"Oh, I have plenty to say," Kael said with that maddening calm. "You see, I once believed power was something you built, factories, money, soldiers. But then I realized power is something you create. It's about invention. About breaking the limits of what the world says is possible."
He gestured toward the constructs. "You call these weapons? No. These are the first step toward freedom, freedom from reliance on affinity, from the tyranny of natural talent."
Elara slammed her spear through another drone's head. "You mean freedom for people like you, the ones already at the top."
Kael smiled faintly. "You sound idealistic. It's charming. Naïve, but charming."
Merlin's lightning flared again, cutting through three drones at once. "Funny," he said, voice flat. "That's what the villains in your speeches usually say before they lose."
Kael's grin widened. "Oh, you still think this is a story with heroes and villains? You poor, delusional child."
Merlin's breath hitched.
