"He will learn to endure," Heena said smoothly, leaning back into the velvet cushions. "If he is to survive the vipers in that palace, he needs to know how to bite back. I will make sure his teeth are sharp."
Suddenly, a sharp, metallic '[Ding!]' echoed in the private void of her mind.
The System's interface materialized, its digital screen glowing with a chaotic, shifting red light.
'[Host...]' the System's voice sounded genuinely rattled. '[I have finished analyzing the temporal fluctuations surrounding the Imperial Palace. The Seventh Prince's life signal has completely terminated. He is officially dead in this timeline.]'
Heena kept her face perfectly composed for her grandparents, but internally, she let out a cold, mental hum. ''And? Did the regression trigger?''
