With a surge of power, Sylas slipped inside the general's guard, crossed his blades, and threw the man back across the floor.
Gasps erupted. Nobles leaned forward.
The Legates smiled faintly, as though watching a promising cub bare its fangs.
To everyone else, it was a scandal. To some, entertainment.
"Enough!" the herald's voice cracked through the air. "Stop this at once, you are in the presence of His Majesty!"
But the chamber was already boiling over. The other generals, red with fury, stepped forward, hands on their blades, ready to cut the rebel down for good.
Then…
The great doors swung wide with a heavy groan, echoing like thunder across the vast chamber.
Silence fell. Even the generals, bristling with fury a heartbeat before, froze where they stood.
Boots struck the marble floor in measured rhythm, each step sharp, deliberate, carrying a weight that drew every gaze.
