Full Chapter – A Throne Worth Burning For
Location: Velthar – The Palace of Crowned Glass. The day is calm. The walls are quiet. But tonight, blood will test every flame.
ENTRY TEAM – Below the Ash
Max, Hadi, and Ayesha slipped beneath the overgrown Chapel of Thorns—roots thick with spellrot, the stone damp with silence.
Hadi's hand sparked with pink energy, illuminating ancient glyphs etched into the floor.
"Wards are oldschool," she whispered. "Designed to react to fear. So stay calm."
"We're literally infiltrating a palace to stop a king's murder," Max muttered. "Define 'calm.'"
Ayesha placed two fingers on the runes. Her pupils narrowed—Eagle Eyes scanning the flow of energy.
"Three seal points. One sound. Two mindlinked."
Hadi grinned. "Mindlinked? Oh, I've been waiting to break those."
The air cracked.
A glowing sigil pulsed—and the floor peeled back, revealing a tunnel of molten glass and iron.
"Path's open," Ayesha said. "Hope the others are making noise."
DISTRACTION TEAM – Ice and Sparks
On the southern steps, Tristan stood in full noble garb—an illusion draped over his armor. He leaned casually against a pillar.
Behind him, Sparks projected faint images of "royal scandal" through illusion pulses—fabricated enough to grab attention, true enough to spread.
"My father is considering Grim for the throne," Tristan announced loudly to gathered nobles, his voice smooth. "I hear he's a fan of fire."
"He also drinks dragon tea naked," Sparks added from above, glitching with joy.
The crowd erupted.
Velthar guards scrambled to calm the ruckus. A bishop fainted.
"Okay," Tristan muttered, watching the diversion swirl. "That should buy them six minutes."
"More if I release the flaming chicken illusion," Sparks offered.
"Do it."
ASSAULT TEAM – The Crowned Wing
Grim and Seris moved under cloaking runes—her magic flowing like golden threads, his sword drawn but quiet.
They reached the King's wing—but the door was open.
"Too quiet," Seris muttered.
They stepped inside.
The King lay on the floor—barely breathing, his Ether Core flickering like a dying star.
Over him stood a masked assassin—female, with Court sigils etched into her bones.
"You're too late," she hissed. "His flame is already unraveling."
"Then I'll sew it back with your ashes," Grim growled.
First Clash – Silent Storm
The assassin didn't speak again—she struck.
Flickerfast. Her weapon: dual daggers made of inverted light, pulsing with null energy.
Grim blocked one—barely. The second grazed his ribs.
He retaliated, flame bursting from his core—whitered, unstable, primal.
Seris cast a barrier, shielding the king.
The assassin spun, her daggers ricocheting off the walls like vipers.
"She's Embertier," Grim shouted. "You still sure you want in?"
"Royalty doesn't tap out," Seris snapped.
MEANWHILE – The Infiltrators Hit Resistance
Max's team encountered the second wave.
Guards—but not normal. Their eyes glowed. Their Ether Cores had been tampered with.
"They're mindbound," Hadi gasped. "The Court hollowed them out."
Ayesha didn't hesitate. Her arrows blurred into motion—nonlethal, but brutal.
Max surged forward—shadows bending the blades of the guards, warping their movements.
"No one enslaves minds on our watch."
They reached the throne chamber's outer corridor—two minutes left.
The Final Push Begins
Grim's battle with the assassin escalated.
The room cracked with heat and null pulses. The king gasped from the floor—his core unstable.
Seris poured healing energy into him, her face pale with focus.
The assassin struck Grim's arm—flames burst, blinding her.
He flipped over her head and slammed his blade down—
She caught it. With her bare hand.
"You think you're the heir of flame?" she whispered.
"No," Grim said, eyes glowing. "I am flame."
He exploded in a burst of kinetic fire—blasting her across the chamber.