Chapter 27: The Journal of Flame and Shadow
The Vowbound didn't travel far after the ambush.
The old ruins of Tyresh Hollow—a half-swallowed fortress from the age of the Mage Wars—offered shelter among its cracked towers and moss-covered halls. It was here they paused to regroup and tend to their wounds.
Andrew sat in the corner of a broken chapel, cleaning Ashren with slow, steady hands. The sword had dulled since the battle with Ravan, its aura quieter. Resting.
But in his chest, the storm was just beginning.
-The Discovery-
Kaelira wandered through the rubble with a torch, exploring the old mage library tucked beneath the stone sanctuary. Her voice echoed softly through the chamber above:
"Andrew... you should come see this."
He followed, Ashren slung across his back.
She stood before an open chest—its contents surprisingly well-preserved by ancient wards. Inside: brittle books, a crystalline flame still glowing faintly, and at the bottom…
A journal. Bound in black and scarlet leather. Marked with a sigil that made Andrew's blood turn cold.
The mark of the Lord of Shadows.
They opened it together.
The handwriting inside was elegant, careful. Every word deliberate.
"To whoever finds this… I am Elen, first of the flamebound, last of the oathbound… and once, the only one who loved the man who would become ruin."
"This is the truth the world was not ready to remember."
Page after page followed—stories of battles fought beside Andrew's past self, victories bought in blood, and warnings.
"He was never born evil."
"He simply wanted to save those the world discarded. But he forgot that mercy and control are not the same."
And then… one page caught fire when Andrew touched it.
Words glowed in red ink.
"To the Andrew who reads this… if you are still you… then know: I never hated you. I pitied the world that made you choose darkness."
Andrew clenched the journal shut. His hands trembled.
-Emotional Turning Point-
Kaelira placed a hand on his arm.
"You okay?"
"She… She knew me better than anyone. And she feared me."
"But she still loved you."
"I don't know if that makes it better or worse," he whispered.
She didn't pull away.
Instead, she said:
"You are not him, Andrew."
"But maybe you're the only one strong enough to fix what he broke."
Their eyes met—close, but uncertain.
A moment passed.
"Get some rest," she said, her voice softer than before.
"We'll need you sane… when part two of the tournament begins."
-Meanwhile: Selennia's Private Warning-
Elsewhere, Selennia stood alone on a parapet, wind tugging at her white cloak.
Mihai approached.
"You're watching him too closely," he said.
"Because I've seen what he can become," she replied.
"And you believe in him?"
"I believe in second chances."
"But only if he's willing to let go of the power that ruined him the first time."
She opened her palm—revealing a small obsidian shard, pulsing faintly.
"And if he can't…""Then we'll have to stop him."