Freya stood at the heart of the cave, feet planted firmly against the cold stone floor as magic coiled and danced around her. Water spiralled through the air at her command, smooth and obedient, reflecting the pale glow of the cavern walls. She felt strong again. Grounded. In control.

  Blanche watched from the edge of the chamber, staff in hand, eyes sharp and unblinking. She tracked every movement, every fluctuation of power, ready to intervene if the magic slipped beyond Freya’s grasp.

  The water surged higher.

  With a sharp motion of her staff, Freya sliced through the swirling current. The liquid froze instantly, forming a wide, gleaming sheet of ice suspended in mid-air. A heartbeat later it shattered back into water, crashing down as Freya stepped cleanly through it, untouched.

  She turned, breath steady.“How was that?”

  “Better,” Blanche said, her voice firm but approving. “Controlled. Do not let the dark in.”

  Freya nodded. “Let’s do more. Same as last time.”

  Blanche raised her staff and swept it through the air. Shapes shimmered into existence, Shoven projections forming in a semicircle before Freya.

  Freya inhaled deeply, centring herself.“Okay. I can do this.”

  She raised her hands. Water surged upward, twisting into tight funnels. With a flick of her fingers, frost raced across their surfaces, turning them solid. She hurled them forward. The ice spears struck true, impaling the projections and shattering them into nothing.

  “More,” Freya said calmly.

  Blanche conjured five more.

  Freya slammed her arms upward, ripping chunks of stone from the cave floor. The rocks hurtled through the air, obliterating the new projections.

  “More!”

  “Freya,” Blanche warned, “we can’t do this again.”

  “I have it controlled,” Freya snapped. “More!”

  Blanche hesitated, then waved her staff once more.

  Fire erupted around Freya in a roaring spiral, heat slamming into the cavern walls. Flames curled and twisted, lightning cracking through the blaze with thunderous force. The air vibrated. The fire swelled, losing its controlled funnel, spreading outward as Freya’s power surged.

  “Freya, stop!” Blanche shouted. “You’re losing it again!”

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  “I. Can. Do. It!” Freya screamed through the fire. “GET BACK, BLANCHE!”

  The flames lashed outward, forcing Blanche back. She raised her staff, forming a shimmering shield as lightning struck against it, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface.

  “Control it!” Blanche shouted, straining against the onslaught.

  Then something moved within the fire.

  A face formed, twisted, alive, watching.

  Blanche froze. “Endriel…?”

  A hand of flame reached toward her.

  Panic surged through Blanche’s chest. Endriel. The Heartfire. A god of chaos, one that only appeared when darkness took hold.

  The cave roared with flame and lightning, fire coiling like living things. Blanche forced herself forward, pushing through the inferno, her shield barely holding. She could see Freya inside the blaze, encased, unresponsive.

  Then the fire shifted.

  Its colour changed, bright pink cutting through the chaos. The flames receded, curling inward, reshaping themselves into a towering figure beside Freya.

  Freya’s eyes dimmed from red to their natural hue. She staggered, caught herself, then straightened. She turned and smiled at Blanche.

  “Sorry to worry you,” Freya said lightly. “I controlled it.”

  Blanche stared past her.

  A seven-foot figure of flame stood beside Freya, its form never still, swirling, living fire and molten light.

  “Oh… that,” Freya added with a small laugh. “Sorry about that.”

  Blanche swallowed. “Is this… Endriel?”

  “I think so,” Freya said slowly. “They found me in the dark. And they showed me the way out.”

  The being’s laughter echoed not in the cave, but inside Blanche’s mind.

  I come to help. I have been trapped in darkness too long. I wish to free this world as well.

  “Where did you come from?” Blanche asked carefully.

  The crystal in her staff was my domain. I found her when she was lost.

  Blanche turned to Freya. “Are you… comfortable taking this being with you?”

  Freya looked at Endriel, then nodded. “They found me for a reason. For that, I trust them.”

  I shall return to the stone, Endriel said. Call when I am needed.

  The fire collapsed into glowing embers, smoke spiralling upward before being drawn back into the crystal.

  “Well,” Blanche said dryly, “that was unexpected.”

  “They helped me,” Freya replied softly. “They knew I shouldn’t be in the shadow.”

  Blanche nodded. “Then your training is complete. You’ll return to the High Council.”

  Freya blinked. “That’s it? Goodbye?”

  “Yes,” Blanche said. “Control was my task. Endriel finished it. But be warned, chaos follows her. Thornics are her children. Trust carefully.”

  “I understand.”

  The cave shook violently. Stone cracked. Blanche and Freya raised shields instinctively as a platform descended from above, spinning into place. A Royal Guard craft settled with a heavy thud.

  Freya sighed. “Why couldn’t mine land like that?”

  “They probably got the coordinates wrong,” Blanche chuckled.

  The pod opened.

  “Well this is welcoming,” the guard muttered.

  “No humour, General,” Blanche said warmly.

  “You know her?” Freya asked.

  “We fought at Melnock,” Blanche replied. “She went into hiding. I stayed.”

  The guard turned to Freya. “Are you ready?”

  “I am.”

  Freya stepped aboard, pausing to look back. “Thank you.”

  Blanche smiled as the lift rose, carrying Freya away.

  When the cave fell silent again, Blanche turned toward her home, memories heavy on her shoulders.

  Another chapter closed behind her.

  Thanks for reading!

  Every time someone spends a few minutes in the world of Shahero, it honestly means more than I can properly put into words. Seeing people follow the journey of Tyron, Samantha, Lazarus, Freya, Cid, and Zara makes all the hours of writing worth it.

  If you enjoyed the chapter, feel free to leave a comment or follow the story. I read every comment, and it genuinely helps the story reach more readers here on Royal Road.

  A few people have also asked how they can support the project as I work toward eventually publishing the book. If that’s something you’d like to help with, there’s a support link below that goes toward editing and preparing the story for print.

  No pressure at all though—reading the story is already huge support.

  Question for readers:What moment in this chapter stood out to you the most?

  See you in the next chapter.

  — Matthew Cooke-Sumner