Choices, Consequences and Chaos. Part 2: Love over Eternity

Love is a beautiful part of life. It can lift us up, give us purpose, and offer comfort in the darkest times. But when taken, it can destroy the soul. Grief for lost love leaves not just ripples but can bring ruin. The fear of losing someone dear can twist our choices, leading us down darker paths than we ever intended.

This is Part Two of the Choices, Consequences, and Chaos series.

While last week we explored a kingdom’s hidden past, this time we go further, into ancient history. A story that has been retold, reshaped, twisted, and buried, so that only a few still know the truth. Who knows if what we look at today is even the truth, or at least, the whole truth.

We look at the tragic love that nearly destroyed an empire. A love so pure and innocent yet ended in the worst way imaginable. Causing the dragon race to turn not only on all other races, but on themselves and their very way of life.

Today’s example is a little different.

It begins as a riddle:
At what point was there no turning back?
Which of the many choices sealed everyone’s fate?
And who delivered the fatal blow?


Part 2: Choosing Love Over Eternity – The Dragon Empire’s Destruction

To understand what led to this destruction, we must first look at the dragons in my world.

Dragons are an ancient race with such potent magical energy that they can tamper with the very fabric of reality. They can travel between worlds by moving through the flow of magic itself and are one of the Four Primordial Races, beings who safeguard both the creation and destruction of worlds. Like the others, dragons can shapeshift and manipulate the magic of others with just a thought. They live for millennia and help maintain balance across the realms.

Despite their wisdom and power, even dragons are kept in line by their king. Their king is not chosen through age or council. The throne belongs to the one born with the power of destruction, the only one capable of ending any dragon who defies the natural order. They must be able to command and control any other dragon, to wield enough power to end their own race to keep the balance and flow of the worlds.

Being one of the oldest races, and with their longevity, traditions are passed down and sacred. Rules to keep the worlds balanced, and their own souls harmonised are followed. In this same way, dragons mate by soul-bonding with another, synergising their very souls into one. It is a blessing and a way they live and thrive. To find one you can soul-bond and share the duty of protecting the worlds in balance, is a blessing from fate. To break such a bond, or defy the ancient customs of their clans, invites wrath from not just fate, but their own.

But what happens when the king himself breaks tradition?
This is where today’s story begins, with a new dragon king ascending the throne. This is the story of the rise and fall of the twisted king.

 

After taking the throne, King Astus believed the best way to protect fate, was to control prophecies. Instead of seeking a soulmate to stabilise the throne, he became engrossed in prophecies about the worlds, and sought ways to prevent futures he disagreed with.

One such prophecy led him to make his first ill choice as ruler. He declared the eradication of one of the other Primordial Races. The firebirds, keepers of creation’s embers, protectors of the flames of emotion, and watches over the rebirth of souls.

King Astus declared them traitors to the reality of the world. That they would lead multiple worlds to their demise if left unchecked. As told in a prophecy he received. And so began centuries of bloodshed. Dragons, loyal to their king, did not question him. They hunted the firebirds until they were no longer recognised as a Primordial Race, too weakened to preserve balance.

In their fallen state, the firebirds were enslaved by lesser races. Humans, elves, and others claimed what power they could, learning to wield fragments of firebird magic.

Some worlds saw magic begin to dry up. Others suffered drastic climate shifts, once stabilised by firebird influence. The dragons tried to intervene, but their king commanded them to stand down. To protect the worlds they control, they must leave those of the firebirds to their own demise.

And once again, the dragons obeyed their king.

King Astus, now content with his conquest, said the prophecies have shown him his future queen. At first, the dragons rejoiced, but it soon turned to dismay when he broke one of their oldest traditions: he sought to take a soul-promised mate who already belonged to another.

The princess of the black dragon clan had already completed the first ritual of soul-bonding with the king’s younger brother. Their magical essences had begun to intertwine. To break this bond was not just sacrilege, it was dangerous. Severing such a connection could have fatal consequences for both.

The prince was furious. He and the princess, though only a few centuries old, had been promised since their youth. Together, they had travelled across worlds, restoring balance, their synergy so deep they often moved as one. Even before their bond was formalised, they were inseparable.

Elder dragons begged the king to reconsider. A pairing so strong was believed to be guided by fate itself. Breaking it could disrupt the flow of magic.

