to her thigh. For someone who claimed not to trust me, she hadn't left my side once.
By midday the plains ended at the cliffs of Arden Reach, where the Northern Fort loomed—stone towers cut into the mountains, black smoke curling from its watchfires. Once it had belonged to my family; now it was the council's northern stronghold.
Reiss handed me a spyglass. "Two hundred guards minimum. Ballistae on both towers."
Sera frowned. "You said this place was abandoned."
"It was," I said. "Until they heard I was alive."
She sighed. "Then we improvise."
We set camp beneath the ridge. While Reiss briefed the men, Sera and I studied the fortress map spread on a rock. "There's a drainage tunnel here," she said, tracing a line with her finger. "Old mana seals. Dangerous but passable."
I met her eyes. "You've done this before."
"Escaped from worse places than this," she said. "We go in through the tunnels, disable the west gate from inside, and let Reiss lead the main charge."
Simple plan. Impossible odds. My kind of strategy.
Night fell thick and cold. The moon hid behind clouds as Sera and I slipped into the tunnels. The air smelled of rust and old spells. Mana shimmered faintly along the walls like veins of light.
"Stay behind me," she whispered. "One wrong step and the seals will—"
The floor flared blue. "—activate," she finished grimly.
A shockwave slammed us against the wall. Pain flashed white; water rushed in from nowhere, spiraling upward like a living thing. Sera threw her staff forward, chanting. Runes blazed, splitting the current long enough for us to tumble onto a dry ledge.
I coughed, soaked and half-laughing. "Still think I should stay behind you?"
She glared, hair plastered to her face. "You're impossible."
"And you're alive. You're welcome."
She rolled her eyes but smiled despite herself. "Come on, hero. The gate controls are ahead."
We climbed the last stretch to a narrow chamber. Through an iron grate, I could see the courtyard above—guards patrolling, torches flickering. The lever to the west gate stood unguarded.
I motioned for silence, reached through the grate, and pulled. The gears groaned. Outside, the gate shuddered open.
A horn blared.
"Reiss," I whispered. "Now."
From the cliffs came the roar of our men. Fire arrows arced through the sky; explosions lit the night. The courtyard erupted in chaos.
Sera raised her staff. "I'll clear the path."
Before I could stop her, she leapt into the open, magic blazing around her like a storm. Lightning crashed, scattering soldiers. I followed, blade drawn, black mana flooding through me.
For a heartbeat I was untouchable—every strike faster, stronger, cleaner than before. The curse no longer screamed; it sang. Then a blade slipped past my guard, cutting deep into my side. I spun, killing the attacker, but blood slicked my hand.
Sera reached me, eyes wide. "You're hurt—"
"I've been worse," I gritted out. "Keep going!"
We fought our way to the tower stairs. Reiss's men poured through the gate behind us, shouting victory.
Then a new sound split the air—a horn not ours. From the east, more riders surged in under a crimson banner.
"The council's reinforcements," Reiss shouted. "We're outnumbered!"
"Hold the fort," I yelled back. "Sera and I will cut the command line."
We climbed the tower, breath ragged. At the top stood a captain in crimson armor, flanked by archers. "Lucien Vale," he said, voice dripping contempt. "The traitor lives."
"I get that a lot," I said. "You first."
He charged. Steel met steel; sparks flew. His strength matched mine, but his arrogance didn't. I baited his swing, slipped inside his guard, and drove my blade through his chest. He fell wordless.
When I turned, Sera was kneeling, one hand pressed to a bleeding shoulder, arrows shattered around her barrier.
I dropped beside her. "Hey. Stay with me."
She winced. "I can still fight—"
"No. You've done enough." I touched her hand, channeling cursed mana into healing. It burned, but the wound closed.
She stared. "You used the curse to heal?"
"Seems even monsters can learn new tricks."
Below us, the fort's gate slammed shut—ours now. The council troops outside hammered uselessly against the walls. Reiss's signal fire rose, victory bright in the stormy night.
Sera leaned against the wall, exhaustion softening her expression. "You actually did it."
"We did it," I corrected. "And this is just the beginning."
Lightning flashed, painting the world in silver. For a breath, the chaos below vanished, and it was only her and me—two survivors in a story that wanted us dead.
She looked at me quietly. "If the world calls you a villain after this… I'll still stand with you."
That caught me harder than any blade. I wanted to speak, to promise something real—but words failed. So I did the only thing that felt right. I reached out, brushed a lock of hair from her cheek, and whispered, "Then we fight together, until the end."
Outside, thunder answered like applause.