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No one spoke.
Not the nobles.
Not the guards.
Not even the Crown Prince.
Because the word still lingered—
God.
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It echoed in the hall like something forbidden.
Something that should never have been said out loud.
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Rosy stood still in the center of it all.
Her expression calm.
Too calm.
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But inside—
Everything was shifting.
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A god.
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The word didn't feel foreign.
It didn't feel wrong.
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It felt—
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Familiar.
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Her fingers twitched slightly at her side.
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"…You always did like exaggerating," she said at last.
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Her voice was steady.
Controlled.
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But her eyes—
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Were not.
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They held something darker now.
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Something deeper.
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A faint smile curved on her father's lips.
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"Do I?"
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He stepped slowly around her.
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Measured.
Observing.
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Like he wasn't looking at his daughter—
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But at something far more interesting.
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"Then tell me," he continued, his voice smooth, "what did you see?"
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A pause.
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"What did you feel… when the seal broke?"
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The room leaned in.
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Not physically.
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But mentally.
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Because even if they didn't understand—
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They could feel it.
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Something was happening.
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Rosy didn't answer immediately.
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Because the answer—
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Was dangerous.
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"…Power," she said finally.
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A beat.
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"Not borrowed."
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Another.
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"Not given."
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Her gaze lifted—
Meeting his directly.
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"…Mine."
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Silence.
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Then—
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A quiet laugh.
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"…Yes."
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That one word—
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Confirmed everything.
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The Crown Prince stepped forward.
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"…Enough of this nonsense," he said sharply. "Explain yourself."
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His gaze flickered between them.
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"What is this talk of seals and gods?"
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Rosy didn't look at him.
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Didn't acknowledge him.
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Because for the first time—
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He wasn't important.
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Her father, however—
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Turned his gaze slightly.
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"…You still don't understand your place."
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The temperature dropped.
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Not metaphorically.
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Physically.
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The prince stiffened.
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"…Excuse me?"
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A faint smile.
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Dangerous.
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"You're part of the story."
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A pause.
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"Not the author."
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The words landed like a blade.
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Before the prince could respond—
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Rosy spoke.
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"…Stop."
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Both men looked at her.
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Her expression had changed.
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No hesitation.
No confusion.
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Only clarity.
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"…This isn't about him," she said.
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Her voice quiet—
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But absolute.
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"It's about me."
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A pause.
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Then—
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"…Finally."
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Her father's gaze sharpened.
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"You're starting to understand."
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Rosy took a step forward.
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Closing the distance between them.
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"…Then let's stop pretending," she said.
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The air tightened.
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"You didn't just seal me because I was 'too powerful.'"
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A beat.
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"You sealed me because you were afraid."
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Gasps.
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Soft.
Sharp.
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The Crown Prince froze.
The nobles shifted.
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Because that—
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Was not something anyone dared to say.
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But her father—
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Didn't react.
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Not immediately.
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Then—
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A slow smile spread across his lips.
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"…Afraid?"
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He stepped closer.
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Now they stood face to face.
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"…Of you?"
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A pause.
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"…No."
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His voice dropped.
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Lower.
Colder.
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"I was afraid of what you would become."
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The difference was small.
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But important.
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Rosy's eyes narrowed.
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"…And what is that?"
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Silence.
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Then—
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He raised his hand again.
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This time—
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He touched her.
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Just a finger against her forehead.
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And the world—
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Shattered.
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Not physically.
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Mentally.
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Her vision blurred.
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The court disappeared.
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The voices faded.
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And suddenly—
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She wasn't there anymore.
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She stood in darkness.
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Endless.
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Silent.
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"…Where…"
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"Look."
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His voice.
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But not from the present.
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From the past.
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A light flickered.
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And then—
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She saw.
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A younger version of herself.
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Not Rosy.
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Not the Isle she knew.
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Something else.
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A girl—
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Standing alone.
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But the air around her—
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Was wrong.
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Reality itself seemed to bend.
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Twist.
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Respond.
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"…That's me?" Rosy whispered.
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"No," his voice echoed.
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"That's what you were."
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The girl lifted her hand—
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And the ground beneath her cracked.
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Without effort.
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Without intent.
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"…You were born wrong," the voice continued.
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"Too much."
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The scene shifted.
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Now—
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People surrounded her.
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Scholars.
Knights.
Priests.
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Watching.
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Fearful.
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"…She's unstable…"
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"…This power… it's not human…"
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"…She'll destroy everything…"
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The voices overlapped.
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Blended.
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Judged.
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Rosy's chest tightened.
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"…They were afraid of me."
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"Yes."
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Another shift.
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Now—
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Her father stood before her.
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Younger.
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But the same.
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Calm.
Controlled.
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"…You have two choices," he said to the girl.
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"Control it."
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A pause.
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"Or be controlled by it."
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The girl didn't answer.
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She only looked at him—
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With eyes that were too quiet.
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Too empty.
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"…You chose for me," Rosy whispered.
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Silence.
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Then—
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"Yes."
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The final memory hit.
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Chains.
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Not physical.
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Something deeper.
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A seal forming.
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Layer after layer—
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Locking something away.
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Her power.
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Her memories.
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Her identity.
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Everything.
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"You erased me," she said.
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"Wrong."
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The darkness cracked.
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"I preserved you."
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The world snapped back.
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The court returned.
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The voices.
The tension.
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Rosy staggered slightly—
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But didn't fall.
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Her breathing uneven now.
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Her eyes—
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Glowing again.
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"…You call that preservation?" she whispered.
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Her father watched her calmly.
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"Yes."
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A pause.
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"Because if I hadn't—"
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His gaze darkened.
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"You would have destroyed this world."
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Silence.
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Heavy.
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Rosy straightened slowly.
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Her grip clenched.
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"…Then maybe it deserved to be destroyed."
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Gasps.
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Shock.
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Fear.
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But she didn't stop.
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"Or maybe—" she continued, her voice quieter now—
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"You were just afraid to lose control."
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That—
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Finally—
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Made him pause.
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Just for a second.
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But she saw it.
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And that was enough.
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Her lips curved slightly.
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"…So I was right."
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Silence.
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Then—
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A slow smile.
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"…You've grown."
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A pause.
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"But not enough."
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The air shifted again.
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Dangerous.
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Because this conversation—
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Was no longer just words.
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It was becoming something else.
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Something far more dangerous.
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And this time—
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Neither of them were holding back.
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End of Chapter 14