The princess sensing a change in the magic that flows between worlds, returned to her home world, while the prince returned to his, seeking out his brother, the king. Only to find the home world of the empire in chaos.

The king had grown obsessed with prophecy. He told his brother that unless the princess became queen, doom would follow. That she was key to stopping fate itself. The king had already destroyed all threats on the home world to ensure the new queens safety. Slaughtering the elves into hiding, the dwarves of the home world now all gone. Humans and beast folk living in fear of when the dragons will destroy another random kingdom in their world.

The prince appalled tried to stop his brother, this obsession on prophecies would bring nothing but ruin. What the prince feared most, was the king would be the princesses doom if not stopped.

The king and prince fought till the king beat his brother into submission and locked him away. Ensuring no one was left to stop him going after the princess. King Astus travelled to the home world of the black dragons and demanded the princess complete the soul-bond ritual with him. To break off her promise to the prince. She refused.

In a final act of madness, the king threatened her: if she did not comply, the prince would die. The princess laughed bitterly. Then, in a final act of defiance to the most powerful being in the known worlds, uttered words that would ripple through fate:

“Kill me as you see fit, Your Majesty. Do it, and you seal not just your fate, but the empire’s. I would rather die than betray the one who holds my heart and soul. My final breath and thoughts will be of him.”

Blinded by rage, the king struck. As his hands closed around her throat, she whispered her curse:

“May our souls haunt your mind for eternity.”

And with that, he snapped her neck.

 

The black dragons were the first to act.

To kill one of their own, on their land, was a declaration of war.
The dragon clans turned on one another and attacked each other’s worlds. The blues fought the reds. The greens decimated the yellows. Worlds were abandoned. Others burned beneath dragon fire.


King Astus no longer cared for balance. From world to world, he brought only ruin. The princesses words haunted him, for she spoke the truth, he had doomed his own kind and now accepted his fate. Blood shall be his legacy.


Meanwhile, the black dragons rescued the imprisoned prince. With support from other clans, he reclaimed the empire’s home world. One by one, the other dragons surrendered to his cold fury.

The prince had felt her die. Though their soul-bond had not been completed, the moment she passed, he felt it. Not fear. Not sorrow.

But love.

In her final breath, she had thought only of him. His heart froze. What was a world without love? He had only one desire now: revenge. He killed the king and all who had stood with him. Had been involved in his love’s death.

Rising to the throne, he restored balance, though not mercy. He ruled with a cold iron grip. Anyone who defied the rules, who dared challenge tradition, met a swift and brutal end.

This was his revenge.

He lived on, ruling alone and never seeking the council of prophecies or elders. Ensuring balance and magic survived by overseeing all dragons. Just as she would have wanted.

Each night, he dreamed of her, of the life they once had, of the future they planned, of her desire to protect innocence and the flow of magic and fate.

To honour that dream, he sealed the dragons away from the rest of the world. Dragons were to no longer live amongst other races, but protect from a distance, to not leave a footprint. To only take action when was called upon them.

Dragons faded into the backs of the worlds, yet the ruins and fear were passed from one generation to another of all the other races.

Beware the dragons, never enter their lands. But also a warning about soul-bonds swept through the other races. Soul-bonds were a blessing from fate and the gods. To break or try to prevent a soul-bond would only bring ruin.

Because in the end, the only thing that ever truly threatened the balance, was when someone chose love.

 

So, dear adventurers, at what point was the final blow struck?
Was it the choice of a mad king?
The defiance of a princess for love?
Or the dragons’ decision to wipe out an innocent race?

Perhaps it was all fated.
But in the end, we all make choices—whether we believe them to be right or wrong.

So instead, I’ll ask two new questions:
Would you fight fate if it showed you your own demise?
And what are you willing to do for love?

 

Next week, we will look at a more wholesome scenario. An elf who sought knowledge, and a human who chased adventure.

Till next time, my adventurers!

Evelyn WildRose

Evelyn Wildrose is a passionate storyteller and aspiring author, currently working on her debut novel. With a deep love for the magical and fantastical, she strives to bring vibrant worlds and unforgettable characters to life. Her stories transport readers into enchanting realms filled with mystery, magic, and adventure. Evelyn’s goal is to create immersive tales that ignite the imagination and leave a lasting impression on all who enter her literary world. This is just the beginning of her exciting journey as an author.

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Choices, Consequences and Chaos. Part 1: Political Power