They'd been walking for two hours now, three Vorminian soldiers behind them with weapons ready, Casimir and two more ahead with one carrying Prince Cairos's body.

  Napoleon was hidden inside her jacket, pressed against her ribs where nobody could see him.

  At least he's staying still. If someone notices him moving, this whole act falls apart.

  The soldiers behind them were watching constantly. She could feel their eyes on her back, on Reth, on the kids. Every step monitored.

  I need to tell Reth and Jaren what Napoleon saw. That Casimir murdered the prince. But how? They're listening to every word we say.

  Reth turned slightly toward Jaren, keeping his voice low. "Can you detect them?"

  "Yes. About five minutes ago."

  Detect what? What are they talking about?

  She wanted to ask but couldn't without looking like an instructor with worse abilities than her supposed student. That would break the whole illusion.

  Reth glanced at her and she met his eyes, trying to communicate the question without speaking.

  What's happening? What did Jaren detect?

  He moved closer, his voice barely audible. "I count about eight hiding in the trees. Watching us. Some probably already ran back to the Vorminian camp to report what they saw."

  She nodded slowly, like she'd noticed them too and was confirming his assessment.

  Eight more sets of eyes. Great. Just what we needed.

  Torin, the youngest of the group, suddenly appeared beside her and took her hand.

  The contact surprised her.

  First time touching anyone since I woke up here. First real human contact.

  His hand was small and warm in hers. Twelve years old, maybe. Dark hair, honey-colored eyes. A sweet kid.

  What's a kid like this doing training to be an assassin?

  Jaren saw it immediately and moved fast, pulling Torin's hand away from hers.

  Then he slapped Torin hard enough across the face that the boy stumbled and fell to the ground.

  Everyone stopped walking.

  She was about to scream at Jaren, demand what the hell he thought he was doing hitting a child, when Jaren dropped low into a formal bow, his torso bent forward and head down.

  "Master Vael." His voice carried clearly across the group. "Following your orders as instructed."

  He recited something in a flat tone. "We buried our hearts so our hands could be steady. Feel nothing. End everything."

  He turned to Torin, still on the ground. "Beg forgiveness and pray your punishment isn't severe."

  "I'm sorry, Master Vael," Torin said quickly, his voice shaking slightly. "Won't happen again, I swear."

  Oh. He's teaching me. Right now, in front of everyone, he's showing me how this works.

  Jaren was watching her, waiting for the response they all expected.

  Casimir and the Vorminian soldiers had stopped to observe.

  Everyone's watching. Say something. Act like their teacher.

  She cleared her throat. "You're excused. But not forgiven. I'll discuss your punishment with Jaren later."

  "Thank you, Master," Jaren and Torin said together.

  Casimir gestured for the group to continue walking.

  We never had time to practice this in the forest. How to act like an assassin instructor. Jaren's giving me a crash course while Casimir and his soldiers watch everything.

  About sixteen minutes later, they broke through the dense forest into open ground.

  The Vorminian camp spread out before them and she stopped for a moment to take it all in.

  It was a full military complex. Rigid wall shelters connected to each other in a grid pattern, forming what looked like barracks and command structures. Some soft-wall shelters sat at the edges, probably used for storage based on the supplies she could see stacked outside them.

  Soldiers everywhere, moving between the structures. At least a hundred that she could see, maybe more.

  In the distance, she spotted what looked like a training ground. People fighting, practicing.

  At the far edge of the camp sat several vessels, silver metal with large turbines, but all of them were scorched black like they'd been caught in a fire or explosion.

  Ships. They had ships.

  Reth noticed her staring at them and spoke casually, like he was making conversation. "Looks like more ships that stopped working when the dome activated and this evolution event started."

  That's why everyone's walking. No mounts, no animals. They all traveled in those ships, and then the dome activated and left them stranded here without any way to fly.

  This whole zone is a prison. Nobody can leave until the event ends.

  Casimir raised his hand and the group stopped at the edge of the camp.

  "Wait here," he said, looking at Reth and her. "We need to speak with the prince's older brother and present him with his brother's body."

  He stepped closer, his expression neutral but his eyes watchful. "I imagine you're aware you've been observed since leaving the forest. I'm going to remove the guards watching you, but I expect you won't try to run."

