The palace was quiet in the aftermath of the chaos with Gendai. The faint glow of the purple moon spilled across the marble floors as Felicia, Tyrone, Lihanna, Raijin, Kamaki, and Riah gathered in the main hall. Even the lingering smell of singed air from Riah's flames hadn't completely faded.
A sudden, sharp chime echoed through the palace. All heads turned toward the communication console, an orb-like device shimmering with faint blue energy. Tyrone stepped forward, pressing a finger to the orb.
A holographic image flickered to life, displaying officials from Earth. Their faces were stern, eyes cold, their voices official and final.
"…after careful deliberation, the Global Council has enacted the Kazimir Accord. Effective immediately, Kazimir, Riah, and Jessie are prohibited from returning to any sovereign nation on Earth. Any attempt to bypass this law will be treated as a violation of international security and met with force."
A heavy silence fell. The words hung like chains in the air.
Lihanna's jaw tightened, eyes narrowing. "They… they're serious? They've completely barred them?"
Felicia let out a slow breath, rubbing her temples. "I knew the world would push back… but this… it's absolute. They're scared, and they don't understand what Kazimir and his team have been doing to keep them alive."
Raijin leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "Ha. Typical. Humans get scared, and the first thing they do is try to control the ones keeping them from dying."
Kamaki let out a low laugh, shaking his head. "So the heroes are now criminals… nice. That's some messed-up logic."
Tyrone stepped closer to the orb, his voice grim. "This doesn't change anything for them here in Vrasnia, but Earth… it's a closed chapter now. If anything happens there again, they'll have no recourse. No allies, no backup."
Riah's eyes flickered with contained fire, white flames brushing the edge of her sleeves. "Then they will act without Earth's permission. If that world refuses our presence, we don't need it. We have Vrasnia.
Felicia nodded, but her expression was thoughtful. "It's one thing to fight alongside them, it's another to know the world they saved doesn't want them back. That… that's a different kind of battle."
The hologram ended, leaving the group in silence. The purple night pressed in against the palace walls, unyielding and eternal. They could hear the wind brushing across the towers, a reminder that while Earth had shut its doors, Vrasnia remained theirs.
Tyrone broke the silence, voice low but determined. "Then we make our stand here. They might be outlaws on Earth, but they're still defenders of what matters. And we're not going to let anyone forget that."
The heavy doors of the Vrasnian palace groaned as Kazimir stepped inside, his presence cutting through the silence of the hall. Purple moonlight traced the edges of his form, highlighting the cold calm in his gaze.
The news from Earth—laws forbidding him, Riah, and Jessie from returning—glimmered faintly on a nearby console. Kazimir didn't even glance at it. To him, it was inconsequential. Earth's fear, its laws… irrelevant. A weight lifted from his shoulders.
On the floor before him, Gendai lay still, her body fully healed by Riah's white flames, but her eyes remained closed. She breathed evenly, unconscious, unaware of the tension around her. Riah knelt silently beside her, watching over her without a word, her expression unreadable.
Felicia, Tyrone, Lihanna, and Kamaki exchanged uneasy glances. Tyrone finally broke the silence. "Kazimir… about Earth—the law…"
Kazimir didn't look at him. His voice was calm, almost detached. "Let them write what they wish. Let them fear what they do not understand. I have no interest in their judgments."
Kamaki scoffed softly. "Not even gonna glance at it… damn, he's unshakable."
Tyrone's gaze flicked to Gendai. "And her… she's still out cold…"
Kazimir's eyes remained forward, his tone steady. "She is safe. That is enough. I do not waste my concern on what does not threaten the balance. Waking her is her journey, not mine."
The room fell into silence again. Only the faint, residual warmth of Riah's flames lingered over Gendai, like a quiet, protective pulse.
Kazimir finally moved past them, each step deliberate, echoing across the hall. "Earth can impose its laws. I answer to no one but the world I protect. Everything else… is irrelevant."
Felicia muttered under her breath, almost to herself, "He doesn't even flinch…"
Lihanna and Kamaki stayed quiet, uneasy, while Tyrone's jaw tightened. The weight of Kazimir's indifference pressed down on the room, heavier than any law or warning.
And all the while, Gendai slept, untouched, unknowing, while the world around her continued its quiet tension.
.