"Accused?"
The councilman ignored him.
"They should be detained as well."
Several soldiers nodded.
Kai felt his stomach sink.
There it was.
The second move.
Akshay first.
Then anyone loyal to him.
Jack's eyes narrowed slightly.
The commander looked at the councilman.
For the first time all day, his voice carried a hint of irritation.
"They are not part of the investigation."
"Yet."
The councilman smiled.
"They know too much."
That sentence changed everything.
Akshay noticed it.
Kai noticed it.
Even Jack noticed it.
Because that wasn't the language of justice.
That was the language of elimination.
The king suddenly spoke.
"Run."
The room froze.
Kai blinked.
"What?"
Akshay looked directly at him.
"Run."
Andre didn't need a second invitation.
"Best order you've ever given."
He immediately grabbed a chair and hurled it.
The chair exploded against the floor.
Guards scattered.
Chaos erupted.
Kai barely had time to react before Andre grabbed him by the arm.
"Move, idiot."
The two sprinted toward a side exit.
Soldiers shouted.
Boots thundered across stone floors.
Someone blew a whistle.
The entire palace erupted into confusion.
Behind them, Akshay remained standing.
Still chained.
Still calm.
Jack stared after the fleeing pair.
Then at the arrested king.
Then at the councilman.
For the briefest moment—
The commander looked genuinely troubled.
Far more troubled than a victorious conspirator should have been.
Which only made the situation more confusing.
As Kai and Andre disappeared into the city below, a single realization settled over them both.
Yggdrasil no longer belonged to Akshay.
And whoever had started this conspiracy had just won the first major battle.