  "We have no reason to run," Reth said evenly.

  "Good. I appreciate your understanding of the situation."

  Casimir, the two soldiers, and the man carrying Cairos's body walked toward the largest tent at the center of the camp.

  The three guards who'd been following them stayed behind, standing at a distance but still watching.

  The moment Casimir disappeared into the tent, she turned to Jaren and Reth and kept her voice low and urgent.

  "That son of a bitch killed the prince. Casimir. It was him."

  Reth's expression shifted immediately, surprise crossing his face. "What are you talking about?"

  "Napoleon saw the whole thing. He watched Casimir murder him."

  Jaren frowned. "Who's Napoleon?"

  She gestured at her jacket. "The spider. Napoleon."

  She carefully pulled him out just enough that they could see him perched on her hand, then put him back.

  "Napoleon, these are Reth and Jaren. Reth and Jaren, this is Napoleon."

  She continued quickly, glancing toward the tent to make sure Casimir wasn't coming back yet. "Napoleon saw everything. When we were all recovering from the air thing, Casimir pulled out a ring with a retractable needle and stabbed it into Cairos's ribs."

  I was fine during that. But they don't need to know I caused it.

  "Casimir murdered the prince. And who's the easiest group to blame? A bunch of kids training to be assassins."

  Before Reth or Jaren could respond, one of the guards called out. "Casimir wants you inside. Now."

  No time. They didn't even get a chance to process what I told them.

  She looked at Reth's face and saw his expression had gone completely cold, his eyes tracking toward the tent where Casimir had gone like he wanted to walk in there and kill the man with his bare hands.

  Jaren's face became more composed, calmer than before.

  As they walked toward the tent, she leaned close to Reth and whispered. "What do I call you during this? For the act?"

  "Call me Reth. I won't answer to anything else. Already talked to Jaren and the kids about this while you were changing clothes."

  Right. I'm the one who needs to adjust. Get used to my fake identity.

  I'm Master Vael now. Teacher. Guardian. Assassin instructor.

  They pushed through the tent flap and entered.

  The first thing she saw was Prince Cairos's body laid out on the ground in the center of the space, displayed for everyone to see. His eyes were still open, his mouth frozen in that expression of terror from when he died.

  A man stood near the body, maybe forty years old, wearing fine clothes that were splattered with fresh blood. The spatters looked like they'd come from someone he'd recently injured, droplets across his chest and sleeves.

  This must be the older brother.

  Along one side of the tent stood a group of men in white robes with white metal armor, the same kind she'd seen on the dead soldiers when she first woke up in this world. Each breastplate had an engraving: an eye with a spiral carved into the pupil.

  One of the men was speaking to the Prince, his tone respectful but firm.

  "It appears you have private business to attend to, Prince Carin. I just want to make one thing clear before we leave." He gestured toward the tent entrance. "The dungeon we located belongs to the church now. If your faction and ours received the same information from the old texts, you should blame your ancestors for not keeping better records, but the simple fact is that we arrived first and claimed it according to the laws.”

  He paused, letting that sink in.

  "If you want access to that dungeon now, we'll have to go to war. Here, in this sacred evolution zone. And that war will continue outside when this event ends."

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  The man inclined his head slightly in a gesture that wasn't quite a bow. "Thank you for your time, Prince. We'll speak again later."

  They filed out of the tent in formation, their white armor gleaming.

  Prince Carin's face twisted with barely controlled rage as he watched them leave. When the tent flap closed behind them, he turned his attention to their group.

  Casimir stood beside him, along with four nobles seated in chairs who looked like high-ranking officials based on their expensive clothing.

  Reth bowed. Jaren and the kids followed immediately.

  She copied the motion, bending at the waist.

  Act like you belong here. Like you've done this a thousand times.

  Prince Carin spoke, his voice dripping with arrogance and entitlement.

  "I'm not going to waste time with pleasantries or long explanations. Every single minute I spend not evolving is a minute someone else uses to grow stronger than me." He gestured dismissively at their group. "So let's get directly to the point. Casimir here has informed me that your group of assassins murdered my brother.”

  Expected this. Doesn't make it any less infuriating to hear.

  Before she could even process a response, Jaren moved.

  Fast.

