“You expect me to believe this is redemption?” Elyssara asks, her voice sharp, dangerous.
Thalmyr’s mouth tilts faintly. “No,” he says. “There is no redemption for what I’ve done.”
A moment passes.
“This is correction.”
The word lands differently. Not noble or selfless or altruistic.Necessary.
Elyssara’s breath hitches, her chest clenching as she searches his face for hesitation. For doubt. For fear. There is none.Only resolve.
“You’re ready to die for Dravara? For Aevryn? For the mess you’ve caused?” Elyssara asks, testing his mettle.
He does not hesitate. “Yes.”
She wants to believe him. Not because she trusts him, but because the alternative is worse. Because if he is lying, then there is no path forward at all.
“I wanted power once,” he continues, his voice quieter now, but no less certain. “I was raised to want it. Taught that it was the only way to secure the future of this kingdom.”
His gaze drifts, just briefly.
“But with dominion, I have seen nothing but chaos. Entropy. Anarchy. There is no safety in that. No real power. Only loss.”
His eyes return to Elyssara’s.
“And I have spent every day since Nyrielle’s betrayal trying to contain the consequences of my greed and inheritance.”
A pause.
“Now, I give you the chance to end it.”
Silence stretches. Heavy. Unavoidable.
Elyssara swallows, her throat tight, her thoughts racing as everything collides—her past, her pain, her fury, her purpose. The truth. Lies. A choice. This is what it comes down to. Not vengeance. Not justice.Choice.
“And you’re prepared to let The Barrier fall?” she asks, her voice quieter now, but no less steady.
Thalmyr exhales.
“I will not be here to see how it ends. Areyouprepared to let The Barrier fall?” he asks simply.
Her pulse spikes.
“Yes,” she says, forcing confidence into her voice.
“And the people of Virellin?” Seren presses from behind her, her voice tight.
“We clear the streets,” Elyssara answers before Thalmyr can, her mind already moving, already shifting into command. “We move them into The Underbelly—nobles and slummers alike. We protect them while the realms burn.”
Her gaze flicks to Calira.
“Your father can do that.”
She does not react at first. But she does not breathe either, inhales and exhales stilling for a few heartbeats. Then, she nods once.
Like she understands the kind of man he is in an instant. Not some distant memory. But a brave man who’s here for hernow, even if she doesn’t want him to be.
Elyssara turns back to Thalmyr.
