All the Lords of the lineages stood up.
The music stopped immediately.
The glow was still spreading across the tiles of the square, but the nervousness had already erupted.
Some of the less patient Lords had already jumped from the wall or flown toward the place where, a few hours earlier, they had left their children.
Many other parents began surrounding the square, waiting, while others simply refused to move forward, afraid they would not find those they had left behind.
The silence seemed to weigh down the air like lead, and the lights began to fade.
Even before any adult realized the gravity of the situation…
“CASSIAN!!!
Where is he?!” The shout tore through the heavy air and filled it with a terrifying murderous energy.
“Pow!” A fist struck the face of a certain venomous lion and sent him skidding several meters across the ground.
“What did you do, Cassian?!” A wolf was mounted over the lion, who remained motionless.
“Pow!” “Answer me, damn it!” “Pow!” The young wolf, with silver fangs like steel and fists now transforming into claws, began beating the fallen lion, who did not move even a millimeter.
Obviously, this young wolf was Rovan.
Rovan Ironfang.
“POW!” This time, Rovan used all his strength and nearly completed his transformation.
It was so frightening that dozens of wolves backed away, while other lions began running toward Cassian in an attempt to help the fallen lion.
Blood poured from the venomous lion’s mouth, and his head was embedded several centimeters into the ground.
His eyes remained conscious, but still vacant.
“Pow!” This time, the sound came from another wolf who punched one of the lions attempting to reach Rovan in the face.
And that seemed to be the spark.
The square became a battlefield between wolves and lions within seconds, followed by the sounds of a full-blown brawl.
The adults farther away froze.
Despite the hostility between lions and wolves, they maintained the bare minimum of civility, and something like this was strictly taught to be avoided.
When a pool of blood was almost beginning to form around Cassian’s head, Rovan’s claws opened, and a metallic gleam appeared.
His hand descended toward Cassian’s throat.
And the young lion realized that Rovan was going to kill him right there.
The claws descended, but a voice carrying absolute authority fell over the part of the square where the young members of the two lineages were fighting.
“That is more than enough!” Everything stopped.
No one could move even a single inch.
“I’m afraid I cannot allow you to kill my youngest son.
Son of Commander Daren Ironfang.” Rovan’s murderous energy visibly diminished when his eyes swept toward his forearm.
Wrapped around it was a tail covered in white and golden fur.
Even with all his strength, it was as though a mountain had pinned him in place.
His eyes did not need to rise to know whom that tail belonged to.
Beside him stood a powerful lion.
His clothes resembled a suit with sections of armor.
Like ceremonial armor.
They were a deep white and matched the feathers of the wing resting on his back.
The golden details only amplified his beauty and sovereignty.
Obviously, this lion was Caedran Aelionmane.
The King of the Lions.
Completely imposing, Rovan’s empty eyes descended toward Cassian.
And he asked the venomous lion once more: “Cassian…
What did you do?” Still with his eyes closed and blood running down his face, the lion spoke.
“What was necessary.” The words swept through the surroundings, and those who had seen the runic circle broken by the claw mark understood immediately.
A sense of understanding echoed through the crowd, and Rovan’s anger shifted into disgust.
Before that feeling could intensify, another sound echoed.
“Slash!” “Clash!” On the other side of the square.
A black-and-white sword cut through the air and headed toward an unconscious red-haired young woman.
The movement was precise.
An attack so well executed that even the bodyguards who were already approaching would not have been able to stop it.
And then, the blade met two fingers.
Two miserable fingers that did not even transform into claws.
They simply pinched the blade from above, and the sword stopped as though it had never moved.
The air seemed to crack, and the figures became clear.
Rael Duskfang and Garran Duskfang.
The murderous look in the young wolf’s eyes was solid.
Not even after the battlefields had he ever had this look…
I always made sure he wouldn’t become a beast ruled by blood, but this look is one of deep hatred.
What happened in the Fracture?
A few seconds later, the Princess’s bodyguards arrived and covered her with a dark cloak, since her clothes had been completely burned away.
All of them transformed, with black scales and eyes with deep slits.
In their hands were blades ready to kill the young wolf if necessary.
Garran’s eyes swept across the surroundings, as if he could see things the others could not.
A faint icy mist drifted across the tiles, and he knew very well whom it belonged to.
His eyes rose toward the top of the castle.
“If I hadn’t stopped you, even if your sword had reached her throat, you wouldn’t have even realized that your life had been taken, Rael…” The cold intensified, and pressure began to descend upon the square.
Garran expected his son to regain consciousness and lower his head, but his expression changed when he heard Rael’s words.
“My death would be a small price to pay for the blood debt owed to us by the royal family.” Garran understood that something had gone terribly wrong.
He was still holding the tool that measured the fluctuations.
He had raised his son with a complete understanding of politics, and he would be his heir.
Before the icy mist could descend with even greater weight, a small warm gray mist emerged from Garran’s body and silently eased the pressure over the square.
But with it, steam began rising in several places, creating an oppressive atmosphere.
“I understand…
We’ll talk after we take the survivors home.
You still have the ball tonight, so you should get some rest now.
Rovan, your father cannot come, since someone had to keep watch over the Archipelago’s borders, so I will temporarily take his place.” At any other moment, any wolf would have felt honored to hear such words from their king, but all Rovan did was lower his head and slowly stand up.
As if he knew exactly when to do it, the King of the Lions released the young man’s arm.
Rael’s sword withdrew with a faint gray glow and returned to being the pendant he always wore around his neck.
The tension visibly diminished, and with the calm came the realization.
The square was very empty.
Far too empty.
Even with the silent conflict between the two mists, and the King of the Wolves still refusing to take his eyes off the top of the palace.
It was still possible to see much of the area where the young people had departed for the test.
Very little.
A number so empty that it drove many of the parents into denial.
And then, at that moment, a glow resonated through the square.
A delayed glow.
It was not unusual.
It could happen.
Not everyone left the Fracture at the same time.
But when the one who emerged appeared, everyone turned their eyes toward the glow.
And ever since the conflict between the mists had begun, the King of the Wolves had looked away.