To reach the Court of Moonlight, I had to perform a ritual I had only read about in the forbidden pages of the ktab. I had to step out of my body. Guided by Khairul, I sat in a circle of salt and closed my eyes. When I opened them, I was standing in a vast hall made of solid light, floating above a sea of stars. In front of me sat three towering figures, their faces obscured by masks of shifting silver. These were the Judges.
"Human," the middle Judge spoke, his voice sounding like grinding diamonds. "You hold the contract of 1600 djinns, a power reserved for prophets and kings of old. By what right do you command them?" I stood tall, the weight of 1600 souls anchoring me. "I command them because I was chosen by the Sword of Noor," I replied, my voice steady despite the overwhelming pressure. "And because I used them to save lives, not to conquer." The Judges whispered among themselves. The twist came when the smallest Judge stood up and pointed at me. "The Sword was not given to you, Emon. It was stolen from our vault a century ago by your grandfather. You are not a master; you are the keeper of stolen goods."