Chapter 133- Bound in Light and Shadow
Tarria
The ropes bit into my wrists, the coarse fibers digging through my skin as if they meant to etch my captivity into my bones. The dim candlelight flickered against the stone walls, casting tall, dancing shadows around me—shadows that whispered secrets and promises of escape if I could only decipher their language. But it was the silence that deafened me most. The silence after my father spoke.
Alive.
Not only was he alive, but he stood before me, part of a triumvirate with Adrian and Kael, plotting something far greater—and more dangerous—than I could’ve imagined.
“You’re lying,” I breathed, though my voice lacked conviction. My father’s presence alone had already shattered one reality. What was one more truth to fracture me further?
“I wouldn’t lie to you, my daughter,” he said softly, kneeling so his weathered face met mine. His eyes, once familiar and full of warmth, now glinted with something else—something colder. “You are more than you were ever told. You are the balance. The light and the dark. The one who can usher in a new age.”
I swallowed hard. “A new age… without Lexy?”
He flinched, and that gave me a sliver of satisfaction. “Lexy is strong, but she is bound to a legacy of war. Of survival. You were born to lead beyond that.”
“No,” I said, my voice finding steel. “I was born to serve my tribe. To protect it. To serve my queen.”
Disappointment rippled through his expression like a crack in glass. He stood again, folding his arms. “You’ve been brainwashed by her rule.”
“No,” I said again, louder. “I’ve been strengthened by it.”
He didn’t respond. He turned and exited the small chamber, leaving me with only my thudding heart and the weight of his words.
Adrian. Kael. And now my father. All orchestrating something behind Lexy’s back—behind the tribe’s back. And I was the centerpiece of their plot, the would-be queen forged by light and shadow. They wanted to crown me, make me their symbol, their puppet.
But they didn’t understand me.
They never had.
I tugged against the ropes again, more carefully this time, trying to test for weakness. Every scrape and twist sent stabs of pain through my arms, but I welcomed it. Pain meant I was still fighting. Still free inside, even if my body was trapped.
My mind replayed my father’s words, his conviction, his certainty that this destiny was mine.
Was it?
Could there be truth in his belief? Could I truly be something more?
But that wasn’t the question that mattered. What mattered was who I chose to be. And I had already made my choice. Lexy was my queen. The tribe was my people. And no prophecy or bloodline or power born of light and darkness would tear that from me.
I breathed deeply and let my heartbeat guide me back to focus.
Escape.
I needed to get out. To get back to Lexy. To warn her.
My fingers flexed behind me, numb but moving. I tried to reach the edge of the knot, mentally mapping each twist and tuck. If I could just—
The door creaked.
I froze.
Kael stepped in, tall and composed, his eyes flicking across my face. “You’re quiet,” he said.
“I’m listening,” I replied.
He smirked. “To the voices in your head or to the truth you refuse to accept?”
“I’ve heard enough lies for a lifetime.”
“Have you?” He walked closer, crouching beside me. “Tarria, this isn’t about loyalty. It’s about evolution. The tribe is crumbling under Lexy’s reign, and you know it. The elders whisper behind her back. The young ones question her every command. But you… you could unify them all.”
“I’m not interested in ruling from a throne built on betrayal.”
“You’d rather kneel to a queen who keeps secrets from you?”
That struck deeper than I wanted it to. Lexy had secrets—I wasn’t naive—but her silence had always been born of protection, not manipulation. I had to believe that.
“I’d rather die loyal than live as your pawn,” I said coldly.
He stood with a sigh. “You’re making this harder than it has to be.”
“Good.”
He left without another word.
I closed my eyes and pulled harder at the ropes. Sweat trickled down my temple, and my muscles trembled with exertion. But I didn’t stop. Couldn’t. Every second wasted here was another second they moved forward with their plan. Another second Lexy was blind to the threat.
And Lexy… Gods, I hoped she was safe.
Somewhere, out in the vast wilds, I imagined her piecing together the puzzle—tracking the fragments of evidence I’d left behind. I could almost see her eyes narrowing in determination, her fingers brushing over broken leaves or a drop of blood left behind, her heart pulling her toward me with the unshakable instinct of a queen searching for one of her own.
She would come. I knew she would.
But I couldn’t wait for rescue. I had to meet her halfway.
Another tug. A shift. A loosened knot.
Yes.
I bit my lip to stifle the cry of triumph and worked the ropes faster. Every flick of my fingers was a promise.
I will not be your weapon.
I will not be your queen.
I belong to Celestial Kingdom.
With one final twist, the knot came undone, and the rope fell away like a serpent’s shed skin. I was free.
But I didn’t move yet. I stayed still, listening.
The halls were quiet. No footsteps. No voices.
I moved swiftly, silently, easing the door open and peering down the corridor. Shadows stretched along the stone floor, and the scent of smoke clung to the air. My bare feet padded against the cold ground as I slipped through the hallway, pulse steady, mind sharp.
There would be time for fear later. For tears. For breaking.
But right now, I was all resolved.
Lexy had given me strength. She had believed in me long before I believed in myself. I owed her everything. I owed Helio too. He never gave up on finding her and brought her into our lives
And I would not let her fall to this.
I passed through a broken archway and stepped into the cool night, moonlight washing over me like a blessing. The forest beyond beckoned—a place of danger, yes, but also of hope. Somewhere out there, Lexy was searching. Somewhere, she was waiting.
And I was coming home.
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