Everyone stood in a circle, at odds with one another within the black marble throne room.
Malachite chuckled deviously while the older woman stood by him in silence, staring down the three of them.
Khor scanned the room, spotting two women in red and porcelain masks. They held guns to Abad’s head.
Those can't be ordinary guns if the king isn't fighting back against those scrawny girls, Khor thought.
His eyes narrowed as he shifted to his left. Malachite, the woman, and the treacherous knights stood like an unbreakable wall against them.
"Great," Khor mused. He pushed his telepathic ability into the minds of Zorn and Cinco.
(Do not reveal your star glyph or star abilities, no matter what.)
Zorn shot a quick, anxious glance at Khor.
(So what do we do?!)
Khor sighed as he sized up the room.
(I’m trying to figure that out. If I use my gravity magic, it’s over for us. They’ll know star souls are among them.)
Cinco’s eyes narrowed as he tilted his head, the brim of his stetson casting a deep shadow over his face.
Malachite stepped forward, offering a dark, theatrical chuckle.
"In a bind, you three?" He grinned, spreading his arms wide. "Star Ranger, I’m surprised you came here, especially to the palace. It’s almost like... you invaded this place."
The weight of Malachite’s plan hit Abad all at once.
"Star Ranger, do not fight! He will use you to manipulate the—"
Malachite snapped his fingers.
The masked women pressed their muzzles harder into the king's skull, and Abad fell silent.
Khor’s brows furrowed.
A deep, heated anger began to churn in Zorn’s stomach.
What the hell is this?!
Cinco’s eyes continued to scan the area. Silver energy trailed across the throne room from where Brennan last stood, flowing through the door they had entered.
So it was true, he thought. Brennan left to follow the artifact the Relic Knights mentioned. I'll be sure to inform that to Don.
He eyed the purple residue left by the knight Brennan had destroyed.
My mission is to follow his energy, but... His eyes widened.
He saw trails of golden residual energy pooling at the foot of the throne’s red-carpeted stairs. The trail vanished into thin air with a trail of blood.
They harmed someone and took them. It sparkles of royalty, he realized.
He quickly connected his thoughts to Khor and Zorn while gripping the brim of his hat.
(You two, we know now that the moon god is seeking the missing relic, we have that info for Don. However, we have another problem. They took one of the royals. We have to help the king get them back.)
Zorn looked ahead, trying to process the shift.
(So, how do we plan on...)
Mid-thought, time slowed.
Cinco began dropping his guns, raising his hands and lowering his head in surrender.
Zorn’s heart sank; he gasped.
Khor’s eyes widened in total shock.
In contrast, Malachite’s face split into a wide, toothy grin.
Abad simply closed his eyes and lowered his head with a heavy sigh.
Cinco's weapons, one a mystical white and gold and the other cold physical iron, hit the marble one by one.
The sound echoed through the silent chamber.
CLACK...
CLACK!
Khor and Zorn felt their hearts plummet as a final internal message from Cinco arrived.
(Fall back. Find Donal. Tell him I’m in EFC custody. To keep yourselves out of trouble, tell that greasy wannabe saint that I manipulated you. Use your age as leverage.)
Malachite laughed, pointing a triumphant finger at Cinco.
"HAHAHA! ARREST HIM!"
Zorn watched as the knights marched toward the Ranger.
A small part of him hoped Cinco would pull some brilliant trick and say "sike," but that hope vanished when the men grabbed him roughly.
They slammed him unceremoniously to the ground and bound his hands.
"Take him to where Lionel was thrown! Even a Star Ranger cannot escape the abysmal maw of that prison’s darkness!"
The knights yanked Cinco up without a care. He didn't make a sound. A portal ripped open in the air, and they stepped through.
Zorn watched in devastation. He reached out a hand, but the rift snapped shut.
Cinco was gone.
A specific, sharp rage made Zorn’s eyes widen. The weight of the moment hit him like a freight train.
He was flashed back to the moment Lira disappeared into a rift while he held his hand out to her.
Not... again, Zorn thought, his head dropping. I am getting really sick of this.
Malachite’s chuckle broke the silence. "You two, why were you aiding that Star Ranger?" he asked with a cocky grin.
"He... he manipulated us," Khor said coldly. An anger was forming in his chest, his emotions slipping, but he forced them down and balled his fists. "He worked with the mages. We were scared. We’re only teenagers."
Khor’s voice shook. "He made me work against my family."
Zorn’s eyes widened at Khor’s theatrical front, and he decided to play along.
"It's true. He took advantage of us. I'm fifteen with no family. He used that as leverage to make us do his dirty bidding." He ended the sentence with a hollow, defeated sigh.
Abad couldn't believe his ears. No Star Ranger had ever treated youth that way.
What the hell is going on? he wondered, watching the scene unfold.
Malachite tilted his head. "Is that so? I always knew those star bastards were no good. Worry not, we have enough evidence to show the world who the king really is, and the Star Ranger’s true face!"
Khor and Zorn offered no response, maintaining their "hurt" facades.
"Cheer up, kids. You can drop your weapons now," Malachite said with soaring arrogance. "We will reveal to the people beyond this palace exactly who we’ve captured."
Khor dropped his scythe, his head hanging low.
Suddenly, the older woman unsheathed her hand from beneath her black and red cloak. She revealed a gun in one swift motion.
BANG!
The shot thundered through the throne room.
Abad, Malachite, Zorn, and Khor all gasped simultaneously.
The women in red immediately pivoted, pointing their weapons at the older woman, their black bodysuits and porcelain masks gleaming under the crystal light.
Malachite stumbled across the floor and fell to his knees. He gripped the back of his shoulder, which was now bleeding through his fingers like a fountain.
He snapped his head around, his hair whipping across his face.
"ESMA! YOU DARE BETRAY ME?!”
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