"Knights, form up!" Prince Ford barked, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade. "Full combat readiness!"
"No."
The word hit harder than his command. It wasn't loud, but it was absolute. My qi spiked, compressed, sharpened, and the air itself seemed to flinch. Every knight in range felt it: a pressure behind the eyes, a warning along the spine. This wasn't fear. This was authority enforced by power.
"I'm not sending men to die," I snapped, finally turning, eyes burning. "I'm doing this myself."
Ford didn't bristle. Didn't argue. That alone said everything. "Half stay," I continued, breath steady despite the hammering in my chest. "Half go. We don't know if this is a lure."
Ford nodded once, sharp and decisive. "Yes. Possibility acknowledged." His jaw tightened. "Maybe it's a trap."
