"Vera! Vera!" Pako's voice tore through the corridor as she stormed toward the cockpit, the bridge, her boots pounding the metal floor, her wild eyes reflecting the glow of the live feed dominating the main screen.
Vera and Aster were already there, frozen, their faces pale, eyes wide with horror as they stared at the broadcast from the Kingdom's execution block.
The image showed a man, bound with coarse rope digging his skin, a sack bag over his face, his trembling frame unmistakable despite the shroud.
A code was displayed behind him and timer ticked down mercilessly on the screen, each beep a hammer to their hearts.
Ila's voice, cold and triumphant, echoed through the feed, her words confirming their worst fears: Syn was caught, and Princess Ila, the demon of the Kingdom, was about to execute him.
They knew it was Syn, even without seeing his face.
The slope of his shoulders, the way he shivered under the chains—it was him, their heart, their fire, their rebellion's spark.
