Snow hammered down like shards of white glass.
The sentinel straightened its obsidian frame, crimson runes pulsing brighter than before.
It felt heavier now.
Smarter.
More purposeful.
Owain's grip on Kanah tightened as she sagged unconscious against his chest, her skin glowing faintly with unstable white light.
Behind him:
Gerrin leaned on his staff, shaking.
Yllas bled openly, wings trembling with every breath.
Helion lay half-conscious, curse marks pulsing dangerously.
And still—
The sentinel stepped forward.
"NEW DIRECTIVE:
RETRIEVE THE VESSEL.
DISABLE OBSTRUCTIONS."
Obstructions.
That was what it called them.
Not people.
Not warriors.
Not her protectors.
Obstructions.
Owain's jaw clenched hard enough to crack his own teeth.
He shifted Kanah in his arms and lowered her gently into the snow, keeping one hand on her cheek.
"Stay with me," he whispered. "Please."
She didn't wake.
Her eyes fluttered weakly, barely open.
"O…wain…"
He leaned closer.
"Yes. I'm here."
"Don't… let him… take me…"
His heart clenched.
"I won't."
He stood.
And turned toward the sentinel.
The Sentinel Targets Yllas
The sentinel scanned the battlefield again.
Its crimson eyes locked on Yllas—
bleeding heavily, wing torn, fire dimmed.
"PRIORITY THREAT:
DRAGON-BLOOD.
ELIMINATE."
Yllas bared his teeth.
"You—can—try."
He inhaled sharply.
Fire flickered in his throat—
but it sputtered out, replaced by a cough of gold-streaked blood.
He knelt, clutching his chest.
Owain moved to shield him—
But Yllas grabbed his arm.
"No," Yllas whispered.
"Protect her. Not me."
Owain froze, breath tight, throat burning.
He squeezed Yllas' shoulder in a rare show of emotion.
"Don't die."
Yllas smirked weakly, blood on his teeth.
"I wasn't planning on it."
The sentinel charged.
Owain roared—
but a blast of golden rune-light exploded between the sentinel and Yllas.
Gerrin.
Gerrin Uses Forbidden Elven Magic
Gerrin slammed his staff down again.
Runes spread beneath his feet, cutting through the snow like molten silver.
He shouted in a voice Owain had never heard from him—
deep, commanding, ancient:
"MEMORIAM BINDING — CLASS SIX!"
The runes surged upward, forming chains of silver light that wrapped around the sentinel's limbs and torso.
The sentinel froze mid-stride.
Owain stared in shock.
Gerrin… shocked himself.
The runes held.
For exactly four seconds.
"MAGIC ANALYZED."
"COUNTERMEASURE DEPLOYED."
The sentinel shattered the chains like brittle glass.
Gerrin staggered backward, coughing blood.
"No… damn it—"
Owain rushed to catch him.
"You're bleeding—"
"I know," Gerrin gasped.
"But listen—there's something you need to understand."
Owain tightened his grip on Gerrin's shoulder.
"What?"
Gerrin pointed weakly at Kanah.
"The First King… can't take her."
Owain froze.
"What do you mean?"
Gerrin's voice was strained, urgent.
"For the First King's claim to activate—she has to agree."
Owain's heartbeat slammed against his ribs.
"She'll never agree."
Gerrin shook his head violently.
"No, Owain—listen—
agreeing doesn't always mean consent."
Owain stiffened.
Yllas froze.
Helion, despite barely breathing, flinched.
"What does that mean?" Owain rasped.
Gerrin swallowed.
"It means if she's dying, broken, unconscious, or mentally overwhelmed—her magic may interpret surrender as agreement."
Owain felt his stomach drop.
He looked back at Kanah.
Her fluttering breaths.
Her shaking fingers.
Her half-conscious whimpers.
"No," Owain whispered.
"No, no, NO—she's NOT agreeing!"
"She's not," Gerrin said quickly.
"But the First King will try to create the conditions where her magic thinks it HAS to accept him."
Owain's pulse thundered.
"And what does that look like?" he whispered.
Gerrin's face twisted.
"A trial."
Owain's blood ran cold.
Behind them—
Kanah whimpered softly.
"Owain… help…"
He turned instantly.
"Kanah—gods—Kanah—"
He reached for her—
And froze.
