The portal snapped shut behind me with the sound of cracking bone. My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic drum I couldn’t silence. I tried to drag in a steadying breath, but Lyra was already there, her expression grim.

“Forgive the intrusion,” I choked out. “Gather everyone. Now.”

Without a word, she turned and led the way. I followed her down the hall, the frantic rhythm in my chest slowly beginning to ease. Still, the ghost of Blair’s mana clung to my skin—a phantom chill and the faint, cloying smell of deep rot.

Lyra stopped at the door to the sitting room. “I’ll get them,” she murmured. I saw her hand tremble as she reached for the handle. I gave her a curt nod, and she disappeared down the corridor as I stepped inside.

The room felt vast. I sank on the chair, my gaze fixing on an intricate knot in the woodgrain—anything to anchor my racing mind. Would they be ready by nightfall? Blair knows I’m working against her now; there’s no telling what she’ll do. A tremor ran through my hands, and I clasped them tightly in my lap, forcing them still. They need a leader. I mustn’t let them see.

The door creaked open. Noctis entered first, settling into an armchair with a silent, questioning nod. A heavy silence grew between us as Finnan,Liora, and Adrix filed in. Lyra was the last to arrive, closing the door softly behind her.

I rose to my feet, scanning their faces and hoping my own was a mask of calm. “Thank you for assembling so quickly.”

Noctis leaned forward, his dark eyes searching mine. “What’s happened, Princess?” he asked, his voice a low rumble of concern.

I forced my hands to un-clench in my lap. “The Crown Prince,” I began, my voice steady, each word landing with the finality of a hammer blow. “Dolion… is dead.”

A collective gasp sucked the air from the room. It was Finnan who broke the stunned silence. “How?” he whispered.

“Officially, poison,” I replied. “Unofficially…” I let my gaze drift over each of them. “There’s only one who favors such methods: Blair.”

I saw Liora and Finnan exchange a dark, knowing look.

“Implications?” Noctis’s voice was sharp, cutting through the tension. To the point, as always.

I hardened my tone, letting the cold fury rise. “It means the games are over. They’re no longer hiding in the shadows. We have to accelerate everything. The timeline has just collapsed.”

“Agreed,” Noctis affirmed, a muscle pulsing in his tight jaw.

My mind snagged on a loose thread, a final chilling comment from Blair. Kaelen never returned. “There is one other thing. The only other significant loose end was Kaelen. He never reported back from his mission…”

An immediate, tangible wave of sorrow washed over the room. Every face fell.

“What is it?” I demanded, a new dread coiling in my stomach.

Liora lifted her chin, her eyes meeting mine with a quiet strength. “Kaelen won’t be reporting back, Princess,” she said, her voice firm despite the pain within it. “He came for Lyra. It… didn’t end well for him.”

A wave of relief, potent and unwelcome, washed over me. I wouldn’t have to face him. I gave a slow, deliberate nod. “He was a cruel man, twisted by misguided loyalties.”

“Actually,” Adrix interjected, his tone grave, “he was bound by a slave contract. It shattered the moment he died.”

A sharp gasp escaped my lips. A slave contract. My mind reeled, replaying every encounter, every cruel act. Did that mean he was never fully in control? “Forbidden for millennia!” The words were out before I could stop them. Of course. This had my father and Blair written all over it. “I suppose, given who my father was, nothing should surprise me.” A cold pragmatism settled over me. “At least Kaelen is finally free. And his… permanent absence simplifies our situation considerably.”

“So, what’s the new plan?” Liora asked, her head tilted. Her apprehension had sharpened into an astute curiosity.

I drew a deep breath, meeting each of their gazes in turn. This was why I had come. “I am mobilizing my loyalists as we speak. Every one of us must prepare. Our primary objective is absolute: prevent the summoning of K’tthar at all costs.”

My gaze fell on Lyra. Last time, she had been my fathers unwilling pawn. This time, she would be instrumental in his downfall.

“What’s our role?” Noctis asked, leaning forward again, his focus unwavering.

My mind raced, mapping out the castle’s vulnerabilities. The creatures Blair had stationed below… they were the first obstacle. That was it.

“Your will infiltrate the dungeons,” I commanded, my voice leaving no room for argument. “Neutralize any… creatures they have there. Once the lower levels are secure, proceed to the western garden—the one adjoining the Grand Hall. Our intelligence suggests that is their chosen ritual site.”

“Consider it done,” Noctis stated, a grim fire igniting in his eyes.

“My own forces will focus on securing the castle and protecting the city, should the conflict breach the palace walls,” I continued, my voice ringing with authority.

“And how will we identify your people in the chaos?” Lyra asked, her practical question cutting through the tension.

A faint smile touched my lips. “Gleaming silver armor, distinguished by sapphire blue surcoats and banners. You won’t mistake them.” The smile vanished, replaced by a cold gravity. My voice dropped, each word a chip of ice. “Failure is not an option. If K’tthar is unleashed, our world ends. Humanity will be extinguished. There is no recovery from that.”

A heavy silence descended, thick with the weight of my words.

It was Finnian who finally broke it, his gaze distant as if he were reading some unseen text. “If the worst happens,” he said softly, “if K’tthar does manifest… I believe I know a method to reseal him.” He looked around at each of them, a flicker of warmth in his eyes. “With all of you, I believe it can be done.”

A sliver of hope, then. But a desperate one. “A grim reassurance,” I acknowledged, “but a reassurance nonetheless. Let us hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Adrix, who had been listening with quiet intensity, spoke for the first time. “Do we know when they intend to perform the ritual?”

“In two days,” I answered immediately. “Just enough time for them to consolidate their power.”

“So, when do we move?” Liora asked, her body coiled like a spring, her hands clenched into fists.

I held her gaze, then let my own sweep across their faces. They were ready. “We don’t give them two days,” I declared, my voice resonating with finality. “We strike tonight, as the sun kisses the horizon. I need every one of you rested, prepared, and focused. Gather your strength.”

A series of solemn nods answered me—a silent covenant forged in the face of overwhelming odds. 

For a long moment, no one spoke. The gravity of our pact settled in the space between us, a tangible weight upon every shoulder. Tonight was the precipice. There could be no retreat, not with stakes that soared beyond the stars themselves.

We will not lose, I vowed. The thought was not a desperate hope, but a cold fire of resolve kindling in my core, searing away the last lingering tendrils of fear.

Finally, I rose, my movements deliberate. “Thank you, all of you.” My voice was quiet but steady. “Rest well, and be safe until then.” I inclined my head in a gesture of deep respect.

“Princess,” Noctis said, his voice a low murmur as he returned the bow. The others followed his lead.

I offered them one last, determined smile before turning my back. A shimmering tear in reality opened before me, a vortex of swirling amethyst light. It was time to see Cassius. It was time to rally the elves.

The war was about to begin.