Chapter 3: Whispers of a Forgotten Past

"You've saved me once, but can you keep saving me from myself?"

Kael's voice lingered in the crisp night air, sending an uneasy shiver down Lyria's spine. They had fled the mountains after Ilyas's ominous warning, and now, nestled within the shadow of the forest, the weight of Kael's words bore down on her. She could feel the heavy pulse of his power coursing through the atmosphere, but behind his strength was something darker, something he was hiding.

Lyria shook her head, stepping closer to him. "It's not you I fear, Kael. It's what they've done to you."

Kael stood with his back to her, his dark cloak blending into the shadows of the trees. His wings had disappeared once more, but Lyria could still feel the heat of the dragon fire simmering just beneath his skin. His voice was tight when he spoke again.

"They haven't done anything to me that I didn't deserve."

Lyria's chest tightened. He was carrying a burden—a punishment perhaps, one that he had resigned himself to bear alone. But whatever curse he bore, whatever chains bound him, Lyria was certain of one thing: she wouldn't abandon him to fight this battle by himself.

"No one deserves this," she said quietly, reaching out to touch his arm.

Before her fingers could make contact, Kael turned abruptly, his dark eyes flashing with something wild, something untamed. His grip on her wrist was firm but gentle, holding her hand midair.

"Don't," he warned, his voice low, almost pleading. "You don't know what you're getting into."

Lyria swallowed, her heart pounding in her chest. She had never seen him like this before—so vulnerable, yet so dangerous at the same time. But she refused to back down.

"Then tell me," she whispered, her gaze steady as she met his eyes. "Tell me what you're hiding."

Kael stared at her for a long moment, his breath shallow, his jaw clenched. Lyria could feel the tension radiating from him, like a volcano on the brink of eruption. For a second, she thought he would pull away, retreat back into the shadows where he had hidden for so long. But then, slowly, his hand loosened on her wrist, and his shoulders sagged in defeat.

"Lyria…" His voice was a raw whisper, filled with a sadness she couldn't understand. "There are some things you can't undo. Some things you can't save me from."

She stepped closer, her eyes never leaving his. "I can try."

The sincerity in her voice seemed to break something inside him. Kael let out a deep breath, his hands falling to his sides as he looked away, his gaze distant. "The curse that binds me… it's not just mine to bear. It's yours too."

Lyria's breath hitched. "Mine? What do you mean?"

He closed his eyes, his expression pained. "You don't remember. But once, a long time ago, before this life… we were bound together. You and I. By the heavens."

The revelation hit her like a punch to the gut. Bound together? She had always felt a strange connection to him, something deeper than what she could explain, but she had thought it was because of his power, his presence. Never had she imagined that their fates were intertwined in this way.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Kael's eyes opened, filled with sorrow and something darker. "I made a choice that led to our downfall. The heavens cursed me for it. And you…" He hesitated, as if the next words would be too painful to say. "You were made to forget."

Lyria's heart raced. "Forget what?"

He swallowed hard. "Our past. Our love. The life we had before the heavens tore us apart."

She felt as though the ground had been ripped out from beneath her. Everything she thought she knew about herself, about him, was now shrouded in uncertainty. Could it be true? Could the reason she felt this unexplainable pull toward him be because they had once been… in love?

Her thoughts spiraled, but before she could ask another question, a sudden rustling in the trees snapped them both back to attention. Kael's body tensed, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the forest around them.

"We're not alone," he muttered.

Without warning, a figure leaped from the shadows, its dark form moving with unnatural speed. Lyria barely had time to react before the intruder's blade gleamed in the moonlight, aimed directly at Kael.

But Kael was faster.

In a blur of motion, he unsheathed his sword, the metallic clang of steel reverberating through the forest as he blocked the attack. The force of the blow sent the assassin stumbling back, but Kael didn't hesitate. He moved with lethal precision, striking out with a fury that Lyria hadn't seen before.

The assassin dodged Kael's second strike, spinning with unnatural agility. Lyria's pulse quickened as she recognized the dark robes of the Celestial Court's elite guards. They had sent assassins after him.

And they wouldn't stop until Kael was dead.

Lyria's blood boiled as she drew her sword, ready to join the fray, but Kael's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Stay back!" he growled, his eyes flashing with dragon fire as he parried another strike from the assassin.

But Lyria wasn't one to stand by and do nothing. She gripped her sword tighter, her heart racing as she stepped forward. He wasn't going to face this alone. Not again.

As the assassin lunged toward Kael once more, Lyria dashed forward, her sword slicing through the air. The assassin twisted to block her attack, but she was quicker, her blade cutting through the assassin's defenses with a swift, precise strike. The assassin stumbled, clutching at the wound, but before he could recover, Kael's sword flashed, finishing the job.

The assassin fell to the ground, motionless.

Lyria's chest heaved with adrenaline, her heart pounding in her ears. She looked up at Kael, who was watching her with a mixture of surprise and something else—something that made her heart skip a beat.

"You…" He paused, his voice softening. "You didn't have to do that."

She wiped the blood from her blade, her eyes locking onto his. "I told you. I'm not going to let you face this alone."

Kael's expression was unreadable for a moment, but then his lips curled into the faintest of smiles. "You really haven't changed."

Before Lyria could respond, the sound of more footsteps echoed through the trees. They were coming—more assassins, no doubt. The Celestial Court wouldn't stop until Kael was dead, and Lyria wasn't about to let that happen.

"We need to move," she said, her voice urgent.

Kael nodded, his gaze hardening once more. "There's a sanctuary not far from here. We'll be safe there, for a while."

Without another word, they disappeared into the forest, the darkness swallowing them as they fled deeper into the night.

But as they ran, Lyria couldn't shake the feeling that something much larger was at play. The curse, the forgotten past, the assassins sent by the heavens—it was all connected. And if Kael was right, if they had once been bound by the stars themselves, then their fates were more intertwined than she had ever imagined.

"This isn't just about survival, is it?" Lyria whispered as they ran through the dark forest, her breath shallow. "It's about remembering what the heavens took from us."