The tension in the clearing was so thick you could reach out and grab it. Vell's smirk lingered as he straightened up, towering over Jolly, who remained frozen on the ground. He glanced at Yenna once more, his expression unchanging.

"You are over it, huh?" he repeated, his tone light but his words laced with something deeper. "Well, I am not."

Jolly's head snapped up, her eyes wide with fear. "Please, I—"

"Save it," he interrupted, holding up a hand. "You already said your piece. Now it is time to act. You say you are willing to do anything?" His eyes glinted dangerously.

"I am," she said firmly, though her voice wavered. She kept her gaze locked on the ground, trembling.

He crouched down again, bringing his face level with hers. His voice softened, though it did not lose its edge. "Then prove it. You are going to help us take down the queen."

The words hit her like a punch to the gut. She glanced up in shock. "Me? But I—"

"No excuses," he snapped. "You owe us, and this is your chance to make things right. If you are serious about redemption, you will do what I say, no questions asked."

She swallowed hard, her hands balling into fists. "I will do it."

Yenna crossed her arms, watching the interaction with a mix of skepticism and curiosity. "You really think she will be useful?"

"Maybe," he admitted, standing. He turned to Kana, who was still sobbing quietly. "And you. Stop crying. If you are here to apologize, you can start by not being a liability."

Kana flinched, but she nodded quickly, scrambling to her feet. "I understand."

"Good," he said, his voice clipped. "Because things are about to get messy."

Jia, who had been quiet until now, stepped forward, her face twisted in disbelief. "You are going after my queen?" she asked, her voice sharp.

"That is the plan," he replied, his tone cool. "Got a problem with that?"

Jia's fists tightened, and for a moment, she hesitated. Her loyalty to the queen warred with her place among his group. "You do not understand what you are doing," she said, her voice low but laced with warning. "The queen's power is unmatched. You are walking into your own death."

He smirked, his confidence unshaken. "I have dealt with unmatched power before. This will not be any different."

Her expression darkened, and without warning, she struck. Her movement was quick, a blur of precision aimed directly at Vell. But he was faster, catching her wrist mid-strike and twisting it just enough to immobilize her without causing harm.

"Do not," he warned, his voice icy. "If you think serving her means you can stop me, you are mistaken."

"You do not know what you are up against!" she snapped, struggling against his grip. "The queen is not just powerful—she is divine. I will not let you harm her!"

The rest of the group tensed, uncertainty rippling through them. Yenna stepped forward, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Jia, what are you doing? We are all on the same side!"

Jia's gaze darted to Yenna, then back to Vell. Her wrist still trapped in his grip, her body trembled with the weight of her conflicting loyalties.

"You do not understand," she said, her voice cracking under the strain. "The queen saved me long before you came into my life. She gave me purpose when I had none. I was nothing, just another beast roaming the forest, lost and alone. She saw me, made me strong, and gave me a reason to fight!"

"And now you fight for me," he said coldly, releasing her wrist and stepping back. "Or do you plan to attack me again?"

She froze, cradling her arm and shaking her head. "I… I do not know what to do. I cannot stand by and let you destroy her. She is my queen, my savior! But you—" Her voice broke. "You gave me something too. A place to belong. How am I supposed to choose?"

Vell's eyes softened for a moment, but his tone remained firm. "It is not a choice, Jia. The queen has clearly shown hostility towards me. She has no plan of letting me and my friends leave. If you are loyal to her, you are a threat too."

The words hit her like a blade to the heart. Tears welled in her eyes as she stepped back, her knees giving way beneath her. "Please," she whispered, bowing her head. "Please do not kill her. Do not make me lose her too."

"Jia—" Yenna started, her voice gentle, but he raised a hand to silence her.

"Why should I not?" he demanded, his voice cutting through the air like steel. "Do not tell me you do not know what I just told you." His eyes looked even softer. "You know this does not end until she is gone."

She looked up, her face streaked with tears. "Because she is not a monster!" she cried, her voice raw. "She is fighting for survival, just like you are, and all she has ever done is try to protect what is hers. Can you really blame her for that?"

He stared at her, his expression unreadable. The group around them remained silent, the weight of her words settling over them like a heavy fog.

She turned away, clutching her head as the emotions overwhelmed her. "I hate this," she whispered. "I hate that I feel this way. I hate that I cannot hate you for what you are about to do. But more than anything, I hate that I am powerless to stop any of it."

Her shoulders shook as she broke into quiet sobs. "I have spent my whole life serving her, believing in her. And now I am here, begging the man who tamed me not to destroy her."

His expression hardened once more. "This is not about belief. It is about survival. I am not asking you to betray her. I am asking you to choose the future. Can you do that?"

She did not answer immediately. Her tears slowed, and she wiped her face with trembling hands. Slowly, she turned back to him, her gaze hollow but resolute. "If you are going to face her," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "then I will come with you. Not to fight, but to make sure you understand who she is. And if you still choose to kill her…" She paused, her lips trembling. "Then I will die with her."

The silence that followed was deafening. His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he turned away.

"Suit yourself," he said coldly. "But do not get in my way."

As he moved forward, the group hesitated, glancing at Jia, who remained kneeling on the ground. Yenna approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Come on," she said softly. "We will figure this out together."

Jia nodded weakly, rising to her feet. Her mind was a storm of emotions, her heart caught between two loyalties that felt impossible to reconcile.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.