It was around five in the morning. A deep calm reigned over the still-sleeping city. The streets were empty, bathed in the soft, rosy light of dawn. Inside the inn, not a sound. The guests slept peacefully, cradled by the silence of the early hour.
In one of the upstairs rooms, Samuel slept beside Helydia. In another, Kai and Canon were still resting, unaware of the impending chaos.
Everything was quiet... until the sharp crash of shattering glass tore through the calm.
The window to Samuel's room exploded inward. Two guards in blue and white uniforms leapt through, their heavy boots thudding on the wooden floor. Before Samuel could fully register what was happening, one of them had already snapped a white metal collar around his neck, its center adorned with a glowing blue gem.
"What the—?!" Samuel gasped, struggling to rise.
Helydia bolted upright, fully alert, but before she could react, the door burst open with a deafening crack. An entire squad of guards surged into the room, swords drawn and faces grim.
They pinned Samuel to the ground, chaining him with brutal efficiency.
A moment of icy silence followed.
Then the guards stepped aside, making way for a woman.
She moved with cold authority and noble grace. Her beauty had an ethereal, almost divine quality: long, flowing golden hair spilled over her shoulders, framing a face of sharp, refined features. Her pointed ears revealed her elven blood, and her golden eyes radiated calm power and unshakable resolve.
She wore a finely engraved golden armor that shimmered softly in the dim light. Beneath it, a flowing white robe accentuated her elegance. A great sword rested on her back — a clear symbol of divine justice and protection.
She approached Samuel, still restrained on the ground, then glanced briefly at Helydia, frozen and horrified.
From within her cloak, she unrolled a parchment, then looked back down at Samuel.
Her voice was clear, solemn, and absolute:
"Mr. Samuel… I, Relia Luminus, by the authority granted to me by the Sacred Court, hereby place you under arrest for crimes against humanity, conspiracy to overthrow the throne, and theft of national treasures."
She rolled the parchment back up.
"Take him."
The guards hauled Samuel to his feet. He resisted.
"Awakened Speed!" he shouted.
…nothing.
"Muscle Enhancement!"
Still nothing.
"Blades of Shadow!"
Nothing again.
The collar pulsed softly with blue light. His mana… was sealed.
He turned his head just enough to see the guards holding Helydia's arms, keeping her from interfering.
"No. Leave her," Relia ordered without turning. "We only need the man."
They were already dragging him out when a new voice broke in.
Canon stood in the doorway, half-dressed, hair tousled, eyes still half-closed.
"What the hell is going on here?"
Relia glanced at him.
"Step aside, sir. This is a sacred mission."
Canon saw Samuel in chains. He saw Helydia restrained.
Wordlessly, he stepped toward Relia and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I asked you a question. What the he—"
He never finished.
Relia moved in a flash, delivering a devastating punch to Canon's gut. The impact launched him through the hallway, smashing through the door of the room next to Kai's.
Kai, just waking up, blinked in shock as Canon's body slammed into the floor, unconscious.
Relia descended the stairs calmly.
Her squad surrounded her. Samuel, bound and silenced, was dragged at the center, eyes wide in disbelief.
And behind them, in the corridor of the inn's upper floor, only Kai, Helydia, and the unconscious Canon remained — stunned and broken in the wake of her arrival.