Chapter 3

Time slowed.

Ishira stood frozen in the middle of the deserted alley, the late-evening mist curling around her like fingers of fate. Her ears rang with Zaeron’s words:

> "You are not who you think you are."

She stared at him. The man who had just a moment ago emerged from the shadows with that playful grin, with eyes that seemed to shift with the stars themselves — he was no ordinary informant.

“Explain,” she whispered.

Zaeron tilted his head, “That golden bracelet you always wear… where did you get it?”

She looked down instinctively. The bracelet, delicate and ancient-looking, shimmered faintly under the moonlight. It had always been with her. Always.

“My… my mother gave it to me,” she said hesitantly.

Zaeron’s smile faded. “That bracelet bears the crest of Raelitha’s Bloodline — a royal seal. But it’s more than a symbol. It’s a lock.”

“A lock?”

“On your memories. On your power. On you.”

The world shifted under Ishira’s feet. “This… is ridiculous.”

Zaeron stepped forward, his voice low. “You think it’s coincidence you dream of fire and war? Of a man who’s never met you? Ishira… those are memories trying to resurface. Dreams are never just dreams when you carry a curse in your blood.”

Ishira backed away, her breath shallow. “This is insane. You don’t even know me—”

“I do,” he cut her off, eyes now glowing faintly. “I’ve known your name since before you were born. I was there the night the gates of Raelitha burned.”

She froze.

“The what?”

Zaeron paused, watching her face pale. “Raelitha. The ancient royal city of your bloodline. The one that was erased from history.”

Ten Years Ago – The Fall of Raelitha

The air had burned.

Flames leapt from marble towers as screams echoed in the night. Soldiers fought desperately beneath a sky torn by dragon fire and thunder. In the palace at the heart of the city, a child had been hidden behind walls layered with enchantments. A child with hair like shadows and a cry that could silence even fate.

The last heir.

Her name had been whispered only once before the kingdom fell:

> Ishira.

And then — darkness.

Present

Ishira stumbled, leaning against the brick wall. Her pulse was racing, her mind trying to make sense of visions she’d never seen yet somehow… remembered.

“No. This is crazy. I have a life. A college. A best friend. A brother. I’m not…” she gasped, “I’m not royalty. I’m not cursed.”

Zaeron’s voice was quiet. “Then why do flames follow your dreams?”

She clenched her fists. “Even if it’s true… why now? Why are you telling me this?”

He took a breath. “Because others know too. And they’re looking for you. Not to crown you, Ishi… but to kill you.”

Her blood turned to ice.

“Why?”

Zaeron’s voice darkened. “Because your survival is a threat to a deal made in blood. Your kingdom’s fall wasn’t just a war—it was a betrayal. Someone wanted the power of Raelitha buried. And they almost succeeded… until you started dreaming.”

Meanwhile – Arovan Corp Headquarters

Rudra Vehrin Arovan stood before the window of his skyscraper, looking down at the city like a king surveying his land. His eyes, steel-gray and stormy, narrowed slightly.

The dreams had returned last night.

She was there again.

The girl with sorrow in her eyes and fire in her voice. She never spoke, never moved — just stood behind a curtain of smoke and war. And every time he reached for her, he woke up angry.

Not at her.

At himself.

“Sir,” Kael’s voice interrupted his thoughts as he entered the room, “We intercepted another Whisper message. Zaeron has made contact with the target.”

Rudra turned.

“Where?”

“Old Town.”

Rudra’s jaw tightened. “She’s close.”

Kael hesitated. “Do you… want to bring her in?”

Rudra’s reply was soft and lethal. “I want to know why she haunts my dreams before I decide whether to protect her… or destroy her.”

Back to Ishira

“Then what do I do?” Ishira asked, her voice trembling. “What am I supposed to do with all this?”

Zaeron reached out and gently took her hand. “For now? Survive. Trust no one. Not even me.”

She looked at him sharply.

He smirked. “Especially not me. I play both sides. But I will keep you alive… because whether you like it or not, you’re the last card in a dying kingdom’s deck. And every player wants to own the table.”

Ishira pulled her hand back, confused and terrified.

She had only wanted to pass her exams, enjoy a normal life, maybe fall in love someday. Not this. Not war, betrayal, and hidden bloodlines.

“I want to go home,” she whispered.

Zaeron stepped back into the shadows, his voice now faint. “Then go, Princess. But the game has already begun. And fate doesn’t offer a pause button.”

In a blink, he was gone.

Later That Night

At her apartment, Ishira locked the doors, pulled her curtains tight, and sat on her bed with the golden bracelet clutched in her hand.

She stared at it.

Then did something she had never done before.

She tried to take it off.

