The two landed near the entrance, where Mirage gently let Fay down.
Without a word, she marched forward and kicked the palace doors open—the force of her strike tearing the hinges free and sending the massive gates crashing inward.
Each step she took cracked the polished marble beneath her feet. The sound echoed like a warning bell through the chamber. Cries of fear rang out almost instantly.
Guards and nobles recoiled, some dropping their weapons, others falling to their knees. None dared raise their blades—not after what had happened to the army outside.
When they reached the steps leading to the throne room, they found a man huddled behind the golden throne—trembling, clutching the velvet-lined fabric like a child might cling to his blankets during a storm.
"You there," Mirage called out, her voice echoing across the hall. "I will either kill you… or you can give me the crown."
Fay blinked.
Wait—was that what this was about?
