Lucas stepped forward and stood beside Samar, placing himself clearly at the King of Wrath's side.
"The law was followed," he said, his voice cold and steady. "Wrath did what had to be done. If we begin to question him now, the underworld will fall apart."
Mathias spun toward him, his grief sharpening into anger. "So you would sacrifice family for order?" he demanded.
Lucas did not hesitate. "Yes," he said. "If that is the price, then so be it."
The court erupted at once.
"This is madness," Alexander said, stepping forward.
"Wrath rules through fear," Lachlan added, his voice tight.
"Today it was Mathias's wife," Balak growled. "Tomorrow it could be any of us."
The voices grew louder. Shouts clashed, words cutting deep as anger spread through the court like fire.
Samar remained silent.
He stood tall and unmoving, but the weight of his presence pressed down on them all. Some of the brothers stepped back without realizing it.
At last, Barnabas raised a hand. When he spoke, his slow voice cut through the noise. "The problem is not today," he said. "It is what comes next."
The brothers slowly fell quiet.
"If Wrath continues down this path," Barnabas went on, "the clans will turn against him. And when that happens, the underworld will be forced to choose a side."
Mathias stepped forward, his eyes locked on Samar. Pain burned in his gaze. "Then you will stand alone," he said quietly. "Feared by all. Loved by none."
For a long moment, Samar said nothing.
Then he spoke, his voice calm and unshaken. "If keeping this realm alive means standing alone," he said, "then I accept that fate."
The brothers looked at one another.
No one spoke, but the silence was heavy. One by one, most of them turned their eyes away from Samar, already creating distance.
All but one.
Alexander remained still. His gaze stayed on Samar, uncertain. He remembered the order Wrath had brought, the balance that had held the underworld together. He also saw the chaos that would come if that balance broke. His fingers tightened at his side, his face carefully unreadable.
Samar noticed.
Of course he did.
They think fear will move me, Samar thought.
Threats. Silence. Turned backs.
It changes nothing.
He had ruled through war, rebellion, and bloodshed. The anger of his brothers was small compared to the storms he had already survived. If they wished to stand against him, they would learn what wrath truly meant.
Mathias lowered his head, his fists clenched tight.
The silence stretched.
Samar straightened, his presence filling the court once more. He felt no doubt. No regret. The underworld needed order, and he would not be shaken by wounded pride or empty threats.
Let them choose their side, he thought.
Wrath does not bend.
In that moment, the lines were drawn.
And Samar did not move an inch.