CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
When Monsters Learn Fear
The evil land had never been silent.
Even in rest, the ground breathed. Dark rivers whispered beneath stone. Ancient flames burned without warmth.
Yet on this night, an unnatural stillness settled over the realm — as though the land itself was holding its breath.
Lyold stood alone inside the Obsidian Hall, his tall frame reflected endlessly by the black walls that drank in light. Before him hovered the Sacred Mirror, its surface rippling like disturbed water. The last images it had shown were still etched into his mind.
Prince Cally.
Broken.
Not screaming.
Not begging.
Alive — but emptied.
Lyold's fingers slowly curled into fists.
"That man…" he whispered. "He did not rage."
Behind him, heavy footsteps echoed.
Tonde entered the hall, his cloak brushing against the floor like the tail of a wounded beast. His face was twisted with fury, yet his eyes betrayed something else — something colder, heavier.
"He waited," Tonde snarled. "He watched. He allowed the trap to close."
Lyold nodded slowly.
"Mako did not act like a demon driven by jealousy," he said. "He acted like a king protecting a sacred throne."
The mirror flickered again, briefly replaying moments of Prince Cally's punishment — chains reinforced with ancient sigils, silence broken only by measured footsteps, a voice calm and merciless.
Tonde turned away sharply.
"He didn't kill him," Tonde said through clenched teeth. "That is what disturbs me most."
"Yes," Lyold replied. "Death would have been mercy."
They stood in silence, the weight of realization settling between them.
Mako had not needed magic to instill fear.
He had used certainty.
"He allowed Cally to live long enough to understand his mistake," Lyold continued. "To understand who Linah belongs to."
At the mention of her name, the flames lining the hall flickered.
Tonde's jaw tightened.
"She is the center of everything," he said bitterly. "His power sharpens when she is threatened."
Lyold turned to face him fully.
"You still believe she is his weakness."
Tonde hesitated — just for a heartbeat.
Lyold noticed.
"No," Tonde admitted reluctantly. "She is his anchor."
"And anchors," Lyold said darkly, "make even monsters unmovable."
The thought unsettled them both.
Mako was no longer just reacting to attacks.
He was anticipating them.
"He let Cecilia walk freely," Tonde said slowly. "He allowed her to reveal herself."
"Yes," Lyold replied. "Because he wanted her to fall by her own choices."
Tonde let out a humorless laugh.
"Cruel," he muttered.
"Effective," Lyold corrected.
The mirror dimmed, now showing Linah — smiling beside Mako, unaware of the shadows gathering far away. Her laughter echoed faintly, a sound too pure for the darkness watching her.
Tonde stared at the image.
"She looks… at peace."
Lyold's eyes hardened.
"That peace will not last."
Tonde turned sharply.
"You're thinking of attacking again?"
"I am thinking of waiting," Lyold answered. "Love makes people careless.
Marriage makes them believe battles are over."
Tonde's lips curved slowly into a dangerous smile.
"Then we do not strike with violence."
Lyold raised an eyebrow.
"We strike with doubt," Tonde said softly. "With destiny. With truths buried too deep for love to protect."
Lyold stepped closer to the mirror, placing his palm against its cold surface.
"Mako believes he has severed every loose end," he murmured. "He believes no one will dare touch what he guards."
The mirror rippled.
Far away, Linah suddenly paused mid-laughter, her hand moving instinctively to her chest.
Lyold smiled faintly.
"But wars," he said, voice low and deliberate, "are not won by strength alone."
Tonde joined him, his shadow merging with Lyold's.
"They are won," Tonde added, "when hope is shaken."
Lyold closed the Sacred Mirror with a sharp motion. The hall darkened instantly, swallowing all reflections.
"Prepare the next phase," Lyold commanded.
Tonde bowed slightly, his eyes gleaming.
"This time," he said, "even the demon king will bleed."
And far beyond the evil land, beneath a sky heavy with unseen stars, a cold wind slipped through Linah's chamber window.
She stirred uneasily in her sleep.
Somewhere, enemies were no longer mocking her husband.
They were studying him.
END OF CHAPTER TWENTY SIX