His eyes widened as panic took told, then he began staggering because breathing was failing him.

Merlin had just deceived the mind of the second prince to believe with absolute certainty that it was drowning. So his physical body responded to that illusion.

"Alistair! what are you doing?" Rayla asked, rising halfway from her seat.

The others turned as well, their reactions varying between confusion and concern as Archibald struggled.

Alistair didn’t look at any of them, but after a moment, he said. "Stop."

It ended instantly and Archibald sucked in a harsh breath, collapsing forward as the pressure vanished. He steadied himself quickly, dragging air back into his lungs, but his eyes never left Alistair.

The look he gave him was dark and devious.

But Alistair met those gaze just the same. Then spoke "I just mourned one sibling, don’t make me mourn another."

Archibald didn’t respond. He only continued to stare furiously.

Right then, a distant explosion thundered from above.

The entire room stilled, their eyes widening in surprise.

Alistair quickly turned and strode out of the room without another word.

——-

Upstairs...

The scene was already in ruin.

Flames licked along the edges of the walls, spreading unevenly across cracked surfaces. Furniture had been overturned, the central table thrown aside, and debris scattered across the floor.

A section of the upper structure had been blown open completely. The roof was gone, and splintered wood and shattered fragments lay scattered below the gaping hole.

Ethan was hovering above that opening, his eyes glowing with a whitish-blue light.

Lightning coursed visibly through his body, crackling along his limbs and shoulders as he remained suspended in place, staring down at the ruin he caused.

In one hand, Ethan held Ragnarok. In the other, he Nina’s long flaming sword.

A small black cat rested across his shoulders, perfectly still.

Arael hovered silently beside him, while several spear-like constructs formed around her, each one glowing with a different element; all poised and ready to be unleashed below.

—

Inside what remained of the upper floor...

Esmeray had been thrown off her footing, now pushing herself up slowly amidst scattered splinters and broken debris.

Anton was down on one knee, brushing a piece of wood aside. His glasses were cracked, and a smear of dirt marked part of his face.

It hadn’t gotten worse than this, but only because Audrey had reacted in time.

She had felt the sudden build up in Ethan’s magic at the last moment and unleashed her time zone just a fraction of a second after his attack—barely fast enough to counter the sudden, omnidirectional surge of lightning he had released without warning.

Even so, the proximity had done its work.

She had taken damage, but it didn’t last.

The moment her time zone fully set in, the effects reversed; closing up her wounds and reforming her torn cloth.

In no time, her appearance returned to its exact state as though nothing had happened.

The smoke then cleared just enough for Ethan to see that they had recovered, so he raised Nina’s flaming sword, bringing it down in one vertical swing.

Audrey stared back at him with a stern, unwavering expression.

"Anton..." she whispered.

Before the blade could complete its descent, the blondie snapped his fingers and Ethan vanished.

Both Arael and the constructs around her destabilized, breaking apart into fading fragments as her presence began to collapse.

One by one, the summons disintegrated into purple specks of light, unable to maintain themselves now that their summoner was no longer on the same plane of existence.

Ethan had been forcefully sent to one of Anton’s pocket dimensions.

"Have it your way then, Mr. Stark." Audrey said, returning her gaze back to the room.

The prince stormed in not long after, halting almost immediately at the sight before him.

The room was in total disarray.

But just then, It began to reverse.

Fragments lifted from the ground, drifting back into place as if pulled by an invisible force.

Broken beams reassembled, cracks sealed, and the ruined sections of the structure restored themselves piece by piece. Time rolled backward across the space, undoing the chaos until the room was whole again.

Anton spoke out with a level of irritation. "Urgh... that cunt."

Alistair then crossed the room, approaching Audrey, who had just helped Esmeray back to her feet.

He reached for her hands instinctively. "What happened?"

Audrey looked at him for a moment, then sighed. "That was Mr. Stark."

They exchanged a few quiet words, enough for him to understand the situation.

Anton felt a sting in his chest at the sight of them standing that close, with hands still joined. He then turned his head away subtly.

Merlin noticed, letting his gaze linger on Anton for a few more seconds. It struck him then, that this was the first time he was actually paying attention to him.

When Anton had first arrived over a week ago, Merlin had been occupied in the lab, and hadn’t taken the time to observe the man properly.

Audrey withdrew her hands from the Prince. "I’m going to freshen up, Alistair. After that, I need you to come into the city with me."

Alistair nodded. "Is something happening?"

"Yes." Her tone settled. "Once the family leaders act on what I’ve given them, we’ll make the final move on the king."

"I’ll explain the rest on the way."

He accepted that with a nod and stepped back, giving her space.

As he turned, his attention fell on Anton, who still stood to the side of the room.

"The lady needs some time to get changed," Alistair said. "We should give her some privacy."

Anton tilted his head toward him, narrowing his eyes along with it. Then his gaze turned back to Audrey who was staring at him.

For a brief second, neither of them moved.

Then Anton exhaled, unfolding his arms. Without another word, he turned and followed behind Alistair as they both stepped out of the room.

Audrey smiled as she watched her doors close.

——

Not long after the events upstairs, Merlin had returned to the quiet of his lab.

As always, he felt the immediate need to understand everything he could about Anton.

It was a defining trait of the trickster, an obsession with being aware of anyone and anything within his reach.

It was part of why he was so dangerously informed.

He extended a hand toward the ground, casting a spell that formed a glowing circle beneath him.

It was his Illusion Arts, one that allowed him to fool the world itself for information about his targets, as long as they existed on the same plane.

In that instant, his vision fractured.

Flashes poured into his mind as the world complied, revealing fragments of Anton’s life.

It was a whole of partying and women, but they all eventually led to private moments with Audrey. The Intimate kisses, his hands below her naked bum, the sex on the bed.

And finally, Anton’s hand over Audrey’s belly.

The spell ended Merlin’s expression in surprise at first, before narrowing into a smile.

"Oh?"