The moment her fingers pulled at the clasp, a surge of pain shot through her wrist, up her arm, and straight into her skull. She screamed, falling back, visions crashing through her mind—

> A woman in red robes weeping as she hands a baby to a man cloaked in silver.

> Soldiers dying in fire.

> A man with storm-gray eyes shouting her name across a battlefield.

> The seal of Raelitha burning into stone.

She gasped and dropped the bracelet. Her hand shook.

It couldn’t be removed.

And now… she remembered something she shouldn’t have.

A name, spoken in blood and flames.

> “Rudra…”

She didn’t know him.

But in the dream, she had loved him.

Scene Shift – Somewhere Underground

Kael entered the underground chamber silently, where Rudra stood before a massive map with red marks all across the northern zones.

“She’s trying to awaken,” Kael said.

Rudra nodded. “And Zaeron’s feeding her the truth. He’s always been a wildcard.”

Kael raised a brow. “You don’t seem angry.”

“I expected it.”

Kael hesitated again, before saying, “Do you believe she’s really the Princess of Raelitha?”

Rudra’s eyes narrowed. “I believe she’s more dangerous than anyone realizes. Including herself.”

The Next Morning

Ishira awoke to her phone buzzing.

Message from unknown number:

> Meet me at the lake. Come alone. No bracelet. Time’s running out — E.

Elara?

Or a trap?

She didn’t know.

But deep inside, the fire had begun to stir again.

Something ancient and unbreakable.

The blood of a fallen kingdom had started to burn.

The night wind whispered secrets as it tangled itself in Ishira’s hair. She stood on the edge of the cliff, far from the city’s lights, her golden bracelet glowing faintly in the moonlight. The sea below roared with an eerie rhythm—as though chanting an ancient hymn only she could hear. And behind her, a voice spoke like silk hiding a dagger.

“You’ve felt it, haven’t you?” Zaeron stepped out of the shadows, his form slowly solidifying into a tall figure draped in charcoal grey. “That pull in your chest when the moon rises. The feeling that something inside you isn’t just yours.”

Ishira turned, her eyes holding defiance but also… fear.

“What am I?” she asked, voice trembling.

Zaeron chuckled softly, circling her like a shadow.

“You are not who you think you are,” he began. “Your memories were sealed. Your destiny cloaked. You were hidden… for a reason.”

“Who did that?” she pressed. “Why?”

Zaeron’s eyes, ever-changing, turned obsidian. “Because the world once burned at the sound of your name.”

She stepped back. “That’s not possible. I’m just a—”

“Student? Normal girl? A dreamer?” Zaeron cut her off. “No. You are the last Raelitha. The flame of the cursed throne. A royal bloodline wiped out in fire… but not entirely.”

Her golden bracelet pulsed again.

“This—this is just an old thing,” she stammered, lifting her wrist.

Zaeron tilted his head. “It’s a key. And it’s waking up.”

---

Meanwhile…

Atop the highest tower of the Arovan Corp building, Rudra Vehrin Arovan stared into the cityscape, fists clenched behind his back. A storm brewed in the distance, mirroring the one inside him.

“She’s awake,” Kael said quietly, stepping beside him.

Rudra didn’t answer immediately. His steel-gray eyes remained locked on the horizon.

“She’s not ready,” Kael added.

Rudra finally spoke. “Neither am I. But the blood oath… it was never broken.”

Kael swallowed. “If she remembers what you did…”

“I didn’t kill her family,” Rudra said sharply. “But I stood by while it happened. That’s just as unforgivable.”

Kael shifted uncomfortably. “And if she learns who you are in her dreams?”

Rudra turned slowly. “She already has.”

---

Back on the cliffside…

Zaeron pulled out a small orb and tossed it to Ishira. The sphere shimmered, revealing flashes—images of a grand palace, war horses, burning banners, and a girl with Ishira’s eyes, screaming as the gates were broken.

“This is your past.”

She dropped the orb, stumbling back.

“No. No, it can’t be—”

Zaeron’s voice lowered. “You’ve dreamed of fire, haven’t you? Of a man with silver eyes standing in the blood of your people?”

Her breath hitched.

“Rudra.”

Zaeron nodded. “He didn’t kill you that night… but he didn’t save you either.”

Ishira’s knees buckled, but she remained standing. “Why are you showing me this?”

“Because the royal curse is awakening. And when it does, you won’t be safe. Not from the truth, and not from him.”

---

Later that night…

In her room, Ishira clutched the golden bracelet. The dreams returned faster now. Clearer. The past no longer lingered in the fog—it screamed. She saw herself, dressed in royal silks, training in swordplay, studying ancient texts… and a boy watching her from the shadows.

His eyes had once been kind.

Before they turned to steel.

Before they burned her world.

She opened her journal and wrote one line:

“I need to find the palace.”

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