Amara's POV
The room felt colder when Chris gave the command.
"We visit Skylar. All of us. As one."
I didn't flinch, but deep down, I knew what this meant. A show of unity. A silent message: she's no longer untouchable. And more than that—it was a reckoning.
Classic folded his arms with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "About time," he muttered.
Chris didn't say much after that. He simply looked at me—and I understood. This wasn't just about confronting Skylar. This was about reminding everyone, especially her, who the Empire truly belonged to now.
We stepped out together, the three of us—Chris in his signature black robe, Classic sharp and dressed like royalty in waiting, and me, the Empress-to-be in a dark crimson cape that trailed behind like spilled blood. The palace guards straightened when we passed. Whispers followed us. Everyone knew this wasn't just a casual visit.
It was war in silence.
We approached the wing where Skylar had been kept since her arrest—still under imperial protection, but her powers stripped, her title erased.
When we arrived at her chamber, the guards bowed and stepped aside. Chris motioned for the doors to be opened. They swung wide, and there she was—Skylar. Sitting by the window, head held high despite everything. Her pride still intact.
She looked up. Her eyes scanned us—me, then Classic, and finally, they lingered on Chris.
"So," she said calmly, "you brought the new royal family."
I didn't speak first. I let Chris handle that.
He stepped forward, his voice colder than steel. "We didn't come for a fight. We came to offer clarity."
Skylar raised a brow. "Clarity?"
"You're no longer 02," he said. "You no longer make decisions. But you're still the mother of this Empire's heir. You'll be treated with respect—as long as you don't force our hand."
She laughed softly, but there was bitterness in it. "Respect? From her?" Her eyes met mine.
I stepped forward now. "What you built crumbled because you tried to stand on your own. I won't make the same mistake. I have him… and the Empire behind me."
Classic added, "You still have a place in this story, Skylar. But it's no longer at the top."
She looked at all three of us—her face unreadable.
Then she spoke quietly. "So this is how the Empire changes hands. Not with blood… but with unity."
Chris's gaze didn't waver. "Blood only comes if it must."
The silence that followed was louder than any war drum.
To be continued…