Zen turned his attention back to the Empress. "They are with me, Aurelia," he said flatly. "They are my entourage. If you don’t want them around, then you do not want me around. We can turn around and leave immediately. The choice is yours."

Aurelia’s cold glare completely faltered. The mere thought of him walking out those doors made the manic obsession flare wildly in her eyes.

She quickly forced a radiant, welcoming smile back onto her face.

"Of course not, my love," Aurelia said sweetly, reaching out to hold his hand. "Don’t be absurd. I would never turn you away. They are more than welcome to stay as our esteemed guests."

"Glad we understand each other," Zen replied coldly.

Aurelia raised her free hand and snapped her elegant fingers. The heavy golden doors pushed open immediately, and four elite guards marched into the room, bowing deeply.

"Guards," Aurelia commanded, not even bothering to look at them. "Escort our guests to the eastern guest wing. Give them whatever standard accommodations they require."

"Wait," Maya spoke up, her voice trembling slightly but holding surprisingly firm. "I am supposed to stay by Zen’s side. I am his assigned medic."

Aurelia finally looked at Maya. It was a look of pure disgust, as if she had just noticed a filthy rat standing in her pristine palace.

"He does not need a pathetic, unrefined academy student to heal him," Aurelia sneered. "He is in the Crown Domain now. He has access to the greatest Vitality magic in the known world. Go with the guards, little girl, before I lose my patience and have your tongue removed."

Zen looked at Maya and gave her a subtle, reassuring nod. "Go with them, Maya. You too, Val, Nyx. Get some rest. I will be completely fine."

"If she tries anything, just yell, Zen," Valeria muttered, glaring at the Empress as she turned to follow the guards.

Nyx simply smirked and walked out, her purple digital eyes already scanning the palace architecture to hack its mainframe. Maya hurried nervously after them, her boots clicking softly against the marble.

Once the doors closed, Aurelia turned back to Zen, her sweet smile returning.

"Now that the annoying distractions are gone," Aurelia whispered, linking her arm tightly through his. "Allow me to escort you to your personal chambers. We have so much to catch up on."

"Sure. Lead the way," Zen said.

They walked out of the throne room through a private, heavily warded archway. The corridors of the inner palace were ridiculously extravagant. The floors were made of polished obsidian, and the walls were lined with glowing golden runes that pulsed with warm, ambient light.

"Did you miss me, Zen?" Aurelia asked as they walked. "Did you think about me when you woke up in this strange new era?"

"I had a lot on my mind," Zen replied vaguely, maintaining his cold persona. "Finding myself in a failing, F-Rank body took priority over reminiscing about the past."

"I know," she sighed, resting her head against his shoulder as they walked. "It breaks my heart to feel how fragile your core is right now. But don’t worry. I have spent the last five hundred years preparing this Domain just for you. Everything here is yours. The wealth, the armies, the magic. I kept it all perfectly safe for your return."

"You always were meticulous in your doings," Zen said.

As they rounded a corner, Aurelia briefly looked away to respond to a passing servant who immediately dropped to the floor in a bow.

In that exact second, Zen slipped his hand into his dark jacket pocket. He activated the two tiny, spherical burner drones he had packed before leaving the Omni Domain. He let them roll silently out of his hand and drop to the floor.

They were programmed to stay completely invisible to standard magical detection and immediately begin mapping the ventilation shafts.

"What was that sound?" Aurelia asked, stopping abruptly and looking down.

"What was what?" Zen asked, raising an eyebrow in feigned ignorance. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"I thought I heard a mechanical click," she murmured, scanning the carpet.

"Just my boots scuffing the floor," Zen lied smoothly. "This body is still incredibly clumsy. I am still getting used to the gravity here and my own balance."

Aurelia smiled sympathetically, her paranoia instantly fading. "My poor Emperor. We will fix that soon enough."

They continued walking until they reached a set of massive double doors made of carved mahogany and solid gold. Two elite guards stood at attention, immediately bowing as the Empress approached.

"These are your private chambers," Aurelia said, pushing the doors open with a wave of her hand. "They are directly connected to mine. Freshen up, my love. Take your time. By the time you are done, dinner will be ready in the grand hall."

"Thank you, Aurelia," Zen said.

She leaned in, kissed his cheek softly, and turned away. "I will see you soon."

Zen stepped into the room and closed the heavy double doors behind him. He immediately heard the mechanical click of the magical locks engaging from the outside.

He was locked in.

"System," Zen thought, his cold Emperor persona dropping instantly. "Scan the room for surveillance."

[Scanning... Room is completely clear of visual and audio monitoring devices.]

[The Empress respects your privacy, but she has sealed the exits with High A-Rank wards.]

Zen let out a long breath and looked around.

The room was massive. In the middle sat a king-sized bed with golden silk sheets. Crystal chandeliers floated effortlessly near the ceiling. There was a private balcony overlooking the glowing, neon-lit skyline of the Crown Domain, but a shimmering blue barrier covered the glass.

"She really put me in a literal golden cage," Zen muttered to himself.

He walked over to the edge of the bed. "System. Connect to the two ball drones I dropped in the hallway. Start mapping the immediate areas of the palace. I need to know exactly where the guards are stationed, where the exits are, and where she put Maya, Val, and Nyx."