Grace was crying now, her hands covering her mouth, her body shaking.
"You’re a monster. You’re just killing everyone. This isn’t justice; it’s a massacre."
"It’s both," Jorghan replied.
"Justice delivered through massacre. The Empire sent agents to establish a military foothold on Earth. Those agents are now dead. That’s appropriate consequences for hostile actions."
He turned away from the bodies and looked at the final group remaining on the platform.
*
Jamie Moorne stood protectively in front of Luke and Grace, his expensive suit rumpled from hours of crisis managent, his face showing a man who’d finally understood he’d made a terrible mistake.
Luke stood slightly behind his father, his earlier terror now mixed with desperate calculation. He was still trying to find an angle, still looking for a way to talk his way out of this situation.
Grace stood between them and Jorghan, her body language still suggesting she’d physically shield them if necessary, despite having no ability to actually stop violence.
And scattered around them were the last remaining corporate security forces, maybe a dozen guards who’d stayed out of loyalty or duty or inability to process the speed at which everything had collapsed.
Jorghan walked toward them slowly, his blood essence swirling gently around his hands, his crimson eyes fixed on the three people who represented the core of the Moorne family power structure.
"You," he said, pointing at the security guards.
"You have ten seconds to leave. After that, I’ll assu you’re choosing death over desertion."
The guards broke imdiately. Whatever loyalty they’d felt evaporated when confronted with soone who’d killed three hundred soldiers and multiple S-Rank awakeners. They fled through side exits, abandoning their posts, their weapons, and their employers.
Within twenty seconds, the Great Hall contained only six people.
Jorghan.
Grace. Luke. Jamie. And two corporate executives who were too paralyzed by fear to move.
"You two," Jorghan addressed the executives.
"I need you to prepare the best ship. I know you people have multiple ships for space travel, so pick the best one with so artificial assistance."
They nodded vehently.
The two of them fled so quickly he tripped and fell, scrambled back to his feet, and kept running without looking back.
Now only four remained in the center of the hall.
Jorghan looked at Jamie and Luke, these two n who shared Grace’s love, who’d ordered the attack that killed Scarlett and took Grace, who represented everything he’d co to Earth to destroy.
"Kneel," Jorghan commanded.
Jamie’s face went red with anger.
"I will not—"
Blood essence manifested around both n’s legs, compressing their muscles, forcing their bodies into compliance regardless of their will. Jamie and Luke collapsed to their knees with cries of pain as Jorghan’s power overwheld their voluntary control.
Grace scread. "STOP! Don’t hurt them!
Please, I’m begging you!"
Jorghan ignored her and addressed the two kneeling n.
"Jamie Moorne. You authorized the attack on my settlent. You ordered the retrieval operation that killed over a dozen elven warriors. You commanded your forces to burn Scarlett alive rather than let her continue fighting. Is this correct?"
Jamie’s jaw clenched with rage and fear. "She’s my daughter, and I can do whatever with her; it doesn’t concern you."
"Is it correct?" Jorghan repeated, his voice becoming colder.
"Yes," Jamie spat.
"Yes, I ordered it. Grace is MY wife. I had every right to retrieve my own wife by whatever ans necessary!"
"And Luke," Jorghan continued.
"You were present when Scarlett was killed. Correct?"
Luke’s earlier calculation had evaporated into pure terror. "I was following orders. My father told to do it. I didn’t know they’d—I didn’t think—"
"Did you participate?" Jorghan cut through the excuses.
"Yes," Luke whispered.
"Yes, I participated. But I was just trying to take my mother back! I argued against killing the elven warriors! I only agreed when Father said it was necessary to protect Mother!"
Jorghan stood before the two kneeling n, looking down at them with an expression that showed nothing, no rage, no satisfaction, no emotion at all.
Just cold assessnt.
"Grace is your wife and mother," he said.
"You love her. You wanted her back. You were willing to kill to retrieve her. I understand that motivation. It’s logical, even admirable in its way."
He paused, letting them feel brief hope that understanding might an rcy.
"But Scarlett had beco soone I could talk to, soone I could share my bond with. She fought for , traveled with , and trusted to keep her safe. And she died because I left her in a settlent you attacked. That makes her death my responsibility and your cri my burden to address."
"You shouldn’t have done that."
His blood essence began manifesting more visibly, crimson energy swirling in increasingly dense patterns.
"The question I’m facing now is simple. What punishnt fits your cris? You killed soone I cared about. You attacked people under my protection. You created this entire situation through your actions."
He looked at Grace, who was crying so hard she could barely breathe.
"Your wife and mother is begging to spare you. She doesn’t want to watch you die. She’s choosing you over , choosing her life here over any future in the elven realms. That’s her choice."
Then he looked back at Jamie and Luke, and his expression beca sothing that made both n wish he’d just killed them quickly instead of talking.
"But I’m trying to decide," Jorghan continued, "whether her choice ans you live or just ans she doesn’t get to watch when you die. Whether I should honor her wishes and let you survive or honor Scarlett’s mory and destroy you."
He stood in silence for a long mont, his crimson eyes fixed on the two kneeling n, his blood essence swirling around him like a living thing, the fate of the Moorne family hanging on whatever decision he reached.
"So tell ," Jorghan said finally.
"Give a reason. Explain why your lives are worth more than Scarlett’s justice. Convince that letting you survive serves so purpose beyond making Grace happy. Because right now, I’m not seeing it."
The Great Hall was absolutely silent except for Grace’s crying and the faint hum of blood essence charging the air with power that made breathing difficult.
Jamie and Luke knelt before their judge, awaiting a verdict that would decide whether the Moorne family survived the night.
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