The Hall of Echoes was packed. Clan banners hung like funeral shrouds, and the air hummed with tension sharper than a whetted blade. Hafa stood at the center, wrists bound in chains of frozen time, her chin lifted in defiance. The Four Clans loomed above her on a raised dais, their faces carved from stone—all except Lira, whose hood hid a smirk.
Tucan sat on his obsidian throne, a statue of indifference.
"Princess Hafa of the Fire Kingdom," intoned Lady Veyra, her voice colder than the Timeless King's touch, "you stand accused of treason, sabotage, and endangering the realm. How do you plead?"
"Guilty," Hafa said, grinning. "And proud."
Gasps rippled through the hall. General Kael slammed his fist on the table. "Then let's skip the theatrics. Execute her."
"Ah, typical Blades Clan," Hafa drawled. "Why debate when you can decapitate?"
Lord Selrin steepled his fingers. "Execution would provoke the Fire Kingdom further. But a public… correction might satisfy both justice and politics."
"Correction?" Lira's whisper slithered through the room. "Do you mean torture, Lord Coin? How… economical."
Tucan's gaze snapped to her. "You speak out of turn, Shadow."
Lira inclined her head. "Forgiveness, Your Eternity. I only wonder: why punish Hafa for saving lives? The Earth Kingdom's villages still stand. Our spies report their gratitude."
"Gratitude?" Lady Veyra scoffed. "She undermined the king's authority! If we spare her, we invite chaos!"
"If we kill her," Lira countered, "we make her a martyr. The mixed-born already whisper her name like a prayer."
Hafa blinked. Martyr? This was new.
Tucan rose, silencing the room. "Enough."
He descended the dais, boots echoing like a death knell. When he stopped before Hafa, his eyes were unreadable. "You altered my command. Defied me. Why?"
"Because your 'command' was cowardice," she said, loud enough for the clans to hear. "You'd rather manipulate kingdoms than protect people. Sound familiar, Firebloods?"
The hall erupted.
"Silence!" Tucan's voice cracked like thunder. He gripped Hafa's chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "You think me a coward?"
"I think you're scared," she hissed. "Scared to care. Scared to live."
His hand trembled. For a heartbeat, the chains around her wrists thawed.
Then he released her, turning to the clans. "The princess's fate is mine alone to decide."
General Kael surged to his feet. "You'd let love cloud judgment?!"
"Love?" Tucan laughed, sharp and hollow. "Is that what you see?"
"We see weakness," Lady Veyra said softly. "And weakness is a crack in the crown."
The threat hung in the air. The clans had tolerated Tucan's rule for a century—but loyalty, like time, was fragile.
Tucan stared at Hafa, his voice a blade. "Hafa of Fire, I banish you to the Edge of Eternity. Let the void judge what I cannot."
The clans stilled. Even Lira paled.
The Edge of Eternity was not a place. It was a fate—a timeless abyss where souls unraveled.
Hafa's bravery faltered. "You… you'd damn me to nothing?"
Tucan leaned close, his whisper raw. "Trust me."
Before she could respond, he snapped his fingers.
A portal ripped open behind her, swirling with hungry shadows.
"No!" Lira lunged, but Tucan froze her mid-stride.
Hafa stumbled back, chains shattering. "Tucan, don't—"
The void swallowed her whole.