The crackle of magic hung in the air. April's breath came in short bursts, her fingers curled around the Solburn Blade's hilt. Across from her, Princess Selene of the Moon Kingdom stood still as a silver statue, her white hair shimmering under the faint light. Every eye in the courtyard darted between them, waiting for the first move.
It came faster than anyone expected.
A beam of cold, silver light erupted from Selene's palms. April dove to the side, the beam searing past her ear and freezing a marble pillar into jagged frost. Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"You dare threaten my kingdom?" Selene's voice was sharp enough to cut stone.
April rose to her feet, flames curling along her sword. "I'm not here to threaten. But I won't bow."
Selene's eyes narrowed. "Then you've already chosen your side."
The next strike came with no warning — a whip of moonlight lashing through the air. April blocked, the Solburn Blade ringing like a struck bell. The shockwave blasted dust and embers across the courtyard, forcing onlookers to shield their faces.
Selene smiled — a dangerous, knowing smile — and this time, she didn't aim for April. The beam of magic shot toward the Ember banners behind her, igniting chaos in the watching crowd. Children screamed, guards rushed forward, and April's pulse spiked.
She charged. The Solburn Blade flared, the crimson-gold light clashing violently with Selene's silver glow. Sparks exploded in the air, heat and cold colliding until the stones beneath them began to crack.
Above, thunder rolled. But this wasn't weather — it was the Air Kingdom watching.
A voice boomed from the high balcony. "Enough!"
It was High Lord Zephyros of the Air Kingdom, his pale blue robes whipping around him in an unseen wind. "Moon and Fire will not tear this court apart."
But neither Selene nor April lowered their weapons.
"Tell your fire brat to stand down," Selene hissed.
"Call me that again," April growled, "and you'll see what fire really does to moonlight."
Then April saw it — the faint ripple of shadow behind Selene. Someone was moving in, unseen by most. Not a Moon soldier… not Ember either. The movement was too fluid, too trained.
Her grip tightened. This wasn't just an attack. This was a setup.
The shadow drew closer, a dagger flashing faintly in the light. April's instincts screamed.
"Selene!" she shouted.
The Moon Princess turned just as the assassin lunged. April moved without thinking — fire bursting from her palm, the blast knocking both Selene and the assassin back. The crowd roared in confusion. Guards swarmed the courtyard.
The dagger clattered to the ground, its hilt engraved with the mark of the Serpent Syndicate.
Selene stared at April, her silver eyes full of something that wasn't hate anymore — but wasn't trust either.
"You…" Selene whispered. "Why would you save me?"
April's chest heaved. "Because this isn't just about you or me. Someone wants us both dead."
High Lord Zephyros stepped forward, his voice colder than the wind around him. "The Syndicate moves faster than expected. If they've already reached the Moon Court… then the Zodiac War has begun."
The shadow assassin spat blood, grinning through broken teeth. "Oh, it's begun, little Flame. And when it ends… there will be no moon, no sun. Only the Serpent."
And with that, he bit down on something in his mouth. A hiss of black smoke erupted, swallowing him whole until nothing remained but the stench of poison.
The crowd erupted into shouts. Guards scrambled. But April's eyes stayed locked on Selene's.
They were enemies… until five minutes ago. Now, they might be the only thing keeping each other alive.
Far above, hidden in the balcony shadows, another figure watched — the silver-masked leader from the riverbank.
"Good," he murmured. "Let them bond. The stronger the chain… the sweeter it is to break."