Shadows Beneath the Ember Citadel

Four centuries ago, fire and shadow came together beneath the Ember Citadel — and the world nearly ended. The Rift that tore reality open that night still bleeds corrupted magic into the realm, contained only by failing wards and a brutal lie that has shaped history ever since. Fire-weaving was outlawed. Shadow-wardens were bound by an Oath of Silence. And love itself was declared a danger too great to survive. Talvera has lived her entire life as a fugitive, hiding the outlawed fire in her blood while fighting alongside a rebellion determined to overthrow the Citadel's rule. When she is captured and dragged into the depths of the Ember Citadel, she expects execution. Instead, she becomes something far more dangerous — proof that the ancient lie is breaking. Vaelis is a shadow-warden bound by oath, duty, and the sins of his past. He has hunted fire-weavers for years without feeling guilt, fear, or doubt — until the moment his shadow magic touches Talvera's fire and his silence begins to crack. What should be impossible ignites between them: a resonance strong enough to weaken the Oath, awaken the Rift, and threaten everything the Citadel was built to protect. As corruption spreads and the truth about the past surfaces, Talvera and Vaelis are forced into an impossible choice. Completing their bond could seal the Rift and save the realm — or finish destroying it. Trusting each other means betraying everything they were taught to believe. Walking away means condemning the world to a slow, inevitable death. Fire and shadow were never meant to be enemies. But some bonds demand a price no one survives unchanged.