The blue light spread across the bridge like flowing water.It drifted past Jacob and Lucian, wrapped itself around the fractured chains of the prison, and climbed into the darkness above.Wherever it touched...Time seemed to slow.Falling debris hovered in midair.Shattered runes ceased crumbling.Even the crimson glow surrounding the Concordance steadied.The entire prison entered an impossible stillness.No one moved.No one spoke.Only the gentle voice remained."...It has been a very long time."---A figure slowly formed within the blue light.At first she was little more than a silhouette.Then came the details.Long silver hair flowed to her waist.She wore elegant robes woven from threads of white and sapphire, embroidered with constellations that shimmered like living stars.A simple crown rested upon her head.Not fashioned from gold or jewels.But from crystal so clear it seemed to have been carved from frozen light itself.She looked no older than thirty.Yet her eyes...

Silence followed the Concordance's plea."...Please... do not let anyone else carry my burden."Those words echoed through the collapsing prison long after they were spoken.Jacob stood motionless.He had expected a monster.He had found a victim.He had expected hatred.He had found compassion.The prison shook again.Ancient pillars cracked as glowing runes peeled away from the walls like falling leaves. Pieces of stone disappeared into the abyss below, swallowed by darkness before a single sound could return.The System flashed crimson across Jacob's vision.---Containment Integrity: 3%Emergency RecommendationEvacuate Immediately---Jacob dismissed the notification.For the first time since obtaining the Legacy...He ignored the System.Elyndra noticed.A faint smile touched her lips."Good."Jacob looked at her."The System told me to leave.""I know.""It was never designed to understand compassion.""It calculates survival.""A king must calculate something greater."---Luc

Silence settled beneath the branches of the Memory Tree.No alarms.No collapsing walls.No frantic voices.Only the gentle rustling of silver leaves.For the first time since entering the prison, everything was still.Jacob slowly lowered his hand.He looked directly at Orion."I almost made the same mistake Arthur did."Orion tilted his head."What mistake?"Jacob smiled faintly."I was about to decide your future...""...without asking what you wanted."The young man laughed softly."Arthur would be proud.""No."Jacob shook his head."He'd probably lecture me for taking so long."That earned a genuine laugh from Orion.Even Lucian smiled.---Above the sanctuary, another tremendous impact struck the barrier.The cracks widened.Golden light seeped through them.The masked giant had attacked again.Cassian looked toward Elyndra."It won't last much longer.""I know."The First Queen's expression remained calm."They don't need much longer."---Jacob returned his attention to Orion

The stone door opened with a groan that sounded almost... relieved.Ash drifted through the chamber like gray snow.Kael tightened his grip on the lantern hanging from his belt, though its orange flame looked pitiful against the endless darkness ahead."This isn't a ruin," he murmured.His companion, Mira, brushed centuries of dust from a cracked marble pillar."No."She frowned."It's a courtroom."Rows upon rows of towering stone seats curved around a circular floor. Every chair was empty.Yet Kael couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching.Not from the shadows.From the chairs.As if invisible spectators still occupied them.A sudden chime echoed inside his head.Relic DetectedLocation: Hall of VerdictsStatus: DormantWarning: Do not answer voices that know your name.Kael stopped walking."I didn't activate the Compass.""You didn't."Mira's face had turned pale."I heard it too."Before either of them could speak again—A voice echoed through the chamber."...Late."

The words of the Tribunal reverberated through the Hall long after the voices themselves had faded."History was."The thousands of spectral judges slowly lowered their heads.Not in shame.In acknowledgment.For centuries they had judged a man whose greatest crime had been surviving the choice no one else had been willing to make.Captain Rowan remained frozen where he stood.The rust covering his armor cracked apart piece by piece, falling onto the marble floor like dried leaves.The blue flames inside his helmet dimmed.Then disappeared entirely.For the first time in over four hundred years...His face could finally be seen.He looked exactly as he had in the memory.Young.Kind.Exhausted.A scar crossed his left eyebrow, while silver had begun to creep into his otherwise black hair. His eyes carried the weight of centuries, yet they no longer held despair.Only relief."I remember..."His voice broke."I finally remember his face."Kael exchanged a glance with Mira."The king?"