  He crossed the distance to Casimir in two steps, grabbed his wrist, and slammed him face-first into the ground, pinning him there with one knee pressed between his shoulder blades.

  Jaren started searching Casimir's hands frantically, checking each finger for the ring.

  Nothing.

  No ring. No needle. Nothing.

  Jaren looked up at her, confusion and frustration in his eyes.

  Because I told him it was there. He expected to find evidence and prove Casimir guilty right here.

  Prince Carin laughed, a cold sound that had no humor in it.

  "Casimir, you let yourself get caught, you fucking idiot." The prince reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring, holding it up for everyone to see. "Looking for this?"

  He smiled. "My father left me exactly two tasks before he departed on his hunting expedition to evolve and grow stronger. First, access the dungeon that was assigned to our house by our ancestors thousands of years ago. Second, kill my younger brother Cairos."

  He looked at the body on the ground.

  "And apparently, I failed at one of those tasks."

  He stood from his chair and walked slowly toward Jaren, who was still kneeling on Casimir's back.

  "You can release him now. Casimir was only following my direct orders, doing exactly what I commanded him to do." Carin's voice became harder. "Besides, I suggest you analyze your current situation very carefully. Look around this tent. Count the soldiers outside. Think about whether there's actually any way out of this for you."

  Jaren stared up at Prince Carin with pure, undisguised hatred in his eyes.

  Carin's right arm began to change.

  The transformation started at his shoulder and spread down to his fingertips, his flesh and bone reshaping into gleaming metal. Not armor worn over skin, but his actual arm becoming metal, strong and bright.

  "Your prince has given you an order." Carin's voice rose to a shout. "And he demands that you release his servant immediately!"

  He slammed his metal fist into the ground.

  The impact was massive. The floor cracked in a spiderweb pattern from the point of contact, and a tremor shook the entire tent, making the support poles creak.

  Jaren released Casimir immediately, stood up, and walked backward toward their group.

  Casimir rose slowly, rubbing his sore shoulder where Jaren had pinned him, and took his place standing beside Prince Carin.

  Carin's voice returned to something softer, almost conversational, but the threat underneath was unmistakable.

  "Now then. The death of a Vorminian prince gives our house the legal right to completely destroy The Veil organization the moment we all leave this cursed place." He smiled slightly. "However, we could also choose to leave all of this behind us. Forget it ever happened."

  He started pacing slowly, his metal arm shifting back to normal flesh.

  "Casimir informs me that you were traveling to one of the legendary dungeons specifically for the purpose of training these children. Is that correct?"

  Nobody answered.

  "We've been searching for those famous dungeons across every section of this enormous map ever since the church occupied one and we discovered that the ancient information had been duplicated and distributed to multiple factions over the centuries." His voice took on a bitter edge. "Do you know what we learned? Sixty percent of the factions currently in this evolution zone possess instructions for accessing a dungeon. Sixty percent. Instructions that have been passed down from generation to generation for literally thousands of years."

  He stopped pacing and looked directly at them.

  "And under absolutely no circumstances can the king discover that House Vorminia lost our copy of those instructions. Do you understand what that would mean for our political position?"

  He's terrified of looking weak. This isn't about the dungeon. It's about pride.

  "So here's my offer. Limited time. You give me your map and your instructions for accessing your assigned dungeon, and in exchange, I make you two promises."

  He held up one finger.

  "First, I drop all murder charges against your organization. My brother was chronically ill, anyone could see that. We'll blame his death on his respiratory condition. Natural causes during a stressful evolution event. No one will question it."

  A second finger.

  "Second, and more importantly. Since you'll be giving us your dungeon access and obviously won't be able to enter it yourselves or use it to evolve, because my family will be occupying it, House Vorminia promises to make you part of our family for the next thousand years. We'll protect you, care for you, provide you with wealth and benefits and privileges that most people would commit murder to obtain."

  He spread his hands.

  "All you have to do is give me that map and those instructions. Right now."

  She couldn't hold herself back anymore.

  She stepped forward and bowed her head in what she hoped looked like a respectful gesture. "Your Highness, my name is Vael, and I serve as the teacher and guardian of these students during this evolution event. I humbly request that you consider—"

  "I don't give a single shit who you are!" Prince Carin's shout cut her off mid-sentence. "I'm not killing you right now because they're children and there are rules about that, but if you say one more stupid thing, if you waste one more second of my time without giving me what I'm demanding, I will execute all of you where you stand!"

