Page 223 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

He pulled away sharply—only to find the gardens gone. They were encased within an hourglass of flames. Droplets of molten heat fell from above, fuelling the inferno that engulfed them faster than thought.

There was no time to escape.

Rain—protected by his flame resistance—acted instinctively, trying to shield Jay with his body. But it was futile. Jay screamed in agony, begging Rain to make it stop. All Rain could do was watch as skin and muscle grotesquely melted to bone before crumbling to ash in his hands.

Only then did the blaze die down, fizzling into a scorched circle. Tears stung Rain’s cheeks as he dropped to his knees, watching the last traces of Jay slip through his fingers and drift away on the breeze.

There were countless other dreams; friends chased to their deaths, driven off cliffs, trapped in impossible scenarios. No matter how hard he fought, he could not outrun the haunting red hourglass. And then therewere the dreams in which he was the victim and when he died, the world died with him.

Rain glanced at the clock beside the bed and groaned. Five AM. Far too early to be awake, and five hours of turbulent sleep was nowhere near enough. Reluctantly, he rolled out of bed and shrugged into his training gear, deciding to get his heart racing in the gym rather than let his mind dwell on the night’s unrest.

Though the palace was quiet at this hour, it thrummed with life beneath the surface. Staff tiptoed through the halls, working diligently to keep everything running smoothly. Several bowed respectfully as he passed before returning to their routines.

Upon entering the gym, Rain immediately spotted Raymon on the treadmill. Raymon’s shirt clung to his chest, drenched in sweat; exactly the person Rain had hoped to find. Raymon panted a greeting as Rain hopped onto the machine beside him, setting off at a light jog.

“Morning. We haven’t seen you around the palace in a while,” Raymon said breathlessly.

“Yes, I’ve been a little busy—hiding away rescued princesses and avoiding my father’s wrath,” Rain replied casually, getting straight to the point. “You know how it is.”

Raymon eased his pace, recognising the seriousness in Rain’s tone.

“You know it was me who brought the intel to His Majesty,” Raymon said. Rain responded with a confirming hum as Raymon continued. “I know you would have preferred I came to you directly, but I was only passing on a message to the king. I’m a guest in this palace, and as a Red I have to constantly prove my loyalty to your father—especially since your need for my services is becoming less and less. I’ve built a life here, Rain, and in doing so I’ve created an enemy in Drazier. My family misses me and… well, a circumstance presented itself.”

Rain’s response was sharp. “And you brought it to the king knowing he would use me to retrieve Scarlet—Drazier’s eldest daughter, a female who’s been imprisoned and abused for most of her life—to be used as a pawn. I can’t grasp how anyone involved thought that was the right thing to do.”

He sighed, increasing his pace, needing to channel his frustration into something other than his combat trainer.

“All that aside—yes, I’m disappointed I had to find out it was you behind it, and you didn’t say a word to me. As a friend, and as your prince.”

“I’m sorry. Maybe I should have. But many of us want Drazier dead.” Raymon stopped running, stepping off the treadmill to stand before Rain, leaning against the frame to maintain eye contact. “Despite what everyone thinks, you are not as ruthless as your father, and—”

Rain huffed, glaring frostily as he cut him off

“I will kill Drazier, without an ounce of remorse and I will do so without sacrificing innocents. My empathy is not a weakness, Raymon. I understand my duty, and I want him gone just as much—if not more—than anyone else. If you had brought it to me… fuck, never mind that. You could have at least warned me what I was heading into. You had every opportunity when you handed me the Red aetherchrome. That was all I expected. I don’t expect you to bypass your king—I just thought you respected me as your prince, if not as a friend.”

Raymon straightened, processing Rain’s words. A flicker of understanding crossed his face.

“You’re right,” he admitted quietly. “I am sorry for not saying anything. The king ordered me to keep quiet, and at the time it seemed safer for everyone if I followed his command.”

Rain didn’t respond with words but nodded; forgiving, understanding his reasoning.

Raymon pushed away from the machine. “Thirty minutes cardio, then meet me in the training room. Your scolding reminded me I could use the target practice.”

He wiggled his brows playfully as he left. The challenge sparked excitement in Rain; he had missed their sessions, and a good sparring was exactly what he needed.

The training session hit the spot. Rain avoided every blade thrown at him, showcasing his agility and sharp reflexes. He won two rounds of hand-to-hand, pinning Raymon in ways they rarely achieved. His determination was palpable; every movement fuelled by a need to escape the turmoil in his mind.

Despite the hiatus, Rain’s strength and control had not waned. Raymon found himself working harder than usual, pushing his limits, but ultimately falling short. Each strike—laced with Raymon’s power, painfully biting—only spurred Rain further. Instead of weakening him, the pain pushed him to move faster, fight harder, endure more.

By the end, Raymon grumbled out of the room with a limp, blaming his age for the minor injuries and insisting it was not Rain’s skill that required him to lie down for a day or two.

After showering, Rain emerged refreshed and changed into a clean set of training gear. The familiar sound of Snow’s cheerful chatter drifted in from the balcony, prompting him to follow her voice. As he stepped outside, he found Neel there, serving breakfast for them.

It hadn’t occurred to him until now just how much he had missed the butler.

Neel was in the midst of setting the jug of orange juice on the table when Rain approached. Before Neel could fully react, Rain moved swiftly, reaching out and grasping him by the shoulders.

“Fuck, I’ve missed you!” Rain exclaimed, his intense gaze quickly giving way to a broad grin.