"The Solarian Edge: Blade of the Astral Realm"

The weight of uncertainty pressed heavily upon the training grounds. Each swing of the blade, each strike of a fist against a training dummy carried an unspoken tension. The soldiers trained harder, faster, as if sheer exertion could drive away the growing unease. But nothing could mask the change.

It had been two days since the decree, and Eira Blackwood was no longer the unwavering force she had always been. She still commanded the field, her presence undeniable, but she was distant. Her once keen eyes, which never missed a single flaw in technique, now barely lingered before she turned away. The morning runs, where she would normally keep pace beside her men, had become solitary exercises. The way she left early, her long black hair flowing in the wind, became a haunting image for those who looked up to her.

Kaius felt it more than most. He had never thought of the training grounds as home, never believed he would find a place where his existence held weight in the eyes of others. But now, the air was thick with something he couldn't quite name. His sword cut through the empty space, swift and precise, but his mind was elsewhere. A realization gnawed at him—he had something to lose now.

He didn't remember when the training grounds had become more than just a place of survival. He had people who saw him, who pushed him to be better, who, despite their own struggles, had made space for him. And if Eira—

He stopped mid-strike, exhaling sharply. It shouldn't matter. But it did.

Theo, usually brooding but controlled, had grown gruff and irritable, snapping at minor mistakes and throwing himself into training with reckless abandon. Valen, ever the easygoing presence, had taken to dragging him and Kaius out at night, seeking some form of distraction. Tonight was no different.

"Tavern. Now." Valen clapped Theo on the back before pulling Kaius along.

Theo grumbled but didn't resist. "You're trying too hard."

"We don't know how long we'll be together. If the Blackwood and Valreth families unite, a lot of things will change. I'd rather not sit in the silence waiting for it," Valen admitted.

Kaius had never been much for drinking, but tonight, as they walked the dimly lit streets, he didn't protest. The tavern was loud, alive in a way that felt foreign compared to the suffocating quiet of the past two days. They found a table, and soon enough, tankards were placed before them. The first sip burned, the second was easier.

"Eira's a damn fool if she goes through with it," Theo muttered, voice thick with frustration.

Kaius turned his cup between his hands. "Does she even have a choice?"

Theo's gaze flickered to him. "She always had choices. That's what made her different."

Valen exhaled a laugh, though there was little humor in it. "She's still different. That's the problem."

They sat in silence for a while, lost in their own thoughts as the warmth of drink dulled the edges of their worries. When they left the tavern, the streets were quiet, save for the sound of their boots against the cobblestone. The moon was brilliant in the sky, casting long shadows as they walked.

Kaius felt the weight in his chest settle deeper. Something was shifting, and none of them knew what awaited them at the end of it.