Ben’s POV
I ducked down behind some twisted roots with my heart racing and my breathing quick as I looked at the dark rogue camp.
I felt the past pressing down on me like a heavy blanket that wouldn’t go away. But tonight felt different as need and want pushed me ahead like two flames ready to ignite the whole forest.
I saw the rogue scouts fade into the dark with their sharp eyes on the faintly lit entrance of the settlement. They looked like ghosts-thin, tense and always ready to jump into action. The guards stayed hidden with their hunting instincts satisfied by their secret spots.
To an untrained person, the settlement looked empty, but I had learned to look deeper with each hidden figure, reminding me of how dangerous my situation was.
“Stay sharp, stay aware,” I said quietly while repeating what Augustus had taught me. The rogue king was both friend and enemy, like a tricky balance of trust and betrayal.
But tonight I was making my own path, and it was risky going right into the middle of lies.
As I quietly walked through the village, the shadows moved around me like nervous ghosts. I felt strong like I was not the lonely man looking for friendship anymore. I was now the second-in-command of the rogues and close to having power.
No one dared to stop me as I walked to the cave where Augustus sat. Each step seemed heavy and filled with the decisions I’d made to get here. When I stepped inside the cave, a thick silence filled the air while making me shiver.
The cave stretched out in front of me with a dark opening that felt like it wanted to swallow me up. Shadows surrounded me, heavy as they whispered secrets.
At the far end where the light seemed to fade away, I saw Augustus sitting on his dark throne. My instincts shouted at me like danger came from him with a strange mix of muscle and shadow.
Even with my good eyesight, I couldn’t see in the deep darkness and all I could see were his robes that felt like shadows.
“Your presence is noted,” he said with his voice chilling me like I had taken a cold shower. Augustus seemed to be the night itself soaking up all the light until barely any was left.
“My Lord,” I said while bowing automatically, even though I tried not to show my nervousness. His power filled the room while overwhelming like a strong wave.
“What news do you have?” His voice was calm but scary while echoing in the room and making nearby rogues shiver in fear. I pushed myself to look at the king’s hidden face while trying to stay steady.
“I’m sorry to say that my mission tonight didn’t go well,” I started while trying to keep my cool despite my inner chaos.
“Adams has strengthened the palace. There were guards all around. He knows about Shayla and our… meetings. I barely made it out.”
A long and tense silence filled the room before Augustus said, “Or maybe the clever fox has turned on you and ran back to her boss to tell your secrets.”
I tightened my fists with anger burning inside me. “She wouldn’t do that! I made her think I loved her. She would do anything for me.”
“Ah, the foolishness of trusting love!” Augustus said while sounding very scornful. “It sweetens the mind like honey to wasps.” His laughter filled my head like a cold mist. “Love lifts you up just so you can fly straight into danger. Truly you are silly to believe in a woman’s heart.”
“That’s not fair,” I argued while trying to keep my dignity. “You understand loyalty, Augustus. She is loyal to me.”
“Ah-loyalty!” he answered softly, sweet and almost charming.
“It’s a fancy word used by those who can’t see how fate changes. A woman’s heart is like the moon… shining bright but always changing going through phases. Sometimes it’s full, sometimes it fades into shadow.”
I felt curious as I moved closer. “What do you understand about love, my Lord?”
Augustus went quiet and a tension grew between us. When he finally spoke I could hear a quick sadness in his voice. “Once I also trusted a woman-the moon goddess. My heart soared, and I thought her love would make me strong. But sadly…”
His bitterness felt heavy and almost like a threat that made me shiver. “The past is just a shadow that doesn’t involve you.”
I sensed the room change and the king’s servants stepped back while looking scared. “I’m sorry for asking my Lord. I didn’t mean to-”
“Be quiet!” he shouted with his voice loud enough to bounce off the cave walls. “The spy isn’t important right now. Soon I will come down on Adams, and he will fall because of his own pride. And that miserable girl-Lilith!-I will take her too!”
His last words hung in the air like a sharp knife and filled with a threat of danger. The rogues around me shared worried looks with their fear clear. I fought to hold back my own fear while trying to revive the rebellion that had led me here.
“Ben,” Augustus said with his voice steadying, “you need to rest. Tomorrow will bring challenges we don’t expect and I will need your support again.”
“What about Shayla?” I asked while carefully checking his patience.
“She’s just a piece in a bigger game and I plan to win.” He waved his hand carelessly. “You can rest or not. It doesn’t matter.”
Using that as my signal to go, I stepped back slowly while feeling sad. Augustus’s words echoed in my mind like a bell with dreams, regret and loyalty weighing down the air. As I walked through the dark, the burden of my choices felt heavy on my back.
As I returned to the village I couldn’t forget Shayla’s smile. She had been a short moment of comfort in my sadness-a bright spot in my pain.
“Believe in love!” I whispered as I looked at the guards nearby. Their eyes sparkled with a secret knowledge that only they understood-the thought that love could be a weapon just like a shield.
At that moment of being alone, I blamed the luck that had tied us together with blood betrayal and loyalty. Every rogue I saw reminded me of the danger we all faced-trusting someone like Augustus and trusting a fate as changeable as the moon.
As I got used to my room, shadows moved all around me. I understood that things had gotten serious. Tomorrow will not only bring its challenges, but also the results of my decisions tonight.
The rogue king’s schemes were coming and hinting at a rebellion-a chance to break free from the ties holding me to Adams…