The rebellion’s victory had reshaped the world, but Juri Winkler’s fight wasn’t over. In the weeks since the People’s Assembly had begun governing the land, whispers of discontent had emerged, and none stung more than the letter from his estranged sister, Anna Winkler.

  Ravenspire—once a noble retreat high in the eastern mountains—was where Anna had called for a meeting. Juri had no illusions about the stakes. His sister had grown up under the nobles’ care, indoctrinated into their values, and had risen to prominence as one of their youngest strategists.

  This wasn’t just a family reunion. It was a reckoning.

  Juri set out for Ravenspire with a small escort: Kira, Halrick, and Garrick. The climb was steep and treacherous, the narrow paths flanked by jagged cliffs and ancient, crumbling fortifications. The air grew thinner as they ascended, and the snow that dusted the peaks made the journey even more perilous.

  “This feels like a trap,” Halrick grumbled, his sword slung across his back. “A noble sympathizer sending you a letter and asking you to meet in some isolated fortress? Sounds like a setup to me.”

  “It might be,” Juri replied, his sharp blue eyes fixed ahead. “But it’s a risk I have to take.”

  Kira frowned, pulling her coat tighter against the cold. “Why? She’s just one person. Why does she matter so much?”

  Juri hesitated, his voice quiet. “Because she’s not just one person. She’s my sister.”

  That admission silenced the group. Even Kira, usually quick with a sharp comment, offered no reply.

  The group reached Ravenspire at dusk. The fortress was perched on the edge of a sheer cliff, its spires piercing the sky like blackened spears. Though the nobles had abandoned it during the rebellion, the fortress had been restored—its walls reinforced, its towers bristling with guards.

  A detachment of soldiers greeted them at the gates, their armor emblazoned with a crest Juri didn’t recognize.

  “State your business,” one of the guards barked.

  Juri stepped forward, his voice calm but commanding. “I’m here to see Anna Winkler.”

  The guard hesitated, then signaled for the gates to open.

  Inside the grand hall of Ravenspire, Anna Winkler waited. She was younger than Juri by several years, but the years spent among the nobles had aged her beyond her time. She stood tall, her dark hair tied back in a braid, her green eyes sharp and unyielding. She wore a tailored military coat, the insignia of a commander on her shoulder.

  “You came,” Anna said, her voice cool.

  “I don’t walk away from challenges,” Juri replied.

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  Anna smirked faintly. “Still the same. Always thinking you’re the smartest person in the room.”

  Juri stepped closer, his sharp blue eyes locking onto hers. “Why am I here, Anna? You called me, not the other way around.”

  Anna’s expression hardened. “You’re here because I want answers. You destroyed the nobles. You tore down everything I’ve ever known. And for what? What’s your plan, Juri? What kind of world are you even trying to build?”

  The siblings circled each other, their words cutting deeper than any blade.

  Anna: “You’ve unleashed chaos, Juri. The nobles may have been cruel, but at least they provided order. Now, the land is fractured, and the people are suffering more than ever.”

  Juri: “The nobles built that suffering. Their ‘order’ was nothing but a cage. I’m building a world where people are free to decide their own fate.”

  Anna: “Freedom? Or anarchy? You’re playing with ideals, but ideals don’t feed people or protect them from raiders. You need structure, Juri—something stronger than a rebellion cobbled together in the ashes of a war.”

  Juri: “Structure built on fear is no structure at all. I’m not building something for me, Anna. I’m building something for everyone.”

  As the argument escalated, Anna gestured to the guards lining the walls of the grand hall. “You think you’ve won, Juri, but the nobles aren’t gone. Their power was never just in titles or castles. It’s in the people who still believe in them—the soldiers, the scholars, the leaders who’ve been waiting for their chance to strike back.”

  Juri’s eyes narrowed. “You’re working with them.”

  Anna didn’t flinch. “I’m working with anyone who can bring stability back to this land. If you think your rebellion can hold it together, you’re deluding yourself.”

  She stepped closer, lowering her voice. “But I didn’t bring you here to fight. I brought you here to offer you a choice. Join me, Juri. Help me rebuild the system—not as it was, but stronger. Together, we could create something real. Something lasting.”

  The room fell silent as Juri considered her words. Kira, Halrick, and Garrick stood tense behind him, their hands hovering near their weapons.

  “You think I’d betray everything I’ve fought for?” Juri said, his voice steady.

  “I think you’re tired,” Anna replied. “I think you’re starting to realize that winning a war is easier than winning peace. I’m offering you a way to fix this mess without more bloodshed.”

  Juri shook his head. “Your way is just the old system with a new coat of paint. I didn’t fight to replace one set of rulers with another. I fought to tear it all down.”

  Anna’s expression darkened. “Then you’ve chosen chaos. And chaos can’t be allowed to win.”

  The tension in the room snapped like a bowstring. Anna raised her hand, and the guards drew their weapons. The hall erupted into chaos as Juri and his allies fought to defend themselves.

  Halrick charged into the fray, his massive sword cutting through the first wave of attackers. “Knew this was a trap!” he growled, grinning despite the danger.

  Kira darted between enemies, her daggers flashing as she disarmed and incapacitated guards. “You couldn’t just let it be a family reunion, could you?”

  Garrick’s sharpshooters on the ridge outside provided cover, their precision fire thinning the ranks of Anna’s forces.

  Juri, meanwhile, focused on Anna. The siblings clashed in the center of the hall, her military training and his battlefield experience creating a brutal, evenly matched duel.

  “You don’t have to do this, Anna!” Juri shouted, parrying her strikes.

  “You left me no choice!” she snarled, her blade arcing toward him.

  The battle ended with the hall in ruins and Anna’s forces retreating. Juri stood over his sister, her sword lying shattered at her feet. She glared up at him, defiant even in defeat.

  “Go ahead,” Anna spat. “Kill me. Finish what you started.”

  Juri lowered his weapon, his sharp blue eyes softening. “I’m not like them. I won’t become what I fought against.”

  He turned to leave, but paused at the door. “When you’re ready to fight for something real, you know where to find me.”

  Anna said nothing, her silence echoing long after Juri and his allies departed.