Chapter 2

                                                                      Under the Dust

With each step Zara made, the weight of Kael's body appeared to increase. She had no idea how long he could stay. His once-proud stance sagged like a defeated man, his skin was pale, and his breath was ragged. Zara was unable to distinguish between the flames and the gleam of hope or desperation that yet lingered in his eyes. But he was dangerous because of it. Zara was aware that anyone who still had a cause to defend should not be trusted.

They made their way through the wreckage, sliding past burned remains of once-grand buildings and crumbling walls. Leading the route was Zara, who kept her eyes on the horizon for any movement. With the exception of the occasional scavenger and the silent presence of the Empire's followers, who continued to stalk the ash-covered streets, this area of the city was essentially deserted. However, Zara hadn't seen anyone along this area in a long time. The quiet was both reassuring and unsettling.

The last heir to the Empire, Kael, briefly crossed her mind. She couldn't help but question whether the weapon's rumours were accurate. A weapon that might change the balance of power in a society where the only money was power. Although it was difficult to accept, Kael's statement seemed to be accurate in some way. After all, simple insurrection had not brought down the Empire. No, there had been a more sinister and perilous element involved.

They went by the skeletal remnants of a tall archway, which had once been a glorious representation of imperial power but was now only a shadow. Gazing up at it, Zara felt her heart race, as though she was expecting something to rise from the wreckage, some invisible power poised to attack. The cold wind and the smell of decay, however, were the only things that followed her gaze.

"Where are we heading?" The silence was broken by Kael's voice. He was still cognisant enough to talk, albeit his sentences were strained.

Zara looked back at him, but she didn't slow down. "Somewhere secure. For the time being.

"I'm being led to the weapon by you."

She was momentarily hesitant. In actuality, Zara had no idea where the firearm was concealed. All she knew was that it must be deep under the Empire's ashes, somewhere in the metropolis. However, that was irrelevant. She had committed to helping Kael, which meant she would have to face whatever lay ahead.

"That's the strategy," she stated abruptly.

"You don't trust me," Kael stated in a quiet but unmistakable voice.

Zara gave him a stern look as she gripped the knife by her side more tightly. "I have no faith in anyone."

There was a tense pause while Kael remained silent. They felt suffocated by their surroundings. Zara felt trapped not only by the ruins but also by the uncertainties. This new world had no place for safety. Nobody was really safe. There would be people searching for it—power-hungry, vicious people who wouldn't think twice about killing for the opportunity to wield such a weapon—if the weapon was genuine and existed in the depths of the Empire's ruins. Something told Zara that the weapon was genuine, but she had lived through too many years to believe in fairy tales. It wasn't a myth.

Zara started thinking about her own family, the people she had lost during the purging of the empire. The anguish seemed to never go away. There was no consolation, no solace in the ruins. Just the ever-present reminder of what was gone. She had lost everything because of the Empire, but now the last heir, Kael, was giving her hope that all would be different. Zara loathed him for it in part. For his optimism. for his conviction that there is more than ashes.

The part of her that had survived, however, recognised that this trek might be her only chance to turn her life around. For the globe, not just for herself.

They came to a halt in front of the ruins of a building that had once been a marketplace. Zara turned to Kael, her heart pounding. "Remain near," she commanded in a quiet, firm voice.

Kael gave a feeble nod. "I won't be leaving."

The door to what was left of the marketplace was half-destroyed, but Zara forced it open. The interior was dim, and there was a lingering stench of decay. Zara looked about for any indications of life, but it seemed deserted, at least for the time being. The floor creaked under their feet as they entered, and she gestured for Kael to follow. The only sound was the muted thud of their footsteps as dust rained from the rafters.

"This is where we set up camp," Zara declared as she located a somewhat secure spot, her gaze still darting around, watching for danger. "You must take a break."

Breathing shallowly, Kael fell against a fallen pillar. With a hint of fatigue in his voice, he muttered, "I won't last long." "With assistance, of course."

Zara knelt next to him, her fingers grazing the ripped garment. She stated, "You'll survive," but her voice lacked conviction. She was unsure if he would. "However, we must act swiftly."

She produced a tiny vial of water from her knapsack and gave it to him. "Suck. It will enable you to continue for a bit longer.

With shaky hands, Kael gulped the water gratefully. He hesitated before saying, "I wish I could give you more." 

Zara glanced up at him, her face revealing nothing. "You've already given me enough," she answered, even though she wasn't sure she believed it. Kael was dangerous to trust. What other option did she have, though?

With a calmer tone, Kael stated, "You don't have to do this." "I don't count on your allegiance. What the Empire did to you, I am aware of.

His remarks caused Zara's eyes to darken. She hadn't discussed her history. Not to anybody. In any case, not to someone who would comprehend. It hurt too much to think about it, of her house, of her family. But the weight of everything she had lost was pressing down on her, and she could feel the walls of her heart slowly crumbling.

She murmured, "I don't need your sympathy," and suddenly got to her feet. Her hands clenched as she paced a few paces away from him. "I'm not helping you with this. The world is the reason I'm doing it. For what remains of it.

She looked back at Kael and met his eyes. "And we might just escape this alive if we're lucky."

Kael's face became softer. "We'll."

Zara gave a headshake. "You have high ideals."

He answered quietly but resolutely, "And you're a survivor."

Zara remained silent. Rather, she started to secure the area. They would have to sleep, but only briefly. They were about to start a journey filled with uncertainty and were unaware of the dangers that lay ahead.

The wind gusted through the gaps in the broken walls, as if the earth was mourning everything that used to be. For a minute, however, there was calm within.

Zara gave herself permission to be silent for a minute, her mind weighed down by the uncertainty of what was to come. The weapon. The ruin. Kael. It was impossible to predict where this adventure would take them or whether they would reach its conclusion. The world was changing, though, and that much was certain. And whatever happened next would depend on the decisions they made today.

When rebel troops grab Kael and intend to use him to discover the weapon, the tension reaches its highest point. Despite the mental turmoil he causes her, Zara must decide whether to save him or leave him to the rebels' mercy. Zara discovers that she might be dealing with more than simply a struggle for survival as details about Kael's true motivations and the history of her own family surface. She finds herself in a moral bind concerning forgiveness, retaliation, and the brittleness of trust.

Zara and Kael must destroy the weapon in a final, adrenaline-pumping battle before it ends up in the wrong hands. However, Kael gives up his claim to authority in the process, preferring anonymity to a throne that would bind him to the past indefinitely. After the adventure and the love she discovered amidst the ashes of a broken world, Zara returns to the barren ruins irrevocably altered.

In a backdrop of destruction, Echoes in the Ashes narrates a story of love, survival, and redemption. It examines the effects of authority, the difficulties of forgiving, and the belief that love may illuminate the path to reconstruction even in the most dire circumstances.