The vortex of violet and gold did not deposit them at the gates of the High Citadel; it wove them into the very fabric of the city's shadow. Clevatess stood atop a spire of blackened glass, his new mantle of silver-tipped raven feathers absorbing the artificial glare of the Queen's thousand sun-lights. Below them, the High Citadel sprawled like a glowing web of gold and iron, every street a conduit for the stolen energy of the north.
The King's violet eyes, now pierced with that molten gold core, scanned the architecture with the precision of a designer looking for a frayed seam. He could see the ley lines pulsing beneath the cobblestones, heavy and bloated with the power she had siphoned from the Grave-Sea.
It's too bright, Nelluru whispered, her lime-green aura shrinking against the overwhelming radiance of the capital. It feels like the city is trying to erase us just by existing.
That is the illusion of the Queen's design, Clevatess replied, his voice a low thrum that vibrated through the glass beneath their feet. She believes that if she removes all shadows, she removes all flaws. But even the sun must have a silhouette.
Alicia gripped her hilt, her blue aura a sharp contrast to the golden haze of the city. The fleet is docked at the central hub. If we strike now, we can cut off her escape.
She is not planning to escape, Alicia, Clevatess said, pointing toward the Great Loom at the center of the palace. She is waiting for the final stitch. She needs the energy I carry to finish a garment that will cover the entire world in her 'perfection.'
He raised his hand, and for the first time, he did not pull a thread from his sleeve. He reached into the air itself, grasping a beam of golden light as if it were a physical cord. With a sharp twist of his wrist, the light turned cold and silver, snapping with the sound of breaking glass.
A block of the city below suddenly plunged into darkness as the streetlights flickered and died. The King was no longer just a tailor of cloth; he was becoming the tailor of the world's light.
I have seen her design, Clevatess whispered, his gaze fixed on the palace where the Queen's presence loomed like a predator. And I have decided it is out of fashion.