The Broken Blades Trilogy, #3
Three Shattered Souls
by Mai Corland
Contents
Chapter Seventy-Eight
Overview
On blood-soaked Charm Beach, Royo successfully revives the drowned Mikail. Accepting the Water Scepter and Flaming Sword, Aeri surrenders to the relics and ascends, merging with the Dragon Lord’s presence. She asks to save everyone, even enemies, and demands the relics be destroyed, signaling a decisive break from human rule by etherum.
Summary
Aeri watches as the scepter and sword fall from Mikail’s arms when he drowns. While battle rages below and the beach runs red, Royo performs resuscitation and Mikail vomits water, alive again. Fallador thanks Alta, and Aeri confronts the cost of what must come next.
Aeri says goodbye to the future she imagined with Royo. Despite the relics’ lure, she chooses sacrifice over possession. Royo, who wishes he could discard the artifacts, declares his love and places the Water Scepter and Flaming Sword into Aeri’s hands.
Power floods Aeri; she levitates and ascends. A red, godlike being—the Dragon Lord—descends and collides with her, uniting their essences. Recognizing him as the voice that has visited her mind, Aeri communicates within the clouds as the battlefield sprawls below in brutal detail.
Confronted with the carnage and the ruin relics invite, Aeri asks to save everyone, including enemies, and then requests the destruction of all relics. The Dragon Lord acknowledges her and prepares to grant her will as she asserts her true name: Aeri.
Who Appears
- Aeri (Naerium Baejkin)Protagonist; accepts the scepter and sword, ascends, communes with the Dragon Lord, and pleads to save all and end relics.
- RoyoRevives Mikail, resists relic lust, confesses love, and hands Aeri the relics despite wishing to discard them.
- MikailDrowns and is revived by Royo; freed from relics as Aeri assumes them.
- Dragon LordRed, godlike presence tied to the relics; reveals himself as Aeri’s guiding voice and hears her requests.
- FalladorWitness on the overlook; offers aid, then gives thanks to Alta after Mikail revives.