Alex reacted instantly—he was on his feet in an instant, fingers tightening around the hilt of his blade. The atmosphere in the room shifted, thickening with anticipation, the silence stretched taut like a drawn bowstring.
But then Aetheria's voice slid through the air, smooth and calm as ever.
"But," she said, "I will compromise... if you do something for me."
Her tone was almost casual, but Alex knew better. There was steel behind those words. He stilled, the tension in his frame coiling inward as he listened.
"You're asking me to bind myself," she continued, her gaze never leaving his, "and in doing so, bind every beast that calls this domain home. That's not a small thing, Alex. That's not just diplomacy—that's shackling our very nature. So if I'm to do that… I want something of equal weight in return."
Alex's jaw clenched slightly. Her words weren't wrong. They had entered her sanctuary uninvited, set their terms on her table, and expected obedience.
