LOGINShare
Chapter 34
publish date:
2026-04-09 19:31:39
Latest chapter
Thalia's Ashen Fate Chapter 39
The silence in the library was a physical weight, thick with the intoxicating perfume of aging paper and forgotten ink. It was a tangible magic, a spell of stillness woven between towering shelves that clawed at the vaulted ceiling. Sunlight, heavy with gilded columns of dust, spilled from grand arched windows to pool around vacant armchairs, ghosts of a time when this hall had echoed with the murmur of elves. Now, it was a mausoleum of knowledge, and we were its sole trespassers.My gaze found Cassius. He stood as a statue in the cathedral of books, his eyes sweeping the grand expanse. For a breathtaking second, the millennia he had witnessed carved their sorrow into the lines around his eyes, a profound grief that tightened his jaw before the stoic mask of neutrality slid back into place. A familiar ache of curiosity bloomed in my chest. I yearned for the day he might trust me with the histories locked behind that guarded gaze.As if feeling the weight of my stare, he turned his hea
Thalia's Ashen Fate Chapter 38
The morning sun bled through the windows, casting long shadows that clung to Cassius and Amelia. They were statues, their stillness a stark contrast to the frantic pulse I felt beneath my own skin. My eyes dropped to my arms, a canvas of violent purple constellations left by the previous night. I snatched my cloak, a flimsy shield against their concerned gazes, but the damage was already seen.Amelia drifted closer, her presence a soft counterpoint to the harsh light. "Thalia," she whispered, her voice laced with a sorrow that felt both familiar and undeserved. Her hand started towards my neck, a fleeting thought of comfort, before she seemed to think better of it and let it fall. "That bruise… it’s ghastly. I am so sorry about Blair."A ghost of a smile, devoid of any warmth, touched my lips. "It wasn't your fault, Amelia. It was the only way to silence her." I kept the sharp, throbbing truth to myself—a constant, painful reminder of the price of peace.Ignoring my stoicism, she fold
Thalia's Ashen Fate Chapter 37
The scent of winter frost and charged ozone preceded Blair’s mana. It coiled around me on the floor, not like a snake, but like vines of frozen, thorny iron, each barb a pinprick of cold against my skin. She circled me, her steps silent on the stone, the rustle of her silk robes the only sound. She was a patient predator, and the ghost of my first death—the one I had already lived and failed—flickered at the edges of my mind. A tremor racked my body, a primal scream of instinct I wrestled into submission. Do not use your mana. Not a single spark. I clung to that command as if it were a prayer. I had to let her play her game. She wouldn't kill me. Not yet.Her finger, adorned with a ring of obsidian, flicked upwards. The iron vines of her mana tightened, lifting me from the floor as if I were a doll. I hung there, suspended and utterly powerless, while her magic slithered over me in a repulsive caress. She closed the distance, her face a mask of predatory curiosity, and her voice was a
Thalia's Ashen Fate Chapter 36
The dark oak of the grand ballroom doors felt like a tombstone beneath my clammy hands. Each thud of my heart against my ribs. I drew a breath, the perfumed air thick and cloying, and let it out in a slow, controlled stream. It will be okay. A smile is your armor.Two young ladies, their laughter like the tinkling of wind chimes, fell into step beside me. One’s eyes, wide with the thrill of the evening, fixed on me in recognition. "Good evening, Crown Princess," she breathed, sinking into a curtsy as fluid as poured cream. Her companion, a beat behind, hastily mirrored the gesture."Good evening," I returned, my voice a silken forgery of the calm I desperately sought. "May your night be filled with joy." I gestured for them to precede me. "Please.""Thank you, Crown Princess!" one whispered, her gaze already darting into the glittering throng. "Do you think Lord Dolion will choose a bride tonight?"The other practically vibrated. "Oh, I pray he does!"A cold wave of pity washed over m
Thalia's Ashen Fate Chapter 35
The phantom warmth of Cassius’s hand lingered on mine. I finally let my fingers slip from his, the air in the quiet room suddenly feeling cooler.“See?” Cassius’s voice was a low murmur, pulling my gaze back to his. The intensity in his eyes held me fast. “You’re a natural. It just takes practice.”A smile, genuine and unbidden, touched my lips. “Thank you.” My gaze swept the silent, waiting room. “Amelia isn’t back. Should we tidy up?”“Good idea,” he said, though his eyes lingered on me a moment longer. He moved toward the door, his presence filling the space and then just as quickly receding. He paused in the doorway, his silhouette framed by the light. “See you soon, Thalia.” A final, deliberate nod, and he was gone. The soft click of the latch echoed in the profound stillness he left behind.Alone, I padded into the adjoining bathroom. Steam billowed in soft clouds, ghosting up from a tub already filled to the brim. A familiar wave of gratitude washed over me; Amelia’s quiet fore
Thalia's Ashen Fate Chapter 34
The grit of the training yard clung to my skin, a second layer of sweat-soaked dust. Opposite me, Cassius sat with the quiet stillness of a coiled predator, his breathing even despite our spar. Between us, resting in my palm, the small, cool sphere began to pulse, casting a soft, ethereal glow on our weary faces. From that light, Amelia’s shimmering form bloomed into existence—a miniature, hauntingly detailed projection suspended in the air.Cassius leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the apparition. "Hello, Amelia," we said in unison, though my voice was a breathy exhalation and his a low murmur."Thalia. Cassius," her voice echoed from the sphere, crisp and impossibly clear. "I'm glad I reached you. Is everything alright?""We're in Aelindoria, but the elves are gone.""Gone?" A flicker of concern crossed her translucent features. "Where?""We don't know," Cassius answered, his tone grim. "There are no bodies, no signs of a struggle. Just… emptiness. It was planned. They left willingl
Thalia's Ashen Fate Chapter 33
The sword that felt feather-light moments before, now hung like a leaden weight in my hand. We stood in the heart of the circular training ground, the churned dust settling around our boots like a fine brown mist."Show me," Cassius instructed, his voice a calm anchor in the stillness.I gripped th
Thalia's Ashen Fate Chapter 32
The great castle door groaned in protest under Cassius’s hand, a low, mournful sound that echoed through the cavernous hall beyond. A spear of golden sunlight pierced the high, arched window, slicing through a tomb-like stillness. It ignited the air, transforming motes of dust into a swirling cosmo
Thalia's Ashen Fate Chapter 31
A fragile, unseasonable warmth clung to the morning air, a stark contrast to the crispness of the dawn. Cassius and I moved in a comfortable silence toward the orchard, a quiet I clung to like a shield. My thoughts were a maelstrom, churning with every line, every word, from my mother's journal. Ho
Thalia's Ashen Fate Chapter 30
I turned to the first entry, my fingers tracing the worn indentations in the paper. There were no years, only seasons and nightfalls, recorded in a way that felt both poetic and deliberately timeless. Why would she leave them out? The question was a whisper in the back of my mind as I began to read
You may also like
Dragon Prince's Heart
Glow Peridote46.2K viewsMartial Grandmaster As A Son-In-Law
Dump Ink Turn Sea20.8K viewsDawn of the Gods
Shen Chu Gu Yi34.6K viewsThe Warrior Princess
prada_murthy24.8K viewsThe Last Female Dragon
Morgenm17695.7K viewsTVCS 1: The Vampire's Bite
paopaowrites672 viewsBonded To Sin
Amanda Smith3.4K viewsI am the dragon IV
BurntAsh3s5.5K views
