The moment Rin's boots hit the polished marble floor, his white hair gleamed under the flickering mana light, and his crimson eyes flashed with a fury that made even the butler, standing stoically nearby, let out a sharp gasp. The air in the grand hall crackled with tension, thick and heavy, as if the palace itself held its breath.
Lucien's sharp gaze locked onto Rin, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. Caspian's knuckles whitened as he gripped his own blade, his brown eyes narrowing with a mix of shock and wariness. The silence was suffocating, broken only by the faint drip of water from Rin's earlier encounter in the harem.
And then, chaos erupted.
Dozens of men flooded through the shattered windows, their boots slamming against the floor like thunder. Their eyes weren't on Caspian or Lucien... they were fixed on Rin, their gazes predatory and unyielding. Weapons glinted in their hands... jagged blades, curved daggers, and crossbows loaded with gleaming bolts.
