The air was heavy with the scent of smoke and ash, a grim reminder of the chaos that had unfolded just hours before. Arun stood amidst the ruins of the Phoenix Council chamber, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. The once-grand hall was now a shattered shell, its walls scorched and its floors littered with debris. He could still hear the echoes of screams, the cries of those who had been caught in the crossfire.

“This is my fault,” he thought, his chest tightening with guilt. “If I hadn’t lost control… if I hadn’t let the Leviathan’s power take over…”

“Arun.”

He turned to see Lyra approaching, her fiery eyes narrowed with concern. Her crimson armor was smudged with soot, and her usually confident demeanor was tinged with unease. Behind her, Kael followed, his expression unreadable as always.

“Are you okay?” Lyra asked, her voice softer than usual.

Arun nodded, though the lie tasted bitter on his tongue. “I’m fine. Just… trying to make sense of all this.”

Lyra crossed her arms, her gaze sweeping over the destruction. “The Council won’t see it that way. They’ll blame you for this, just like they blamed you for the attack.”

“They’re not entirely wrong,” Arun admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “If I hadn’t been here, none of this would have happened.”

Kael stepped forward, his weathered face etched with concern. “Blaming yourself won’t change what’s done. What matters now is finding out who’s behind this and why.”

Arun looked at him, a flicker of hope breaking through the haze of guilt. “You think someone set this up?”

“I know they did,” Kael replied, his tone firm. “And we’re going to prove it.”

The trio spent the next few hours combing through the wreckage, searching for any clues that might lead them to the truth. It was Lyra who found it—a small, charred piece of fabric bearing the insignia of the Ember Rebellion.

“This doesn’t make sense,” she said, holding up the fabric for the others to see. “The Ember Rebellion opposes the Essentia kingdoms. Why would they attack their own allies?”

“Maybe they’re not as united as they seem,” Kael mused, his eyes narrowing in thought. “Or maybe they have their own reasons for wanting Arun out of the picture.”

Arun’s stomach churned at the thought. The Ember Rebellion was supposed to be on his side, fighting against the oppression of the Essentia kingdoms. But if they were willing to frame him, to turn the Phoenix Council against him… what did that mean for his mission?

The trail led them to a hidden encampment deep in the forest, where they found a group of rebels gathered around a flickering fire. Arun’s heart pounded as he stepped into the clearing, his hands trembling at his sides. The Leviathan’s voice was a low hum in the back of his mind, urging him to strike, to unleash the power that simmered just beneath the surface.

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“They betrayed you,” it whispered, its tone dripping with malice. “Show them what happens to those who cross you.”

“Arun, wait,” Kael said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We need to hear their side of the story.”

Arun nodded, though the effort to hold back the Leviathan’s power was almost too much to bear. He stepped forward, his voice steady despite the storm raging inside him. “Why?” he demanded, his gaze locking onto the rebels’ leader. “Why did you do it?”

The leader, a grizzled man with a scar running down his cheek, met Arun’s gaze without flinching. “Because you’re a threat,” he said simply. “The Leviathan’s power is too dangerous. It can’t be controlled.”

Arun’s hands clenched into fists, the ground beneath him cracking as the Leviathan’s power surged. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he growled. “I can control it. I will control it.”

The leader shook his head, his expression grim. “You’re fooling yourself. That power will consume you, and when it does, it won’t just be the Essentia kingdoms that suffer. It’ll be all of us.”

The confrontation ended with the rebels retreating into the shadows, leaving Arun and his allies to grapple with the weight of their words. As they made their way back to the Phoenix Kingdom, Arun couldn’t shake the feeling that the rebels were right. The Leviathan’s power was growing stronger, more unpredictable. And if he couldn’t find a way to control it, he feared what might happen next.

The journey back to the Phoenix Kingdom was a somber one. The forest, once alive with the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves, now felt eerily silent, as if the very earth was holding its breath. Arun walked a few paces ahead of Kael and Lyra, his mind racing with thoughts of the rebels’ words.

“The Leviathan’s power is too dangerous. It can’t be controlled.”

The words echoed in his mind, a relentless drumbeat that refused to be silenced. He glanced down at his hands, still trembling from the surge of power he had barely managed to contain. The faint blue glow beneath his skin had faded, but the memory of it lingered, a constant reminder of the chaos he carried within him.

“Arun,” Lyra’s voice broke through his thoughts, pulling him back to the present. She quickened her pace to walk beside him, her fiery eyes searching his face. “You’re quiet. What’s on your mind?”

He hesitated, unsure of how much to share. Lyra had been his staunchest ally, but even she had her limits. “Do you think they’re right?” he asked finally, his voice barely above a whisper. “About the Leviathan’s power… about me?”

Lyra frowned, her brow furrowing in thought. “I think,” she said slowly, “that power is only as dangerous as the person wielding it. And you’re not the kind of person who would let it consume you.”

Her words were meant to reassure him, but they only deepened the knot of guilt in his chest. “What if I’m not strong enough?” he asked, his voice cracking. “What if I lose control again, and someone gets hurt?”

Lyra stopped walking, turning to face him with a determined expression. “Then we’ll be there to pull you back,” she said firmly. “You’re not alone in this, Arun. You never have been.”

Her words struck a chord deep within him, and for the first time since the attack, he felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe she was right. Maybe he didn’t have to face this alone.

As they approached the outskirts of the Phoenix Kingdom, Arun felt a renewed sense of purpose. The rebels’ words still lingered in his mind, but they no longer held the same weight. He had allies—people who believed in him, who were willing to stand by him no matter what.

“We’ll figure this out,” he said, his voice steady for the first time in days. “Together.”

Kael nodded, a rare smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “That’s the spirit. But remember, the road ahead won’t be easy. The Essentia kingdoms won’t stop coming for you, and neither will the rebels.”

“I know,” Arun replied, his gaze fixed on the horizon. “But I’m not going to let them define me. I’ll prove them wrong—all of them.”

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the sky in hues of orange and red, Arun felt a flicker of the Leviathan’s power stir within him. But this time, it didn’t feel like a threat. It felt like a challenge—one he was ready to face.