Chapter 165 - Taming the Ancient Ruins - 15

Ren clutched his head with both hands, the horror of what had happened hitting him. "No, no, no..."

"...Larissa," he approached the princess, his voice trembling. "What are we going to do when they ask for the ring?"

Larissa froze. Her eyes, fixed on the now-empty pedestal, seemed to look beyond it, as if contemplating consequences the others couldn't yet imagine. Ren gripped her shoulders, desperation overcoming his usual caution.

"Larissa!" he shook her not so gently. "Say something!"

The guards tensed, their beasts partially manifesting, bristling at the physical contact with the princess.

"Ren!" Min and Taro shouted in unison, worried about their friend's reaction.

"They had..." Larissa finally murmured, her voice barely audible. "They had been preparing for years... The internal war that would be triggered by the fight for the three rings..." she swallowed hard. "The entire power balance depended on who would get them and..."