Page 136 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

Rain looked at her; at his team; at the arena buzzing around them.

And for the first time since this mission began, he felt the full weight of the truth pressing against his ribs.

Chapter 40

The Black Hole was its usual self; dim, sticky, loud, and smelling faintly of stale beer and fried food. but today it felt different. The air buzzed with tension, curiosity, and the low hum of conversations that paused whenever someone glanced their way. Rain could feel the emotional static of the room brushing against his skin like static electricity.

Their group was crammed into a corner booth, the cracked leather seats sticking to their legs, the table littered with half-empty glasses and the remnants of shared chips. The neon sign above the bar flickered intermittently, casting the room in pulses of purple light.

“Locked away? Like… in a prison cell?” Jasmine asked, leaning in over the sticky table, her eyes wide and unblinking.

Rain shook his head slowly.

“No. In towers. A prison cell would probably be kinder.”

The table fell silent.

“Drazier had his own children locked away in three separate towers,” Rain continued, voice low, steady, but edged with disbelief. “Isolated. Malnourished. Neglected. You wouldn’t believe the state the younger ones were in. They were living among their own faeces. Gods know how often they were fed.”

He swallowed, the memory still raw.

“Scarlet; the eldest, she’s Pyro-forged. Fire shoots from the chest. Her entire room was blackened to charcoal. No life. No colour. Just… ash.”

Emily’s face twisted. “And they were locked in there? They couldn’t leave? No visitors?”

“Absolutely abandoned,” Rain said. “One of them was better cared for, but even she wasn’t safe from her guards. I dread to think what would’ve happened to them if I hadn’t been sent.”

“Wow,” Sean muttered, shaking his head as he sipped his pint. “The Red King is a shitty parent.”

“Major understatement,” Daphne added. “Honestly, I’m starting to wonder if any of the Royals are good people.”

Rain and Snow exchanged a look; a shared flicker of hurt, before Rain forced a laugh.

“Thanks, Daph.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, my Gods, no—I didn’t mean you two. Sorry. It’s just… insane.”

Rain nodded.

“It is. And you’re not wrong. Many, if not most, royals are corrupt. For a long time, I resented myself for it. I resented being an heir. I thought I was doomed to become my father; vindictive, cruel and power-hungry.”

He looked around the table, meeting each of their eyes.

“But I realise now that isn’t true. I want to be better. I want to be a King you can all be proud of.”

Wren exhaled softly. “It’s hard to imagine you being the Blue King.”

Jay nodded, chewing his lip, eyes fixed on the table.

Snow cleared her throat, steering them back before the air grew too heavy.

“So let me get this straight,” she said. “Father sends you to collect ‘something’ from the outskirts of Burgundy—deep in Red territory—with no instructions except to bring it back. Meanwhile, his army attacks the south as a distraction.”

“Yep,” Rain said, taking a sip of his drink. “That’s how it was presented.”

“And you find out you’re retrieving a single unknown female,” Snow continued, “at the request of someone from the Red court.”

Rain nodded.