This Time, I´ll Protect You...

The moment Aria yanked Neon’s glove off, the entire throne room erupted into chaos. Guards rushed forward, their weapons drawn, eyes wide with shock and confusion as the mark of the Nyxian blazed starkly against the pale skin of Neon’s wrist.

A sharp gasp sliced through the air like a blade, followed by whispers that buzzed like an angry swarm. The murmurs spread quickly, rippling through the courtiers, the nobility, and the servants alike, all of them suddenly aware of the danger standing in their midst.

Neon didn’t flinch. He stood still, his shoulders tight, eyes scanning the room for any sign of a threat, his breath coming in slow, measured pulls as he tried to remain calm. His heart pounded in his chest, warning him to prepare for the worst.

And then a spear shot through the air, aiming straight for his chest. Neon twisted at the last moment, the blade grazing his side as he darted backward, narrowly escaping its deadly tip.

The guards, seeing their opening, closed in on him from every side. Aria’s eyes widened, and before she could think, before she could even question the impulse, she surged forward, her body colliding with Neon’s as she threw herself between him and the oncoming guards.

“No!” she shouted in pure defiance as she stretched her arm out. She stood firm, unyielding. “You won’t hurt him. Not unless you’re ready to kill me with him.”

The room fell silent, save for the sounds of the tense breaths and the shifting of feet. Even the queen’s cold, calculating expression faltered for the briefest of moments. Aria’s words hung in the air, the weight of them sinking into the marble floor with a heavy thud.

The guards hesitated. They had been trained to obey, to follow orders, but there was something about Aria’s voice, the sheer, unshakable certainty in her words, that made them pause.

 Aria’s chest heaved with every breath. Her heart pounded harder, but her resolve only strengthened. She didn’t flinch as she faced down the guards. She didn’t back away from the towering presence of her mother. She wasn’t going to let anybody harm him. Never again. Not after everything they had been through.

For a long moment, the queen’s eyes locked with her daughter’s, the tension between them crackling in the air. Aria’s voice, trembling slightly but unwavering, cut through the silence.

“Move back,” Aria commanded, her hand still outstretched, her body shielding Neon from the danger. “Leave us. Now.”

The guards exchanged uncertain glances, unsure of their next move. But Aria’s gaze never wavered. They didn’t know who they were dealing with, and in that moment, neither did they want to find out.

Slowly, with reluctance, the guards glanced over at the queen and then stepped back. The distance between them and Neon grew, but the tension remained thick, buzzing in the air like static. Aria didn’t lower her arm until the last of the guards had withdrawn, leaving her and Neon alone at the center of the room, surrounded by a sea of onlookers who still couldn’t quite process what had just happened.

Aria turned her head slightly to the side, meeting Neon’s eyes. There was a flicker of something—maybe relief, maybe a shared understanding—but they both knew the danger wasn’t over. Not yet.

Her breath still ragged, Aria spoke again, her voice sharp and determined. “His name is Neon.”

Her words were steady, cutting through the murmurs of disbelief. She could feel the queen’s cold gaze on her, but Aria didn’t flinch.

The courtiers were in an uproar now, whispering frantically to one another, casting nervous glances at the Nyxian standing before them. An enemy. A weapon.

“Neon has saved my life,” Aria continued, her voice unwavering. She cast a quick glance at him, the weight of her words settling heavily between them. “Multiple times. He’s fought alongside me. And he’s willing to fight for Militia. With us.”

The room fell dead silent. The courtiers exchanged stunned glances, but the disbelief in their eyes was showing. A Nyxian? Fighting for them? The very thought seemed impossible. The room hummed with confusion and distrust.

But Aria stood tall, unrelenting. There would be no turning back now.

“I assure you,” she said, her voice cutting through the quiet, “he won’t hurt anyone. He’s not like the others. He’s not here to destroy us. You have my word.”

Her words landed with a weight that only seemed to push the tension higher. The queen’s eyes flashed, her face betraying nothing. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, her thoughts unreadable.

Aria could feel her mother’s eyes on her like a physical weight, but she held her ground. She would not let this go. Not again.

 The queen´s gaze never left Aria and Neon, the click of her heels echoing through the silence. She circled them, deliberate, each step measured and cold.

Her voice, when it came, was low and deliberate, carrying the weight of authority. “So, you bring a dirty Nyxian into my palace, and you expect me to simply believe your words?” The queen paused, her eyes flicking over to the guards, who stood warily off to the side. “You may have been foolish enough to trust him, Aria, but I will not. Not so easily.”

Aria clenched her fists, her jaw tight. “I’m not asking you to trust him. I’m asking you to give him a chance. He’s not the enemy, mother. There is no Nyxia and Militia. There shouldn´t be.”

The queen’s lips curved into a cold smile, a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “And yet, it’s not the Nyxian I’m worried about, is it?” She raised an eyebrow. “It’s you, my daughter. What has become of you?”

Aria didn’t flinch. She had expected this. The question—always the question—what had become of her? “What’s become of me is irrelevant. You’re the one who refuses to see.”

The queen’s smile faltered for the briefest moment, and Aria knew it had struck a chord. But then the queen’s gaze hardened again, and she turned her attention back to Neon.

“Very well,” she said, her voice carrying the weight of finality. “If he is to stay, there is one condition.” She raised a hand, pointing directly at Neon. “You will surrender your weapons. Now.”

Neon hesitated for a moment, his eyes flicking to Aria before he slowly, deliberately began to remove his weapons. First, he dropped his daggers, each one hitting the floor with a soft, metallic clink. Then he reached for his hidden pistol, unholstering it with slow precision, setting them on the floor beside him.

He raised his hands, palms open, showing he was unarmed.

“I mean no harm,” Neon said, his voice calm, but still laced with an edge of tension.

Aria watched him, her chest tight as she silently willed him to be okay. There was a lingering uncertainty in the air—would they really let him stay? Would her mother’s words be empty, or was this just the first step in another twisted game?

The queen’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t speak right away. She lingered in that space between command and approval, a moment that stretched uncomfortably long. And then, finally, she spoke, her voice as cold as ever.

“Then be sure to join us tomorrow night at the ball.” The words hung in the air like a challenge, a silent dare. “I’ll be watching you, Nyxian.”

The queen’s gaze flicked to Aria, a knowing look passing between them. And with that, she turned away, retreating back to her throne, leaving the room buzzing with uneasy tension.

Neon and Aria were left standing in the silence, the weight of the moment pressing down on them both.

Aria’s thoughts raced, her heart hammering in her chest. Tomorrow night. Neon. Her mother. Everything that had led to this moment and everything that would follow.

Tomorrow, everything would change.