Chapter 29: Threads
Night crept through the corridors, lit only by torches fixed to the walls. In the princess’s private grand hall, silence was broken only by the soft brushing of her robes against the marble floor.
Ethan entered without hesitation. There was no request, no announcement; he simply pushed the door open with a confidence that dared anyone to stop him.
The princess lifted her gaze; even her usually empty expression flickered with surprise for a brief instant before settling back into her usual mask of nothingness.
"You came to see me so late, Ethan? How bold..." she said, slowly crossing her legs.
But Ethan didn’t return the smile. Instead, he stepped forward until he was just a few steps from her.
"It’s time to end this game," he declared, his voice firm, without warmth.
The princess raised an eyebrow, more curious than concerned. "End it? You really think that..."
She didn’t finish the sentence. Ethan raised his hand, and translucent threads of mana appeared around her. They were fragments of the very magic she had used to manipulate minds, magic he had studied over the past days, analyzed, understood... and now mastered.
The princess’s eyes stayed the same, unconcerned. "You really believe you can...?"
"You were careless," Ethan said, stepping closer, his voice low. "You thought you were untouchable, that no one could stand above you. It never crossed your mind that someone might learn the magic you spent so long perfecting, and do it in so little time."
She tried to step back, but the threads of mana tightened around her mind, forcing her to remain there, vulnerable.