Jax Thorne's voice cut cleanly through the chamber.
"Thane. Next witness."
Corvin rose, steady as stone.
"The Crown calls Aeron Lancaster, Master Mage of Shadowclaw."
Aeron stepped forward, robes whispering, talisman faintly chiming. He bowed once — not out of deference, but discipline.
"Under oath, Aeron Lancaster, Master Mage and Arcane Advisor to the Shadowclaw Armed Forces."
"State your role in relation to Nova Moonveil."
"I was assigned to help stabilize her abilities and mentor her through her transition into the pack."
"You were present the day of the fight between Helga Emberhide and Nova. Tell the Tribunal what you saw."
"Helga shifted first — unauthorized. Nova looked to me twice for confirmation before reacting. I gave her the nod. She followed protocol. She won the match clean."
"After the attack, when I passed Helga, I sensed no trace of dark magic. None. And neither she nor her father Orion carried any corruption when they were taken into custody. Whatever twisted them came after. Not before."
A ripple of unease moved through the jury.
"You later examined Helga in confinement. What did you find then?"
"Black eyes. Full saturation. The kind of soul-binding corruption that doesn't appear on accident. We purged it — barely. It left her unconscious for weeks."
"And the poisonings?"
Aeron straightened, the room leaning into his words.
"Two attempts. Both targeted Nova. Both used Lycura's Kiss. Rare. Precise. The kind of poison you only make if you mean to kill — and if you know what you're doing."
His gaze flickered to Jax, sharp and unblinking.
"Whoever orchestrated these attacks wasn't guessing. They were calculating."
He stepped back, hands folding behind him.
"That is my testimony."
"Defense. Cross."
Eldric Vaelor rose like he'd been waiting for this witness specifically. Cuffs straightened. Shoulders loose. A predator who walked, not stalked.
He stopped in front of Aeron.
"Master Mage, I'll start with the question everyone else is too polite to ask. Was your relationship with Nova Moonveil ever sexual?"
The room exploded. Gasps. A hissed curse. A chair scraped.
Jax's gavel cracked down like thunder.
"Counselor Vaelor. Stay within the bounds."
The warning was soft — but it was the kind that froze a room.
Aeron didn't flinch.
"No. Not now. Not ever."
Jax inclined his head.
"Stricken from record. Move on."
Eldric shifted seamlessly, not a flicker of apology.
"Very well. To the magic, then."
He paced one measured step, hands behind him — controlled, deliberate.
"You testified that during the fight, Helga and Orion showed no trace of dark magic."
"Correct."
"And the corruption you found later — after their arrests — was intentional, masked, and sophisticated."
"Yes."
Eldric nodded once, letting the implications breathe without claiming them.
"But you cannot determine who applied it."
"I cannot."
"You cannot determine when it was applied — only that it was after the attack."
"Correct."
"And you cannot testify as to why it was applied."
Aeron's eyes narrowed slightly — honest, controlled.
"No. I can only speak to what it was, not the intent behind it."
Eldric stepped back, satisfied. A clean kill without saying the forbidden words.
"So the magic was external. Its timing was unusual. And its purpose remains unknown."
Aeron gave a reluctant nod.
"Yes."
Eldric turned toward Jax.
"No further questions.
Jax leaned in, bracing both hands on the dais. The chamber stilled under the weight of his voice.
"The record will show this: no trace of dark magic was present before the attack, and the corruption detected afterward occurred in confinement. Testimony regarding the poisonings and the use of Lycura's Kiss is accepted into evidence."
He held Aeron's gaze — steady, authoritative.
"Master Lancaster, you may be recalled as needed."
One strike of the gavel cut through the Hall — sharp, final.