The aftermath of Soren’s rescue left the palace in a state of muted tension. The halls, usually buzzing with activity, felt heavier, as though the walls themselves carried the weight of the empire’s troubles. The soldiers who had returned from the mission spoke little of what had transpired, but the absence of those who didn’t make it back spoke volumes.

Kairos had become a ghost of himself in the days that followed. Where once he strode through the palace with an air of unshakable authority, now he moved like a shadow, his steps purposeful but his demeanor distant. His icy composure, once a source of awe, had hardened into something almost impenetrable.

For Soren, the distance was unbearable.

Soren found himself standing outside Kairos’s study late one evening, his hand hovering over the door. He had hesitated long enough, giving the emperor space in the hopes that time would ease the weight on his shoulders. But it had been days, and Kairos’s coldness was only growing more pronounced.

Finally, Soren pushed the door open.

Kairos stood by the window, his back to the room, as was becoming his habit. His posture was stiff, his hands clasped behind his back as he stared out at the darkened gardens below. A single lantern illuminated the room, casting long shadows across the polished floor.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Kairos said without turning.

Soren stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “We need to talk.”

“There’s nothing to discuss,” Kairos replied, his tone flat.

Soren’s chest tightened. “Nothing to discuss? After everything that’s happened?”

Kairos turned slowly, his expression as cold as his voice. “What do you want me to say, Soren? That I regret the losses? That I blame myself? You’ve already heard those words.”

“I want you to stop shutting me out,” Soren said, his voice trembling with frustration. “I know you’re hurting, Kairos. You think I don’t see it, but I do.”

Kairos took a step closer, his icy blue eyes narrowing. “What I feel doesn’t matter. What matters is keeping this empire from crumbling beneath our feet.”

“You can’t do that alone,” Soren said firmly.

“I don’t have a choice,” Kairos snapped. “I can’t afford to rely on anyone—not you, not the council, not anyone. Trust is what got us here in the first place.”

Soren flinched at the sharpness of his words, but he didn’t back down. “You don’t mean that.”

Kairos’s gaze hardened. “Don’t tell me what I mean.”

The tension in the room was suffocating, but Soren refused to leave. He stepped closer, his voice softening.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked. “Why are you pushing me away?”

Kairos’s jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists. “Because you’ve become a liability,” he said coldly. “Valen knew exactly how to use you against me, and it worked. My emotions made me weak, and people died because of it.”

Soren’s breath caught. The words cut deep, but he forced himself to speak. “That’s not true. You made a choice—a choice to save someone who matters to you. That doesn’t make you weak.”

Kairos let out a bitter laugh, his gaze dropping to the floor. “You don’t understand what it means to rule, Soren. Every decision I make carries a cost, and this one nearly cost me the empire.”

Soren stepped closer, his green eyes filled with determination. “I understand more than you think. I know what it’s like to lose, to feel like you’re carrying the weight of the world alone. But you don’t have to do this alone, Kairos. You don’t have to shut everyone out.”

Kairos looked at him, and for a moment, the cold mask he wore seemed to falter. But just as quickly, it returned, his expression hardening once more.

“Leave,” he said, his voice low and unyielding. “That’s an order.”

Soren’s heart ached, but he didn’t move. “No.”

Kairos’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of frustration crossing his features. “You’re testing my patience, Soren.”

“And you’re testing my faith,” Soren shot back. “You think I don’t know how dangerous this is? That I don’t understand the risks? I’ve stayed by your side because I believe in you, Kairos. But if you keep pushing me away, you’ll lose more than the empire—you’ll lose yourself.”

For a long moment, the room was silent, the weight of Soren’s words hanging in the air.

Kairos turned away, his shoulders tense. “You think I don’t know that?” he said quietly. “You think I don’t see what’s happening? Every day, I feel this empire slipping through my fingers. And no matter what I do, it’s never enough.”

Soren’s voice softened. “Then let me help you.”

Kairos didn’t respond immediately. When he finally turned back to Soren, his gaze was colder than ever.

“The only way you can help me is by staying out of my way,” he said. “This is bigger than you, Soren. Bigger than either of us.”

Soren felt his chest tighten, but he forced himself to nod. “If that’s what you want, I’ll do it. But I’m not leaving, Kairos. I’m staying by your side, no matter how hard you try to push me away.”

Kairos’s expression didn’t change, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something Soren couldn’t quite name.

“Do what you want,” Kairos said finally, turning back to the window. “Just don’t expect me to do the same.”

That night, Soren returned to his chambers, his heart heavy but resolute. He knew the path ahead would be fraught with challenges, but he was determined to see it through.

Kairos might have been retreating behind his walls, but Soren wasn’t giving up. He had seen the man behind the mask—the man who cared, even if he couldn’t admit it.

And he would fight for that man, even if it meant enduring the emperor’s coldness.