  His voice rose even louder.

  "Do you understand what's at stake here? Having access to those dungeons, finding the First Alloy, will literally determine who controls the entire world when we leave this place! Whoever holds that power shapes everything!"

  First Alloy.

  Her breath caught.

  There's a First Alloy right here. Right now. The hammer hidden at my belt.

  He's standing three meters away from one and has no idea.

  The kids were all watching the prince with serious expressions, their young faces hard with anger at someone trying to steal something that belonged to their organization.

  Jaren looked at them, and his expression shifted to something that looked almost like grief.

  "I'm sorry, brothers," he said quietly. "And I pray our ancestors will forgive me for what I'm about to do."

  He reached inside his jacket and pulled out an old leather-bound book, a folded map, and several pages of handwritten notes.

  He threw them on the ground at Prince Carin's feet.

  Casimir stepped forward immediately, relief crossing his face. "We deeply appreciate your cooperation and wisdom in making this choice. I want you to know that from this moment forward, House Vorminia will watch over you and protect you. Vorminians always take care of their own."

  Jaren reached into another pocket and pulled out a small metal vial.

  He opened it and poured the liquid inside onto the papers.

  The papers started dissolving instantly. Not burning like normal fire, but disappearing, evaporating into nothing like they'd never existed.

  Casimir lunged forward and grabbed at the papers, but when his hands closed around them, there was nothing left but empty air.

  He destroyed them. He actually destroyed their only access to the dungeon.

  Jaren looked up at Prince Carin, his voice completely flat.

  "I'm sorry, Prince. But if someone's going to steal my clan's future and rob us of our right to evolve, I'd rather it be me who does it. That way I don't have to stand here and watch others grow strong using what belonged to us."

  Prince Carin's expression went ice cold, all the false pleasantness draining away.

  "I genuinely would have made you part of our house. You and these children would have walked out of this zone alive, wealthy, and protected.." His voice dropped to something deadly quiet. "But you're just foolish children who don't understand how the world works."

  He raised his hand and gave the order without hesitation.

  "Guards. Kill them all."

  The kids dropped into combat stances immediately. Reth moved to put himself between them and the soldiers.

  Napoleon started vibrating inside her jacket, a low mechanical hum she could feel against her ribs.

  This is it. We're about to fight for our lives in here.

  A man's voice shouted from the tent entrance, loud and commanding.

  "Stop!"

  She spun around.

  One of the church men who'd left earlier was standing at the tent flap, his white armor gleaming in the lamplight.

  "Prince Carin." The man's voice was calm but carried absolute authority. "We do not kill children in this sacred zone. That is a golden rule that has existed across every continent for longer than your house has held power. You can wait until any of them reaches the age of majority and kill them then if you still desire revenge, but you absolutely cannot harm them during their childhood."

  "They murdered my brother," Carin said, his voice tight with rage.

  "Are you certain of that? Do you have proof?"

  "There are witnesses."

  The church man looked at Casimir, then back at Carin. "I see. Well then, perhaps there's a solution that will satisfy all parties involved."

  "Nothing will satisfy me. I don't need anything from these worthless people."

  "Then allow them to leave this camp peacefully."

  "I can't do that."

  "Then I cannot allow you to kill them." The church man stepped further into the tent. "But you also refuse to let them go free. That presents a problem."

  He looked between Carin and their group.

  "There is a law. An old law, but still valid. You are forbidden from executing children, but you are permitted to take them as slaves if they consent to it. And having trained Veil assassins as your personal slaves would be a luxury that no noble house in history has ever possessed."

  Slaves. He wants to make us slaves.

  "However," the church man continued, "they must accept this fate willingly. And there is only one way to make that legally binding. Through trial by combat."

  He gestured at their group.

  "You are the aggrieved party, Prince Carin. You lost your brother. Therefore, you have the right to choose which member of The Veil will fight as their representative. You also choose your own champion to face them. The only restriction is that your champion cannot be more than five years older than the opponent you select."

  Prince Carin’s expression shifted to something that looked almost pleased.

