Page 85 of Crowned

I straighten, my legs shaky as I force myself to keep moving. The guilt weighs heavier with every step, my mind racing with images of the people I’ve failed – of the lives lost because I wasn’t strong enough, fast enough, brave enough.

The words on the scroll flash in my mind again, stark and unyielding:Malia must come to us. Alone.This is all because of me.

If I’d been smarter, if I’d realised sooner what the Shadow Legion was planning, maybe I could have stopped it. Maybe none of this would’ve happened.

A child’s abandoned toy lies in the dirt a few steps ahead of me – a small stuffed animal, its once-bright fur now dulled by soot and ash. I swallow hard, the image striking deeper than I expect. Somewhere out there, a child is missing this. Missing their home. Missing their parents.

I promised to protect them. Ihaveto protect them.

I reach the edge of the courtyard, where the gates stand battered and broken. Beyond them, the battlefield stretches out in a grim tableau of chaos. Fires burn against the smoke-filled sky like dying stars. Shadows move within the haze – soldiers locked in combat, the clang of weapons and desperate shouts carrying on the wind.

I pause just outside the gates, gripping the cold, twisted metal for support. The world beyond is unrecognisable, a far cry from the vibrant land I’ve seen in paintings and history books. It’s not just Aerwyna that’s been ravaged – it’s the spirit of its people, the heart of what this place used to stand for.

My eyes drift to the ground, where broken shields and discarded weapons lie scattered among the bodies. Some are soldiers – brave, determined, fighting for a future they might never see. Others are civilians, caught in the crossfire, their faces frozen in terror.

This is my fault.

If I hadn’t come here, if I hadn’t been tied to whatever divine power the Shadow Legion is after, none of this would’ve happened. The thought claws at me, a suffocating weight that presses down on my chest.

But then I think of the people huddled inside the palace walls – the mothers clutching their children, the wounded soldiers who refused to give up, the glimmers of hope I saw even in their fear. They’re still fighting. For Aerwyna. For each other.

And for me.

I force myself to straighten, my shoulders squaring as I push the guilt aside. I can’t let it consume me, not now. Not when so much is riding on what happens next.

The battlefield feels like it stretches forever, every step pulling me closer to the heart of the Shadow Legion’s power. The sounds grow louder – shouts of command, the thunderous crack of magic splitting the air, the guttural roars of their monstrous creations.

In the distance, I see them – Summer’s parents, standing tall and unyielding amidst the chaos. Their presence is unmistakable, their power radiating like a dark, suffocating fog.

The memories come unbidden, sharp and vivid. Summer’s mother, laughing warmly as she handed me a cup of tea on their porch, her kindness as deceptive as it was convincing. Her father’s firm hand on my shoulder, his words of encouragement hiding the sharp blade of manipulation.

They took me in. Treated me like family. And now they’re the ones tearing this world apart.

A sharp pang of anger courses through me, hot and all-consuming. They didn’t just betray Aerwyna – they betrayed me. They used me, lied to me, twisted everything I thought I knew.

And now they’re standing there, waiting for me to walk into their trap.

I clench my fists, my nails biting into my palms. They don’t know what’s coming.

I let myself reach for the magic inside me. It hums faintly, a gentle vibration at the edge of my senses, waiting to be called. It’s not enough yet, but I know it will be when the time comes.

This isn’t just a battle for Aerwyna. It’s a battle for everything I’ve lost – and everything I’m fighting to protect.

I step forward, my every breath heavy with the weight of the scroll still burning in my pocket. The air feels thin here, but my steps are steady. Each one carrying me toward the ones who tore my world apart, who tore Summer apart. The sound of distant battle fades into the background, swallowed by the tension between us.

Ahead, Summer’s parents stand like twin statues, impervious to the devastation around them. They don’t even flinch as the world burns.

I stop a few paces away from them, every inch of me vibrating with a mixture of fury and disbelief. The wind tugs at my clothes, the remnants of a once-pristine battlefield now littered with wreckage. The sight of Summer’s parents standing there – calm, collected, as if they hadn’t just led us to the brink of destruction – fills me with rage.

“You’ve led me into a trap,” I begin, my voice cool, though the anger bubbling beneath it threatens to break through. “But that’s nothing compared to what you did to your own daughter.”

Their eyes flicker, a split second of something that might be surprise, but it vanishes quickly, replaced by cold detachment.

“You don’t get to act like you’re innocent in this,” I continue, stepping closer, the words now coming faster, sharper. “You used Summer. You manipulated her, hurt her. All to get me here.” I let out a bitter laugh, the sound echoing in the empty space between us. “How does it feel, knowing you’ve destroyed your own child to get what you want?”

Summer’s mother doesn’t flinch. Her smile is all teeth, but there’s no warmth in it, no apology. “Summer was weak. She couldn’t see the bigger picture. But you, Malia…you’re different. You understand the weight of what must be done. It’s why we showed you so much special care and attention growing up. It was only a matter of time before your magic emerged.”

I shake my head, disgust crawling up my spine. My parents didn’t raise me. They managed me. Kept me locked away when I was inconvenient. Showed me off when it suited them. Love wasn’t something I learned at home. I learned survival. I learned silence. That’s why it was so easy for Summer’s family to find me. Because I had no one else.

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