The chamber was quiet, the groans of the injured nobles fading into the shadows. The children shuffled carefully behind Kairo, their chains gone, but fear still heavy in their eyes.
Igron's gaze lingered on Kairo, a slow, crooked smile spreading across his face. "Finally," he murmured, almost to himself. "Took you long enough, Kairo. I wondered what would push you over the edge."
Kairo glanced at him, crimson eyes narrowed. "I didn't… I had to protect them."
Igron chuckled low, the sound twisting in the dim light. "And yet you managed to snap just enough to show them what they weren't supposed to see. Clever. Very clever."
A stir ran through the nobles. They had thought the boy was fragile, a mere healer, a child with some trick of bones. Now, seeing Igron's smirk and the subtle control in Kairo's movements, unease rippled.
One guard whispered, "He—he's not alone…"
The mistress, still in the shadows, tilted her head, lips curling. "What is he talking about?"
Igron's grin widened, and with a casual flick, he vanished. One moment he was leaning against the wall, and the next, he appeared behind the nearest guard, fingers brushing the man's neck as a whisper of illusion tightened like a noose. The guard froze, eyes wide, realizing the boy had switched places without a sound.
Another guard tried to raise a weapon, only to find himself facing Igron's empty grin from across the room. "Clone… switch," Igron muttered, letting the words hang in the air like a taunt.
The nobles and guards alike faltered, fear overtaking greed. Even the mistress' eyes narrowed, the first flicker of unease breaking through her composure.
Kairo's crimson eyes followed Igron, a faint smile touching his lips. "I'm glad you finally woke up," he said quietly.
Igron's laughter was soft, cruel, and amused. "What took you so long, Kairo? But now… this is finally fun."
The chamber shook with the tension of their combined presence—Kairo's bone magic, Igron's illusions—and the children behind them, trembling but safe. The nobles and mistress realized in that moment: these children were no longer prey.