The Verdant Nexus pulsed with unspoken tension.

  Selene stood at the center of it all, her golden gaze fixed upon the words that still hung in the air, fading slowly as the System’s proclamation settled into the fabric of reality.

  《The Veil has weakened. The Boundless Continent is no longer stable.》

  《A Trial of Kings is coming.》

  The Fae Lords around her were silent, their presence a collection of raw, inhuman power. Even Dominion, the most arrogant among them, stood still, as if he, too, sensed the magnitude of what had just occurred.

  Selene exhaled slowly, measured, composed, absolute.

  She had always known that she was different. That her presence in this world had altered something fundamental.

  But now, the System itself had been forced to respond.

  This wasn’t just a battle for control over land.

  This was a war for the right to exist.

  And Selene would not be a pawn.

  She would be the one who dictated the board.

  ---

  She turned toward Oaths.

  “The Laws of Order,” she said. “Explain them.”

  The Fae Lord of Oaths did not hesitate.

  “The System enforces structure. Rules. Constraints. Balance.”

  They glanced at the fading remnants of the notification.

  “This… is an emergency measure. A correction.”

  Selene’s lips curved slightly.

  “So it believes things have tilted too far in one direction.”

  Oaths inclined their head.

  “Yes. The System must ensure that the world remains… structured.”

  Selene folded her arms.

  “And that means it is willing to eliminate those who tip the scales too far.”

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  The room was silent.

  Then Sovereignty spoke, voice steady.

  “A culling.”

  Selene nodded.

  “Of Lords.”

  ---

  She turned back toward the gathered court.

  The Trial of Kings would not be a simple test of strength.

  It was designed to eliminate threats.

  To cut down those who had risen too quickly.

  To stabilize the continent.

  And Selene had no intention of being cut down.

  ---

  A faint chuckle broke the silence.

  It came from Duskwind.

  Selene tilted her head slightly, golden eyes flickering toward him.

  He met her gaze with a smirk, forced confidence hiding something deeper.

  “So, let me guess,” he drawled, arms crossed. “You’re going to tell us that we don’t need to worry? That you already have this all figured out?”

  Selene did not react.

  She simply watched him.

  The silence stretched.

  And then Duskwind shifted slightly, uneasy.

  Fenric, standing next to him, was less composed.

  He was staring at the notification with thinly veiled concern.

  They knew.

  They understood.

  Whatever was coming wasn’t something they could manipulate their way out of.

  This wasn’t a war of whispers and slow betrayals.

  This was a trial imposed by something larger than themselves.

  And they had no idea how to fight it.

  Selene smiled.

  “I don’t need to ‘figure it out.’”

  She stepped forward.

  “I already understand what’s happening.”

  ---

  She gestured toward the notification.

  “‘The Veil has weakened.’”

  She let the words settle.

  “This is not simply about Lords fighting for control. This is not about who owns the most land or who commands the strongest armies.”

  She turned slightly.

  “This is about stopping something.”

  A ripple of unease moved through the gathered court.

  Selene continued, her voice steady.

  “This Trial is not just about culling Lords. It’s about preventing something from fully awakening.”

  A pause.

  Then Oaths nodded slowly.

  “A forced stabilization.”

  Selene inclined her head.

  “The System is reacting to an imbalance.”

  She did not say what that imbalance was.

  She did not say that it was her.

  But she did not need to.

  Her presence alone proved it.

  ---

  Sovereignty was the first to ask the important question.

  “What will this trial demand?”

  Strategy answered before Selene could.

  “If it is meant to remove Lords, then it will likely force us into conflict.”

  Selene agreed.

  “The System has already ensured that Lords are being watched,” she murmured. “It will force war upon us. It will create conditions where only those deemed ‘worthy’ may continue.”

  Duskwind scowled.

  “So, a giant bloodbath.”

  Selene smiled slightly.

  “Only if you plan to participate in the slaughter.”

  Fenric frowned.

  “What does that mean?”

  Selene’s gaze was sharp.

  “This is not about who can kill the most.”

  She exhaled.

  “This is about who can remain standing at the end.”

  ---

  They did not need to fight everyone.

  They did not need to conquer the entire continent.

  They only needed to survive.

  And survival did not always mean war.

  It meant understanding the rules of the game.

  And playing it better than anyone else.

  Selene turned toward the Fae Circle.

  “We need more information,” she said.

  Strategy nodded. “Then we must seek it before the Trial begins.”

  Foxes grinned, flicking his tails.

  “Spying, then?”

  Selene inclined her head.

  “Spying. Infiltration. Sabotage. And if necessary… elimination.”

  Her gaze flickered toward Duskwind and Fenric.

  They both tensed slightly.

  Good.

  Let them wonder.

  Let them think.

  She was in control.

  She always had been.

  And now, she would ensure that when the Trial of Kings began…

  She would be the one shaping the battlefield.

  Not the System.

  Not the other Lords.

  Only her.