"Since we share the blood of the tides, I will offer you a single mercy: Exile."
Orion broke the silence first.
As he spoke, the air above them shimmered and cracked, revealing a massive, floating pane of arcane glass. It did not attack, but it hung there like a guillotine blade waiting to drop. The threat was palpable.
"Friend, who exactly are you?" the woman asked.
"Orion."
"The Giant King? The one who drove out the Holy Order and the Goddess Agaman?"
"Does it matter if I am?"
Orion's voice was even, his gaze locked on Coraline. Her aura was dense and refined—a Demigod of the Second Circle. She was clearly the leader here. Her question wasn't idle curiosity; she was probing, weighing the rumors against the reality standing before her.
"We do not doubt your strength, Giant King," Coraline said smoothly. "If you could expel the Holy Order, you are stronger than us. I was merely curious."
