The beam of green light wasn't just light; it was a frequency.
As it pierced the clouds, the entire Jade Valley screamed. The manicured bonsai trees in the garden exploded, their branches twisting into jagged, thorny whips. The koi pond boiled. The air turned heavy, tasting of ozone and rotten orchids.
Duchess Venetia stood amidst the chaos, her polite mask shattered. She looked euphoric.
"Do not resist," Venetia commanded, her voice amplified by the vibrating magic. "You are witnesses to history. The Serpent becomes the Dragon."
She snapped her fingers.
From the shadows of the trellis, two dozen guards emerged. They moved with the jerky, synchronized efficiency of Hollow Husks. They drew jagged jade daggers.
Primrose reached for her tails, but the ambient Void Magic was suffocating her fire. It felt like trying to light a match in a hurricane.
"Caspian!" Primrose gasped. "I can't... the pressure..."
Caspian stepped in front of her. He didn't look scared. He looked annoyed.
