Before the Throne Room

The outer hall of the palace gradually returned to silence. The firelight flickered on the stone pillars, dust hung suspended in the air, rubble was scattered across the ground, cracks crisscrossed, and the air still lingered with the bloody scent of battle. The hunters lined up neatly below the stairs, no one speaking.

Chairman Netero stood at the very front, his figure straight, his pace slow. Each step falling upon the stone steps produced a crisp sound that echoed through the long corridor. Ryan followed a half-step behind on the left wing, his twin blades pressed against his sides, his posture unwavering. Morel and Knov flanked the two wings, white mist spreading along the ground and moving slowly forward as Portal Points manifested one by one on the stone walls. Palm held her notebook, her fingers stiff, the tip of her pen pressed tightly against the paper, writing: "Team ascends steps."

Knuckle, Shoot, and Linas remained at the outer hall intersection, backing against the stone pillars and guarding three separate directions. Knuckle's fists were clenched tight, Shoot's single monocle stayed pressed close, and Linas's apparatus rested against the ground; none of the three moved.

The stone steps were towering and wide, the firelight shining upon them to form a strip of light. The wall reliefs extended, outlining complex patterns, the flames casting shallow shadows. The air was heavy, breathing compressed very short here.

At the end stood a massive stone door. Its surface was covered in cracks, and an arm-thick metal latch ran across its center. As it was slowly pushed open, the hinges gave off a low grinding sound. The vibrations traveled along the stone walls, shaking loose dust that drifted down with a soft rustle.

The door gap gradually pulled open, light leaking out, even brighter than the