All Chapters of Eclipsed Hearts: The Chronicle of Shadows and Stars: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Ash-scented air clung to the horizon as dawn cracked in streaks of copper and blood-red across the valley. From the ridges above, Serenya Vale could see the faint plumes of smoke spiraling from hamlets once loyal to the crown. Farmers’ cottages had been torched in the night, and already whispers rode the wind—rebellion had begun.“Moonspire’s banners burn in villages that should kneel to the Crestfall line,” Darian said, his voice edged with iron. His hand rested on his sword, not in threat but in an oath to act. “Someone fans these flames with coin and fear. We must cut off the hand before it strangles the kingdom.”Serenya turned from the smoke, pulling her cloak tighter. Her disguise was thinner than ever—rumors of a “hidden heir” had begun to stir, and she felt the weight of eyes that did not yet know her face but hunted her nonetheless.Beside her, Kaelen Draven stood silent. His shadowed gaze never left the horizon, as though he could see through the smoke into the heart of the

The scent of roses clung to the air, thick and sweet, but there was nothing gentle in the garden where Serenya had been cast. The blossoms were not flowers at all—at least not natural ones. Their crimson petals shone faintly under moonlight, shimmering with a sheen like wet blood. Their thorns were long, curved like hooks, and when she reached too close to push aside a vine, it snapped forward, drawing a line of red across her wrist.She recoiled, heart pounding. The garden walls loomed high around her, overgrown with these thorned monstrosities, and beyond them she heard only silence. No guards, no footsteps. Just the pulse of her own breath and the faint rustle of vines that seemed almost alive.“Eloria…” Serenya whispered, bitterness curling her lips. It had been the rival princess’s doing, she was certain. The Betrayer’s Kiss—that was how the court would remember tonight. Kaelen’s lips had pressed against hers only to betray her into the hands of her enemies. Yet even as the thoug

Black Hollow had always been a cursed valley. A deep scar in the earth where fog clung to the ground like a shroud, it carried the whispers of wars long past. Tonight, it was to be the graveyard of kingdoms.Serenya tightened her cloak around her, watching the distant torchlights stretch like rivers of fire across the horizon. “So many,” she whispered. The enemy host moved like a dark tide, their banners snapping in the bitter wind.Beside her, Kaelen adjusted the hilt of his blade. “They’re not invincible. They bleed like we do. But you must remember, Serenya—Black Hollow doesn’t forgive hesitation.”Darian Crestfall, armor glinting faintly beneath the moonlight, rode up to them with urgency. “Our scouts report Thalric’s forces approaching from the east. If we don’t act before dawn, they’ll encircle us.” His eyes flicked toward Serenya, and for a moment, the knight’s calm faltered. “Your orders, my lady?”Every heartbeat echoed in Serenya’s ears. This was the moment her disguise stra

The high chamber of Crestfall’s fortress was a hall built for intimidation. Spears of moonlight filtered through narrow windows carved into black stone, casting long shadows across the council table. A map stretched wide between goblets of untouched wine and scattered wax-sealed scrolls. On it, the borders of kingdoms bled into one another—lines drawn in ink, but soon to be carved in steel.Serenya sat stiff-backed at the far end, disguised as “Lady Vale,” the minor noblewoman she still pretended to be. To her right stood Kaelen, as immovable as a mountain, his hand resting near the hilt of his sword. His watchful eyes never strayed far from her.At the head of the table, Duke Thalric Veynor leaned forward, rings glinting as he planted both palms onto the map. His voice boomed, drowning the murmur of the gathered lords.“Our scouts confirm it—the armies of Eloria Thorne mass on the eastern plain. Three legions, bolstered by mercenaries and deserters from fallen houses. If we do not st

The river was not quiet that night.Its waters whispered against the banks, pulling at the reeds like restless hands, as if the currents themselves carried secrets too heavy to contain. A veil of mist clung low across the surface, glowing faintly in the silver wash of moonlight.Serenya stood on the worn stone pier, cloak pulled tight, eyes scanning the fog. Every instinct warned her she should not have come—yet she had. The council had fractured earlier that day, each noble swearing loyalty to different crowns, and whispers of betrayal had spread like fire in a dry field. But it wasn’t politics that had drawn her to the river.It was Kaelen.He emerged from the shadows at the far end of the dock, his boots silent on the wood. The mist curled around him, half hiding the faint scar along his jawline, and for a heartbeat Serenya thought he might vanish again into the night.“You came,” he said softly.“I shouldn’t have,” she answered, though her heart betrayed her with its sudden quicke