The communication orb on my desk bathed the room in a cool, ethereal glow. Within its light, the holographic form of Cassius shimmered, a ghost of a man waiting for orders. Across from me, Amelia was a stark silhouette against the harsh morning sun pouring through the window. Three days. Three days since Lyra and Adrix had left the castle.

I nodded toward Amelia, keeping my voice level. “Dolion?”

She shifted, the leather of her chair groaning in the quiet. “He’s still breathing. I don’t know how.”

A breath hissed through my teeth. We were out of time. “We can’t wait any longer. We need to move to the next phase.” My gaze snapped back to the projection. “Cassius, the moment Amelia notifies you of Dolion’s death, bring the elves to the northern sector of the wall.”

Cassius’s form flickered. “The northern sector?”

“It also has a flaw in its design,” I countered. “An entry point. With the elves creating a diversion, we can make our way through the guards and head for the castle.”

“They’ll know you’re coming,” Cassius warned, the concern in his synthesized voice feeling as real as the oak desk beneath my hands.

“I’m counting on it,” I said. “Let them focus on the army at their gates. The creatures in the dungeons are my problem. Our only real threats inside are Blair and Kaelen.”

“I agree,” Amelia said, her voice a low anchor in the swirling currents of the plan. “I trust you, Thalia.” But as she said it, her eyes darted away, just for a second. A shadow passed over her features, a dissonance so faint I might have missed it.

It was enough. A splinter of doubt lodged itself in my gut. Something is wrong.

Amelia’s gaze returned, steady once more. “I will follow you anywhere. But the creatures… how are you handling them?”

The question hung in the air, sharp and unexpected. I saw Cassius’s projection still, his attention snagged. Amelia saw it too. We haven’t had time to talk, I realized with a pang of regret. Life had become a triage of crises. I crushed the feeling, walled it off. There would be time for apologies later, or not at all.

I refocused on the glowing hologram. “Once Dolion is gone,” I stated, my voice devoid of the emotion churning inside me, “I’m going into the dungeons. Alone. I will destroy every last one of those abominations so they can never be used again.”

The reaction was immediate. Cassius’s image crackled with static as he leaned forward, his holographic eyes wide. Amelia’s face remained a carefully constructed mask, but I saw her knuckles turn white where she gripped the arms of her chair.

“Thalia, alone?” Cassius’s voice was laced with disbelief. “I know your capabilities, but is that wise?”

“It’s necessary,” I insisted. “I can move through the castle invisibly. With Dolion’s passing, the entire court will be distracted. Blair will be occupied with my father, and Kaelen…” I glanced at Amelia. She gave a slow, deliberate nod, a silent promise. Kaelen will not be a problem. “…Kaelen is out of the picture.”

“Then let me come with you,” he pressed.

“No. I need you leading the elves. Your strength will be needed at the wall. I’ll meet you at the wall after I’ve dealt with the creatures and talked with the coin holders.”

“The coin holders? What part do they play now?”

“They’re our last resort,” I said, the words tasting like ash. “They are the only ones who can destroy K’tthar, should he manifest.”

“It won’t come to that,” Cassius said, his tone grim.

I saw that flicker again in Amelia’s eyes as her mask of neutrality slipped. She stared at her hands, her voice dropping to a near whisper. “If they begin the ceremony… if the sky turns black… it means we are too late. At that point, your only objective is to get the coin holders to the castle. Nothing else matters.”

A heavy silence descended, thick with the unspoken horror of that possibility.

I broke it, my gaze locked on Cassius. “If the sky turns,” I said, my voice hard as iron, “our mission changes. We protect the people and we get the coin holders to the castle. That becomes the only victory left.”

“Agreed,” Cassius conceded, his voice strained. “But it doesn’t change the fact that you are walking into the heart of the enemy’s power alone.”

“Cassius,” I cut him off before he could argue further. “Your place is with your people. If I fail…” The thought was a physical blow. Failure is not an option. “…you must be the one to finish this. The world cannot burn again. We owe it to everyone who sacrificed to get us this far.” My voice dropped. “I am willing to die if it means they are safe.”

“That doesn’t mean you throw your life away!” Cassius snapped, his form flaring with intensity, his jaw tight.

“I won’t,” I countered softly. “But I will accept the cost.” I turned to Amelia, a silent plea in my eyes.

She met my gaze, then looked to the hologram, her voice both firm and gentle. “Cassius,” she began, “I know you love her.” The words struck him into a stunned silence. “But the fate of the world is balanced on this moment.”

His projection wavered, and he looked away.

“I would give my own life to see this end,” Amelia continued, her conviction unwavering. “But be warned. Fate has favored us thus far, but the blade is sharpest just before it breaks. Do not grow careless.”

The tense quiet was broken by a distant sound—hurried footsteps in the hall. Cassius began speaking again, his voice softer, resigned. “You are both right. I have no right to anger when I feel the same. I would give my life in an instant.”

Hearing him say it sent a bitter, painful pang through my chest. I don’t want to lose you. And in that flash of pain, I understood. It wasn’t pride fueling his anger. It was fear. The same cold, sharp-edged fear that was currently coiled in my own stomach. We were just two people terrified of losing each other at the end of the world.

A faint, knowing smile touched Amelia’s lips. “Then it’s settled,” she said, her tone becoming brisk. “Dolion passes. Thalia goes to the dungeons. I signal Cassius. He meets you at the north gate after you’ve briefed the coin holders.”

“Correct,” I confirmed, my mind already racing ahead. 

“Anything else?” Amelia asked.

“No. Once the signal is given, your duties are your own. Be ready.”

She gave a final, solemn nod. The fight was no longer approaching; it was here.

The quiet shattered.

“Hurry!” a voice shouted from the hall, followed by the frantic clatter of armored boots on marble.

My head snapped toward the door. “What is it?” I breathed, the question unnecessary. I already knew.

A thunderous bang rattled the heavy wood. “Amelia! If you’re in there, we need you! It’s Crown Prince Dolion! He’s gone!”

Our eyes met—mine, Amelia’s, and the holographic gaze of Cassius. My heart hammered against my ribs, a war drum sounding the charge.

The wait was over.