"I was protecting you from difficult truths," King Nereon replied. "And protecting our domain from political destruction. If other domains learned about our energy systems..."
"They'd rightfully consider us monsters," Princess Liyana finished. "Because that's what this is. Systematic torture and murder of sentient beings."
The Triumvirate moved through the chamber, their combined abilities revealing the full scope of the spiritual imprisonment. Hundreds of beings trapped in various stages of energy extraction, some barely clinging to consciousness while others had faded to nearly nothing.
"How long has this been going on?" Saguna demanded, his fire abilities flaring with barely controlled rage.
"Generations," King Nereon admitted. "The system was established when the Azure Depths was founded. It's the foundation of our prosperity, our political power, our ability to protect our people."
