James's grim warning echoed across Rose Manor, jolting a sleeping Ava and the vigilant Klythia awake in an instant.
Moments later, the entire estate erupted into chaos. By the time most had scrambled to their senses, the din of battle—shouts and the clang of steel—was already raging from the direction of Kronos's chambers.
Assassins? Ava thought, her heart seizing. Their target is Kronos?
She scrambled out of bed, and as the reality of the message hit her, her legs went weak. If the knight Klythia hadn't been there to steady her, she would have collapsed.
"Quickly… go support them!" Ava commanded, drawing on her inner reserves of strength to force her body to obey. She and her personal guard rushed towards her son's courtyard.
When they arrived, the scene was a desperate melee.
