Chapter 190: The Edge of Ruin
Adrian
Smoke curled across the battlefield like the breath of some ancient beast; the world tinted in shades of ash and flame. My eyes locked on Kael—my ally, my cousin, my weapon, my assurance of victory—just as Tarria’s strange, unnatural power struck him.
It was not merely smoke. It was something more insidious, more primal. A tendril of shadow wrapped around him, and Kael’s roar tore through the chaos. His body convulsed, fighting against a force he could not see, could not cut down. For the first time, I saw the unyielding commander stagger backward, choking not just on smoke but Tarria’s will.
“Kael!” My voice ripped from my throat, guttural and desperate.
But there was nothing I could do. Tarria stood with her hand half-lifted, trembling, but her power held steady. I watched, helpless and enraged, as Kael fell to his knees, his massive frame shaking. Then he collapsed completely, swallowed by a haze that shimmered like oil and shadow around him.
It was impossible. Kael was strength itself, a force who had risen beside me in every battle. To see him brought down by her—the girl who was supposed to be lost, broken—was a dagger twisting in my chest. My carefully spun plans unraveled in the space of a heartbeat.
Rage burned hotter than fire in my veins. If Kael was gone, then everything depended on me. I would not fall here. I would not allow Lexy and her so-called king to stand over my broken body.
I tightened my grip on my blade, forcing my focus away from Kael’s fallen form. CJ stood before me, unrelenting, his sword gleaming with every strike. Each clash rang like thunder in my ears. Sparks flew as steel bit against steel, and with every swing, he pressed me back.
“You’re done, Adrian,” CJ growled, his voice as solid as stone.
“No,” I spat, my fury fueling me. “You can’t kill what refuses to die.”
I lunged, my blade flashing, striking with wild, vicious speed. CJ met me head-on, his movements precise, controlled. He was not fueled by rage—he was fueled by discipline, by purpose. And worse still, he was not alone.
Lexy stood just behind him, her eyes aflame with the Phoenix’s light. Every time CJ faltered, every time my strength began to tip the scales, I felt her surge of power. Fire danced across his blade, trailing heat that burned even through the air. It was her. She was feeding him, strengthening him, as if they were one body wielding a single weapon against me.
The unfairness of it ignited my rage even higher. Two against one. Always two against one. They called it unity, love, loyalty—whatever foolish bond they clung to. I called it weakness. Yet here, it cut through me like steel.
I swung again, driving my blade downward in a blow meant to cleave CJ apart. He caught it, his sword locking against mine. Fire flared between us, Lexy’s energy bursting like a storm through his veins. The force of it slammed into me, nearly knocking me backward.
“Pathetic,” I snarled, forcing the weight of my fury against him. “You can’t win without her holding you up.”
CJ’s eyes narrowed, his teeth clenched. “We fight together. That’s the difference between us and you.”
The truth in his words cut deeper than his sword. I had no one now. Kael lay broken behind me. Adrian the Conqueror, the Unstoppable—reduced to fighting alone.
I roared, the sound tearing from my chest as I pushed back, hammering strike after strike at CJ. My anger fueled me, each swing heavier, faster, driven by the memory of Kael falling, by the vision of victory slipping from my grasp. For a moment, I forced him onto the defensive, his blade straining to catch mine. Sparks scattered like fireflies around us.
But then Lexy moved closer.
Her hand rose, fire spiraling upward before crashing into CJ like a living flame. His entire form blazed with it, his eyes glowing like molten gold. When he struck this time, it was not just steel I met—it was fire, will, and her unstoppable fury.
The clash rattled through my bones. My knees buckled, the sheer force of his empowered swing driving me back. I staggered, teeth gritted, refusing to collapse.
“No!” I howled, summoning the last dregs of my strength. I thrust forward, my blade skimming dangerously close to his side. He twisted just enough, fire bursting from his sword as he countered it. The blast seared across my chest, the heat biting into flesh.
Pain stole my breath, but I refused to fall. I struck again, blind with rage, my movements were fueled only by defiance. Blow after blow I unleashed, but every one was met, absorbed, and returned with twice the strength.
Lexy’s voice rang behind him, commanding, relentless. “End this, CJ! Don’t give him an inch!”
Her fire seared into him again, the air itself burning with her presence. CJ stepped forward with renewed power, his sword cleaving through my defenses. Sparks burst, flames snapped, and my blade faltered under the crushing weight of his next strike.
The world tilted. My chest heaved, blood trickled down my arm, my lungs burned with smoke and fury. I stumbled, barely catching myself.
CJ’s sword pressed against mine, fire racing along its edge, forcing me to lower and lower. My legs screamed in protest, my strength waning no matter how I clawed for more.
I tried to think of Kael, of everything we built, of the throne that should have been mine. I tried to let the rage consume me, to push me past the breaking point. But even my fury was not enough.
The ground beneath me shook as CJ shoved forward with a final surge. My blade slipped, my body jolted, and I dropped down hard onto one knee.
For the first time in years, I looked up at an enemy from below.
My chest rose and fell in ragged gasps. Sweat and blood dripped from my skin. My knuckles whitened around the hilt of my sword as I forced myself not to release it. I would not give them the satisfaction.
But the truth was undeniable.
I was close to defeat.
And they knew it.
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