~Kaida Orion POV~
Dawn crept, the blood moon faded behind clouds, yet root glyphs carved into the stones beneath us still pulsed faint violet Moon Priest placed a final salt circle around the chest. Biat and the golden‐eyed envoy flanked us. The morning air was thick with miraculous victory, but I sensed danger still whispering between root lines.
A cloaked messenger appeared with urgent demand from court: "By order of Crown tribunal, the vessel must visit secret root archive chamber before high vault reopens. Failure to comply voids bond."
I stiffened, fear knotted in my chest, I exchanged a look with Lupus.
He whispered, "They test us again."
The chest... sealed silent under root and blood vow....felt like fragile glass in my arms. The messenger waited, draped in violet silk.
Biat glanced at me. "If we go, we risk another echo clause, if we refuse, they may seize vessel."
Moon Priest added, "This is the final ritual culling test. It's meant to unbind forced encoding."
