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Christiana's POV
I woke up to darkness. The cold stone beneath me was unforgiving, but it wasn't the first time I'd been on the edge of death.
I could still hear the echoes of Chris's words in my mind.
> "No name. No title. No power makes you above loyalty."
The betrayal stung deeper than I could have ever imagined. My father, the man who had always been my rock, had cast me aside without hesitation. His judgment had been swift. His decision, final.
But I refused to let the flame die. Not like this.
I opened my eyes, trying to focus on the dim light coming from above. The trapdoor had closed, but there were still sounds around me—footsteps, muffled voices, and then… silence.
I forced myself to sit up, feeling the weight of my blood-drenched palms. The stone—the bloodstone—had turned black. My heart pounded against my chest as I struggled to make sense of everything. Was I really unworthy?
Suddenly, a figure appeared at the edge of my vision.
> "You failed the flame, but there's still hope, Christiana."
Amara's voice.
> "Amara?" I whispered, my throat raw. "Is it over? Did the stone… did it reject me?"
Amara crouched beside me, her hands gently brushing the dust from my face.
> "It didn't reject you. You've just been given a new purpose, one that no one can take from you."
I looked up, confused.
> "What do you mean? What is it you're saying?"
Amara paused, taking a deep breath.
> "You're not dead, Christiana. Not yet. But it won't be easy. You have to prove your loyalty once more. There are those who still believe in you. But there are also enemies who want to see you fall. The flame doesn't give second chances, but I do."
I slowly stood, using the edge of the stone to support myself. My body ached, but I was alive.
> "What do I have to do?"
> "You have to rise, Christiana. You have to show the empire that you are not a failure, that you are still the force that can reshape this world."
I nodded slowly, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders. I wasn't going to let my father's judgment be the end of me. This was just another trial, and I would rise from the ashes.
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Skylar's POV
I couldn't help but feel the weight of Chris's decision. Christiana was still my daughter, no matter what had transpired. But Chris had made it clear that loyalty was everything. It was the very foundation of the empire, and even family couldn't escape its wrath.
I stood at the edge of the throne room, watching as Chris reviewed the reports that had been sent to him. The tension in the air was palpable. Everyone was waiting to see what would happen next. The empire was in a fragile state, and any wrong move could bring it crashing down.
> "Do you think she'll come back?" I asked, trying to hide the vulnerability in my voice.
Chris didn't look up from the documents, but his answer was clear.
> "I don't know. But if she does, it will be because the flame has forgiven her."
The flame. It was a concept that was both a blessing and a curse. It held the power of life and death. But the flame was not a forgiving one. It gave no room for weakness.
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Classic Blackwood's POV
The events of the last few days had been like a storm I could never have anticipated. Christiana's fall had shaken everything I thought I knew about our family, our empire.
I sat in the grand hall, the weight of my role as heir pressing down on me. Chris had always been the god of the empire, the one everyone feared. But I was starting to see the cracks in the foundation. What if he was wrong? What if the flame didn't need to be so harsh?
I glanced at Skylar, who had been quieter than usual since Christiana's judgment. She was still trying to process everything, just like me.
> "Skylar, what happens now?" I asked softly.
She looked up at me, her expression unreadable.
> "We move forward. That's all we can do. But we must never forget that the empire is built on loyalty. That is the lesson Chris wants us to learn."
But was it the right lesson? I wasn't sure anymore.
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Chris's POV
The flame had passed judgment on my daughter. She had failed. But as I sat on the throne, the weight of the decision still sat heavy in my chest. I didn't know if it was the right choice. I had to be strong. I had to be unyielding. The empire depended on it.
Yet something told me that Christiana's fate wasn't sealed just yet. She was stubborn. She was fierce. I couldn't erase that. But could she be what the empire needed?
I stood up abruptly, signaling for the council to gather. The time had come to make a decision—her decision.
> "We are not finished with Christiana," I announced, voice booming through the chamber. "If she returns, it will be on her own terms. And she will have to earn her place."
The council murmured in surprise, but no one dared to challenge me. I was the God of the Blackwood Empire. My word was law.
But in the back of my mind, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to change. I didn't know what it was, but I could feel the winds shifting.
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To Be Continued...