Her eyes were open.
Glowing white.
But filled with fear.
"Owain… I can't… hold it back…"
He grabbed her face gently, cupping her cheeks.
"Hold onto ME. Don't listen to him. Don't—"
Her voice cracked.
"He… he wants me to stand. To walk. To go to him."
Owain felt a snarl rip out of him.
"You're not going ANYWHERE."
Kanah's fingers curled into his shirt weakly.
"I don't want… to go… but something pulling—something calling—"
He shook his head fiercely.
"Stay. Stay with me. Stay HERE."
Her breathing faltered.
"I'm trying…"
And then—
Her body jerked violently.
Owain caught her before her head hit the snow.
Gerrin hissed, "Owain—her magic's destabilizing AGAIN—she's breaking between the three bloodlines—"
Helion coughed violently in the background.
"She needs to stabilize one. If she doesn't—she dies."
Owain's heart nearly stopped.
He pressed his forehead to hers.
"Kanah—choose something. Anything. Choose US."
Her lips parted.
"I… choose…"
Owain held his breath.
But instead of a name—
Kanah whispered:
"I choose… nothing."
And the world broke.
The First King Speaks
The snow halted mid-air.
The sentinel froze.
The wind stopped.
Time stuttered.
Kanah's white rune ignited like a newborn star.
And then—
A voice spoke.
Not from the sentinel.
Not from Kanah.
From everywhere.
"The vessel rejects the crowns."
Owain stiffened.
Gerrin gripped his staff so tightly his knuckles cracked.
Yllas struggled to rise.
Helion's breathing went ragged.
Owain looked down at Kanah—
whose eyes glowed entirely white again.
He whispered, terrified:
"Who… are you?"
Kanah's lips moved.
But the voice was not hers.
"I am the First King."
Owain's gut twisted.
Kanah's hands curled weakly at his shirt, but her body wasn't hers.
Yllas tried to step forward.
"Owain—get her away from—"
The voice cut him off.
"Wolf.
You defy me."
Owain snarled through his teeth.
"I defy ANYONE who tries to take her."
Gerrin whispered, "Owain—careful—he's still inside her mind—"
The First King ignored him.
"A vessel that refuses a crown must undergo a trial."
Owain's heart slammed into his ribs.
"No."
"Prepare the first trial."
"No—NO—she's too weak—stop—"
"Trial One: Survival Through Instinct."
Owain's vision blurred with fury.
"You SON OF A—"
A wave of white force blasted across the valley.
Owain shielded Kanah with his entire body.
Gerrin slammed into a boulder.
Yllas hit the snow with a broken cry.
Helion was thrown twenty feet back.
The sentinel recalibrated, systems glowing blindingly bright.
"TRIAL ONE INITIATED."
Kanah screamed—
a raw, agonizing sound that shredded Owain's sanity.
"Owain—O-Owain—help—"
He grabbed her face.
"I'm here—I'm RIGHT HERE—don't let go—don't let go—"
But the First King's voice whispered over hers.
"To prove she is unfit, you must die."
Owain's blood froze.
He lifted his head slowly, eyes black with rage.
"What… did you just say?"
"If the wolf dies, she is unworthy.
If he lives, she may advance."
Yllas shouted, "OWAIN—MOVE—DON'T LISTEN—"
But Owain wasn't listening.
He stood.
Slowly.
Kanah clung to him, sobbing.
"Owain—no—NO—don't—don't leave—don't—"
He kissed her forehead.
"I'm not leaving you."
But he turned.
And faced the sentinel.
In his wolf form.
Weak.
Wounded.
Bones cracked.
Fur matted with blood.
But unyielding.
He lowered Kanah back into the snow gently.
Then stepped forward.
Such a simple movement.
Such a terrifying one.
Kanah's voice broke.
"Owain—DON'T—you can't—please—you can't win against—"
He didn't look away from the sentinel.
His voice was quiet.
"For you, I will fight gods."
Kanah screamed—
"OWAIN—STAY—DON'T DO THIS—"
He whispered without turning:
"I love you."
And then—
He shifted fully.
Fur erupting.
Claws lengthening.
Eyes turning pure amber.
Wolf instinct igniting like fierce flame.
The sentinel raised both arms.
"TRIAL ONE: COMMENCE."
Owain snarled—
And charged.