Ultimatum

The guards in the arena froze, paralyzed by fear of harming the Prince. Mukai's face went utterly pale at the sight of Sukai, his twin, in such dire peril.

Kangetsu, a triumphant grin on his blood-smeared face, barked, "Tell the King that he'll be hearing from Alicia soon!"

A ripple of confusion spread through the onlookers. Then, an irritated whisper cut through the air from the other side of the portal, barely audible: "Daughter of Chandler."

"What's that, big guy?" Kangetsu called back, feigning innocence.

Sifiso, clutching the portal open, his voice seething with barely contained anger, repeated loudly, "Say Daughter of Chandler!"

Kangetsu grinned, obliging the demand, his voice booming for the stunned masses: "Daughter of Chandler!"

Fear, cold and palpable, instantly filled the air. The name, raw and dangerous, seemed to suck the breath from the crowd. With a final, triumphant glance, Kangetsu vanished back into the swirling black of the portal.

"Sukai!" Moto and Mukai screamed simultaneously, their voices tearing through the silence as the portal snapped shut.

Moto, acting on pure instinct, lunged after his friend, diving headlong into the closing void. "Moto!" Sheu shrieked, her voice laced with terror. The portal shimmered, then reopened just enough to violently eject Moto. He flew backward, his shoe ripping from his foot, slamming into a pile of arena chairs with a painful crash.

"Alert the King at once!" a frantic voice screamed. Teachers and guards scrambled, rushing desperately toward the palace. Najo, a blur of motion, sprinted to the scene where Moto lay. Mukai, still standing in the center of the arena, his head spinning, grappled with a torrent of confused, terrified thoughts.

"What happened?" Najo demanded, his gaze snapping from the shattered chairs to Mukai, then back to Moto.

"They just appeared from nowhere," Sheu stammered, still trembling.

Mukai, finally breaking free of his shock, turned and sprinted back home towards his mother. Moto, despite his pain, scrambled to his feet.

"Let's follow him!" Moto urged, already limping forward.

"What, are you crazy?!" Najo exclaimed, grabbing Moto's arm.

"Come on, quickly, before we lose him!" Moto insisted, pulling free.

They quickly caught up to Mukai, a driven shadow ahead of them. Moto, keenly perceptive of emotions, immediately sensed the raw worry radiating from the Prince.

"Why are you following me?" Mukai snapped, not breaking stride.

"Our friend is in danger," Moto countered, his voice firm, "and we want to help."

Mukai scoffed, annoyance momentarily overriding his fear. "This is not a joke. I don't need dead weight."

"I'm surprised you even care," Moto retorted, a hint of accusation in his voice. "Sukai told us you hated him."

Mukai looked away, his jaw tightening, offering no response. They approached the grand mansion, its heavy doors guarded by two stern figures.

The guards parted, allowing Mukai entry, but he turned and explicitly told them to keep Moto and his friends out. They waited impatiently outside, straining to hear, while Mukai burst inside to tell his mother what had transpired.

Olivia, the Queen, listened, her eyes widening in profound shock. "This is terrible!" she gasped. "Let's go tell your father!"

"What's he gonna do?" Mukai retorted, a bitter edge to his voice.

"Oh, please don't start," Olivia sighed, already moving.

"I came to you," Mukai insisted, his frustration building. "You're the one with actual powers!"

"Enough!" Olivia's voice cracked like a whip, silencing him. "He is your father and the King of this country. You will give him his due respect."

Mukai, though seething, held his tongue. They rushed down the grand staircase, only Mukai's heavy footsteps audible as Olivia, ever graceful, remained silent on her toes. As they flung open the door, they found Sheu kneeling, physically holding Najo and Moto down, forcing them to bow.

The King had arrived. King Douglas, draped in his majestic red fur robe, stood tall, a solid gold crown, furnished with colored gems, adorning his head. A unique ring gleamed on each finger of his right hand.

"What brings you here, children?" King Douglas asked, his voice calm, yet carrying an undeniable weight of authority.

"We are friends of Sukai. Please let us help," Moto blurted out, before Sheu sharply nudged him.

"Your Majesty," Moto quickly corrected himself.

"What a clever friend you have," King Douglas remarked, his gaze lingering on Sheu with a hint of amusement. "Ginimbi's boy, are you here for the same thing?"

Najo remained silent, shifting uncomfortably. He had indeed only come because Moto asked. Sheu nudged him again, harder this time. "Yes," Najo mumbled quickly.

"Okay then," King Douglas conceded, a faint sigh escaping him. "It's a shame I am meeting my son's friends under such circumstances."

The King raised a ringed finger, and one of his five imposing guards materialized from inside the house, standing silently behind the children. King Douglas embraced Olivia, his voice softening as he assured her he had come as soon as he heard the news. Mukai, still fuming, didn't greet his father, annoyed that Moto had been allowed entry.

As they spoke, the King's guard turned on a video transfer device. The screen flickered to life.

Alicia's image appeared on the other side of the transmission, her face framed by the faint glow. "Greetings, Your Majesty," she purred, a chilling amusement in her tone. "I never thought my work would bring me against you, but money talks."

"How much do you want?" King Douglas demanded, his voice tight.

Alicia laughed, a soft, mocking sound. "Oh, don't be foolish. If I wanted money, I would have taken Ginimbi's kin. I want something infinitely more valuable. I know you will be hard-headed at first, so to spare myself the back and forth, let me remind you why we're here."

On screen, their captors roughly brought Sukai forward, tied up like a roasted pig. He could only twitch his hands and feet, his eyes wide with terror. The sight sent a wave of shock through the room. Upon seeing him, Olivia slowly lowered her heels to the ground, sparks of uncontrolled lightning crackling around her.

"Dear, please," King Douglas urged, his voice strained, "let's hear their demands."

"Good," Alicia purred. "The moment your wife sets foot out of that house, the boy is dead. I know what she's capable of. Now that I see you know the ground rules, let me tell you what I want. Bring the Earth Ore to a cave six clicks past the border."

"But that's—" King Douglas started, desperation in his voice.

"I told you, no back and forth, Douglas," Alicia cut him off, her voice suddenly sharp and cold.

The King's guard, witnessing the blatant disrespect, clenched his jaw, unable to believe her audacity.

"Bring it without fail," Alicia commanded, her voice absolute. "You have till twilight."

The screen went black.