Celestial Bonds - Shattered Paths (Book 3)

Chapter 15: The Breaking Point

Jax

The forest closed in around us, dark and silent, as we trudged through its depths toward the temple. I couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom that had been growing with each step we took. The air was thick with tension, pressing down on me, on all of us. Every word and glance seemed loaded with a weight that none of us could bear much longer.

I glanced at Lyara, walking a few paces ahead. Her back was straight, every step purposeful, but I could see the strain in the tightness of her shoulders. Last night's conversation still echoed in my mind—her voice trembling as she admitted her fear of the choices we would have to make. I wanted to comfort her, promise we'd find a way to make this work, to keep our love intact. But how could I make promises when every path demanded more of us than we could give?

My eyes flickered to Kian and Lira, walking side by side but in complete silence. Kian looked like a man barely holding himself together, his jaw clenched, eyes fixed ahead. I knew he hated this journey, hated how out of control everything had become. He was a prince, a leader—yet here he was, just as much a pawn to the Crown's demands as the rest of us. And Lira...

Lira was watching him, her eyes filled with an emotion I couldn't quite name. She had always been the voice of reason, keeping us grounded. But I sensed something shifting in her lately. She had grown closer to Kian and not just as his advisor. There was a tension between them, which made my gut twist with uncertainty. Was she truly with us, or was she silently aligning herself with Kian's sense of duty and his need for control?

I forced myself to look away, focusing on the path ahead. These doubts, these tangled emotions—they were tearing us apart. We needed to keep moving, to reach the temple and confront whatever the Crown had in store for us. But the forest seemed endless, stretching out before us like a labyrinth designed to break our resolve.

The silence became unbearable. I quickened my pace, catching up to Kian. "We need to talk," I muttered, my voice low but sharp. "Before we go any further."

He shot me a sidelong glance, his expression cold. "About what, Jax?" he replied, his voice like ice. "About how you've decided to take this situation into your own hands? About how you've disregarded every plan that doesn't suit you?"

I gritted my teeth, feeling anger flare inside me. "This isn't about what I want," I snapped. "It's about what the Crown wants. And it won't let us walk away from this without a sacrifice."

Kian stopped abruptly, turning to face me. The others also halted, the tension crackling like a storm ready to break. "And you think you know what that sacrifice should be?" he challenged, his eyes burning with barely suppressed fury. "You think you're the only one willing to do whatever it takes?"

I felt a surge of frustration, my hands curling into fists. "You're so focused on doing what's 'right' for Terra, Kian, that you're blind to what's happening around you! This isn't just about kingdoms and politics; it's about us. About Lyara, Lira, you, and me."

His eyes narrowed, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "And you're willing to sacrifice anything for that. Even if it means destroying what little hope we have left for peace?"

I opened my mouth to retort, but Lira stepped between us before I could. Her expression was a mask of calm, but I could see the strain in her eyes. "Enough," she said quietly, her voice carrying an edge that cut through the tension. "This is exactly what the Crown wants—to divide and turn us against each other. If we keep fighting like this, we're handing it the victory it seeks."

Kian and I glared at each other, the air thick with anger and unspoken words. But I forced myself to step back, biting down on the fury within me. She was right. This wasn't helping. But damn it, I was so tired of being in the dark, of feeling like we were all being pushed toward some inevitable disaster.