Chapter 7: Bells Amidst the Fog

Morning fog cloaked the ridges of Azurheim mountains, forming a thin veil that dimmed the first rays of sunlight. In the distance, the faint chime of temple bells echoed, resonating through towering trees.
Kalea Virein stood at the edge of a stone bridge, staring down into a valley she once crossed as a human. The wind carried the scent of wet earth and fallen leaves. A once-neutral place, now filled with memories that pressed in uninvited.
She came without guards. Not even Elsera had been informed. Only herself and a single, nameless invitation sealed with the symbol of light. She knew who sent it.
And she didn’t come as the Queen of Sorrow. But as Angeline.

---
Across the bridge stood a man, his eyes fixed on her. Eiran Velcroft, dressed not in armor today, but in light traveling clothes. His hair was loose, and his warm brown eyes still carried the glow that once made Angeline feel... human.
“I wasn’t sure you’d come,” he said softly.
Kalea held his gaze. “Neither was I.”
They walked toward each other slowly. No magic. No escorts. Just two people weighed down by the same past.
“You still have it?” Eiran asked, nodding at the blue ribbon wrapped around Kalea’s wrist.
“Sometimes objects lie less than people,” she answered calmly.
Eiran smiled bitterly. “I deserve that.”

---
They sat on the edge of the ruined temple, letting time pass without rush. The fog slowly lifted, revealing the majestic mountain view. Birds chirped softly in the distance.
“Why did you invite me?” Kalea finally asked.
Eiran took a deep breath. “Because I’m tired of fighting shadows. I wanted to speak to someone who remembers sunlight.”
“Sunlight blinds,” Kalea replied. “And I’ve grown comfortable under the moon.”

---
A long silence lingered.
“Do you remember that day on the school rooftop?” Eiran asked suddenly.
Kalea turned sharply. “That’s a foolish question.”
Eiran nodded. “But I ask because I regret it.”
“Everyone regrets things when it’s too late.”
“Then let me be the one who doesn’t give up.”

---
Before Kalea could answer, the distant blare of war horns broke the peace. Their heads turned simultaneously. From the northern ridge, fire and dust rose.
Solvane’s army? Or rebels?
Kalea stood. “I need to return.”
Eiran touched her arm. “Let me come with you.”
Kalea stared sharply. “Do you understand what it means to stand by me, Eiran? This isn’t teenage romance. This is war. This is... darkness.”
Eiran didn’t back down. “Then let me learn to walk through the dark with you.”

---
They arrived in Nyxterra by nightfall. Elsera was already waiting in the throne hall. Her expression betrayed no surprise at the sight of the queen returning with a knight of Solvane.
“We have a problem,” Elsera said bluntly. “One of the Seven Gates has been opened.”
Kalea froze. “Which one?”
“Elheim. The City of Glass.”
Eiran flinched. He had read about it—a place where shadow and time collide, forming a labyrinth of dreams that could trap anyone.

---
“We must seal it before its soul awakens,” Kalea said, walking to the great wall map. “Or the Gray Pact will collapse.”
Eiran looked at her. “You need help.”
Kalea turned, eyes narrowing. “You’re offering yourself?”
“For you. Yes.”
Elsera nodded slightly. “He carries a strong light energy. He might stabilize the dimensional boundary.”

---
That night, before their departure to Elheim, Kalea sat alone in the palace garden. The night wind blew gently. She replayed all of Eiran’s words, his smile, and the old wounds that never fully healed.
“Fool,” she whispered.
But she couldn’t stop her heart from beating faster.
Maybe love wasn’t dead.
Or maybe... love always lived as a beautiful wound.

---
Far away, on the other side of the world, an eye opened within the darkness.
It saw Kalea.
It remembered her.
And it would not allow the Queen of Sorrow to have a happy ending.