  "Fine. Let's end this quickly then."

  He pointed directly at Torin, the smallest and youngest of the group.

  "That one. Tomorrow at sunset. I'll present my champion at that time."

  No. Not Torin.

  The words came out before she could stop them, loud and furious.

  "You fucking coward! You call yourself a prince?"

  Prince Carin laughed, genuinely amused. "I thought members of The Veil were trained to bury their emotions and feel nothing. How fascinating to see that's not actually true."

  Shit. I broke character. Again.

  Torin stood frozen, his eyes wide, clearly not expecting to be chosen.

  Jaren looked at the prince, his voice hard. "I haven't accepted this arrangement. We don't agree to—"

  The church man cut him off gently but firmly.

  "You need to understand your position here. You have no power in this camp, no leverage, and no allies. If this trial by combat hadn't been offered, Prince Carin would have found another way to kill all of you, and no one would have stopped him." He looked at each of them. "This is the only thing I can do to help you. But I want to be very clear about something."

  He paused.

  "The Vorminians are known throughout this world for doing exactly what they want, when they want, and ignoring any rules that don't benefit them. And here, inside this dome, there are no witnesses from the outside world. No one to report what truly happens."

  The church man inclined his head slightly.

  "My name is Harren, and I serve Aelir Eye Church. My camp is located approximately ten minutes' walk from here. You'll stay there tonight under our protection and supervision."

  "Why are you doing this for us?" she asked.

  Harren's expression softened just slightly. "Because I've never agreed with the practice of sending children into this evolution zone in the first place. The kind of power that people acquire here corrupts them, changes them. Children shouldn't be exposed to that."

  He looked at each of them again.

  "Before we leave, I need you to understand the rules. You'll be under Aelir Eye Church's direct responsibility from this moment forward. If you attempt to escape, we will hunt you down and execute you. If young Torin wins his combat trial tomorrow, you can request your freedom and we'll allow you to continue on your path."

  He gestured toward Prince Carin.

  "The Vorminians are warriors. They fight with strength and honor according to their traditions. You are assassins, trained in The Veil's methods. You are permitted to fight using those methods and techniques."

  "I'll be waiting for you at the exit of the Vorminian camp. Come when you're ready."

  Harren left the tent.

  Prince Carin and his nobles were already gone, having left while Harren was speaking. Only Casimir and a few guards remained.

  They walked out of the tent and headed toward the camp's edge where Harren had said he'd wait.

  As they walked, she moved close to Jaren and kept her voice low enough that only he could hear.

  "Tell me the truth. What chance does Torin have of winning this fight?"

  Jaren's expression didn't change, but his voice was flat and hopeless.

  "None. Zero chance. I might be able to win because of my speed and agility, but Torin is still Level 1. His training at The Veil base has been basic fundamentals only. He's twelve years old and he's never killed anyone."

  Jaren stopped walking and turned to face both her and Reth, checking carefully that no one was close enough to hear.

  "I'm the one who got you both into this mess because you saved us in the forest. Tomorrow, I'll create some kind of distraction during the fight. When that happens, you take the kids and run. Get them to our assigned dungeon and help them complete their training."

  She frowned. "What are you talking about? The dungeon information was destroyed. We saw it disappear."

  "You have the real papers. Master Vael, she always carried the actual documents with her. Everything." Jaren's voice was quiet but certain. "What I destroyed was a fake set I created for exactly this kind of situation. The real map and instructions are hidden in her pack."

  He met her eyes.

  "I only put on a performance to deceive them, and they believed it completely."

  Jaren looked at Reth.

  "The kids asking you to carry the bodies? That wasn't just about honoring the dead. The real documents were hidden in her uniform, but then the Vorminians arrived and she had to change fast."

  He planned this. Had a backup ready.

  "Forget it," she said immediately. "I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself. That's not happening."

  She turned to Reth.

  "I need your help with something. When we reach the church camp, I need you to talk to Harren. Arrange for me to have a private space where I can work. Somewhere nobody can interrupt or watch what I'm doing."

  "What are you planning?" Reth asked.

  She looked at Torin, who was walking with the other kids, his face still showing shock at being chosen for the combat trial.

  "We have until tomorrow, Reth. I'm going to use every single minute of it."