The gates to the Obsidian Guild creaked open.
I half-expected silence. A cold hall. Doubt lingering in the air.
What I got instead was chaos.
The moment my foot crossed the threshold, voices erupted. Shouts, laughter, even curses—relief dressed up in noise. My second-in-command was the first to reach me, his dark flames flickering on his arms as he crossed them with a scowl.
"Took you long enough," he muttered, but I could hear the strain under his voice.
The berserker girl nearly tackled me in a bone-crushing hug, her laugh echoing off the walls. "I knew you weren't dead, boss! You can't die before I get the chance to beat you up proper!"
Even the younger boy, usually reserved, stood taller than before. He gave me a grin so wide it almost split his face. "Welcome back, big brother."
I didn't say much at first. Just looked at them, each of them hardened, different than when I left. They had trained. Grown. My absence hadn't broken them—it forged them.
And for once, I let myself laugh. Not a bitter chuckle, not the dry smirk the world was used to. A real laugh. The sound surprised even me.
It echoed in the hall, and for a moment, the storm inside me was quiet.
The reunion didn't last long.
A runner burst into the room, panting, holding a sealed letter. My second intercepted it, scanned the markings, and frowned before handing it to me.
The crest was familiar. Too familiar.
I broke the seal, read the words, and felt my jaw tighten.
The House of Vaelcord is proud to announce the union of Lady Lysera Vaelcord, Guildmistress of the Blazing Sigil, to Lord Darius Helreth, heir of the Helreth Dominion. The ceremony will be held at dawn.
The laughter in the hall died the moment they saw my face.
I set the letter down slowly, the wood beneath my hand cracking from the pressure.
"She's getting married… tomorrow."
No one spoke. They didn't need to. The storm crawling across my skin spoke for me. Sparks danced along my arms, the air thickening until it hummed.
I smirked, but it wasn't amused. It was sharp. Arrogant. Dangerous.
"If they think they can chain her to politics… they've already forgotten I exist."
The storm roared in agreement, rattling the windows of the guildhall.