Within the vast, ornate Throne Room of the Dwarf Palace, a makeshift sanctuary had been established. The high, vaulted ceiling was painted with murals depicting ancient dwarven victories, now eerily contrasted by the present crisis. In a corner, away from the tension, sat Queen Morlin, Minister Brokk, Jai, James, Zayn, and the two children, Morisa and Little Arthur. Morlin had already used her Tier 5 Healing Artifact to rapidly seal the worst of the princes' wounds, allowing them to participate in the defense.
Despite the relative safety, the room was thick with tension. Jai's brown eyes burned with fierce anger; his mind was fixed on eliminating Zeron and ending the horrific lie surrounding Little Arthur's father, Alex.
King Borin stood before them, resolute in his decision to stall the war with words. He channeled his voice through a booming Earth Spell, carrying it across the walls to where Zeron and Zevan stood outside the gates.
"Younger brother, please stop this war!" Borin's voice pleaded. "Our father built this kingdom to stop suffering and make the Dwarves happy. If we start this war, countless families will be destroyed. So many fathers and mothers will lose their sons; so many children will lose their parents. Please, stop this war at once!"
Zeron and Lenard exchanged mocking glances, ready to deliver a vicious counter-taunt, but Zevan interrupted, his voice edged with years of bitterness.
"Big Brother, you banished me and our relatives! Where were we to go? How were we to survive?" Zevan demanded. "And don't forget, your own fool of a son [Zeron] started the revolution that drove us away and manipulated our family to seek vengeance against you!"
Borin, his composure faltering, replied with a heavy heart. "The truth is, I never truly wanted to be King. It was Father's dying wish, so I honored it. If you asked me for the King title, I would give it to you now."
A slight, cold smile touched Zevan's face. He looked directly at Borin. "Our father knew I was not capable of ruling this kingdom. If you gave me the position now, the people would see me as a weak king who was scared of war and begged for the throne. I don't want that. I want to take the position after killing you, so the people understand how powerful and scary I truly am."
While the King was wholly engaged with Zevan, a figure moved quietly inside the sanctuary. It was the Magistrate—the trusted palace administrator. He moved slowly, his gaze fixed on Morisa, who sat alone in a corner chair. He reached her, his hands covered by the long sleeves of his official robes.
The Magistrate slowly covered Morisa's mouth with his hand. A terrifying, split-second flashback hit Morisa's mind: it was the same size and texture of the hand that had kidnapped her months ago! She instantly realized the horrifying truth: the Magistrate was the true betrayer and kidnapper.
Before Morisa could struggle, Little Arthur, whose attention was not on the talking King but on his sister, screamed. "Big Brother! Big sister Morisa is being taken away!"
The warning reached everyone's ears, but it was too late. The Magistrate had already surged toward the windows. Jai and Zayn watched in horror as the Magistrate, who they trusted implicitly, betrayed them. Zayn dropped his gaze, guilt washing over him for his previous wrong assumption about the Magistrate's loyalty.
They gave chase, but the Magistrate was swift. He launched himself out of the palace window, channeling a powerful artifact. A Tier 4 Air Artifact called "Wind Swing"—fueled by the wings of the tiny Fle Bird—activated, creating a localized, powerful wind current that allowed him to float effortlessly and rapidly ascend.
The Magistrate flew to the enemy lines and stood directly behind Zeron, holding the terrified Morisa.
King Borin, seeing his daughter captured by his own administrator, was instantly distraught. The Magistrate then pulled off the brown cloak he always wore it is a disguise, revealing his true identity. It was not a man.
The figure was a woman with short black hair and cold blue eyes, standing proudly beside Zeron.
"Leora," Borin whispered, his heart filled with fresh devastation. "Leora Stonehead. You are truly alive?" Tears welled in his eyes. "After you disappeared, I thought you died! I was even preparing a statue for you in the center of the kingdom!"
Leora Stonehead, King Borin's own sister, sneered. "I wasn't missed, Brother. Our father forced me away from the kingdom because I lacked power. Before the Human-Dwarf War, I tried to warn you about the tensions, but you never listened. Father forced me out because he didn't want a weak person like me here, and you didn't even notice I was gone."
Her voice turned venomous. "When I returned after the war and heard Father died, I was sad. But then I saw the truth: no one mourned. All I heard was laughter and talk of the new King. I know you wanted the crown, Borin. Everything you said until now was a lie to manipulate Zevan and me."
Borin saw the resentment and madness in her eyes. The mask of the good King shattered, revealing the cold, hard ambition beneath.
"Yes," Borin replied, his voice chillingly calm, a creeping, horrible smile spreading across his face. "I wanted to become King. Beatrice defeated our father, but he was barely alive, so I killed him to take the crown! I knew Father was going to make me King eventually, but I couldn't wait. I manipulated the ministers to my side and became the King." He paused. "But I never betrayed the people or did anything wrong by the Dwarves!"
"You didn't harm the people," Leora hissed, "but what about me and your family?"
The family drama was broken by Zeron. He was visibly impatient, his blue eyes burning with the urge for destruction. "Enough of this bullshit! We came here to kill people, not to tell your backstories and gain sympathy!"
Zeron snatched Morisa from Leora. He held the little girl up before the entire Shadow Ledger army and the terrified populace watching from the walls. His voice, amplified by his Dominance, boomed over the entire city.
"Listen to me! I am Zeron, the True Prince!" he announced. "Whoever in the king borin party kills me and defeats my party will be rewarded! You can take the girl [Morisa] as a prize, and your reward will be a kingdom of your own! But if anyone in my party kills the King and his royal family, that person wins her, and they will become the Prince of the new Dwarf Kingdom that I will build!"
With the promise of a royal title and the life of the Princess, Zeron effectively lit the fuse.
"Siege! Begin the assault!"
The Shadow Ledger army, fueled by the promise of ultimate reward and the sight of their captive princess, surged forward. The air instantly filled with destructive elemental energy as the attack began, plunging Khazad-Dar into the terrifying chaos of war.