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Chapter 17 – Crown of Glass

last update Last Updated: 2025-07-12 19:10:46

The blade made no sound when she drew it.

But every eye in the chamber followed its path.

Thin. Matte. No ornament. Just steel.

Isolde didn’t raise it.

She let it rest at her side, tip angled toward the floor balanced perfectly in her hand like it had always belonged there.

The Tribunal circle pulsed.

A voice chimed from the wall:

“Host designation acknowledged. Confirmation pending.”

The seat at the center glowed.

The seat that had once belonged to no one.

Now it belonged to her.

But she didn’t move toward it.

She stepped to the edge of the circle.

To the woman who had given her a name and carved that name into the Court’s foundation.

Clara.

Still calm. Still composed.

“You think this ends in control,” Isolde said softly. “You think it’s safer if it stays in our blood.”

Clara tilted her head. “Don’t mistake control for legacy. I’ve merely kept the engine running. You’re the one who brought the fire.”

“I didn’t come here to sit,” Isolde said. “I came here to break it.”

A hum echoed ac
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