"I didn’t know what else to do," Nox argued, his voice edged with frustration. "Like you said, he’s been acting strange around me lately. And he wouldn’t listen when I told him not to enter the birthing chamber."

"See? He’s admitting it himself." Malok seized the moment. "Turo feared him. He despised his presence."

"What? I never said that!" Nox snapped, a chill crawling up his spine. He had the unsettling feeling that he'd just dug his own grave, but he couldn't pinpoint how. Panic gnawed at him, but no one was listening.

Too much had happened in the past two days—too many unanswered questions. Everyone was desperate for explanations, and in their fear, they latched onto anything that made sense. Even if it wasn’t the truth. Why else would someone allow another to enter the birthing chamber? Their own doubts twisted into conviction.

Malok pressed on. "All we know is what Nox says—not what truly happened." His voice rang through the crowd. "I only want the chief to uncover the real truth, without—" he glanced at Marnoell, "—as Turo put it, showing favoritism toward Nox."

Marnoell stiffened. His chest tightened with grief. Had his son really said that? Had Turo truly believed he was favoring Nox unfairly? He wanted to ask him directly, but he never would—Turo was gone.

And so, he had no choice but to seek the truth himself.

His gaze settled on Nox, sharp and unwavering. "Tell me what really happened."

Nox exhaled, frustration curling in his voice. "I’ve already told you everything, Uncle—Chief. We heard a commotion inside the chamber. I didn’t enter because you forbade me, but Turo did. I don’t know what happened after that because I was outside."

Malok pounced. "So you’re saying you would never disobey the chief’s orders, correct?"

"Yes," Nox said, his voice steady.

Marnoell narrowed his eyes slightly. The way Malok phrased that felt pointed—leading. He didn’t interrupt yet, but he made a mental note of it.

Malok’s lips curled into a knowing smirk. "Then why did you step onto the Forbidden Land, even after the chief expressly forbade it?"

A hush fell over the gathering.

Marnoell’s gaze flicked to Nox, studying his reaction. He wanted the truth—but he wouldn't let this turn into a trial by public opinion.

Nox clenched his jaw. "I told you—the raft collapsed in the middle of the lake. We were closer to that shore, so we swam to it." His voice remained firm, but he was beginning to feel like a cornered animal. He wasn’t a criminal, yet he was being treated like one. Anger flickered beneath his skin.

"If you don’t believe me, ask Bhola and Khotal," he added, not realizing he was unwittingly tightening the noose around his own neck.

Bhola and Khotal nodded in unison.

Marnoell turned his attention to Nox once more, but this time, he didn’t need Malok’s prompting. "How did the raft collapse? Did no one check the lifeline before boarding? This was a major undertaking. No one had ever set foot on Lavalthon before—you should’ve double-checked everything."

"We did," Bhola chimed in.

Marnoell frowned but seemed willing to move past the question. That irritated Malok. He couldn’t let this slip by. Not when he held the sharpest blade to cut Nox down.

"Who checked the lifeline?" Malok asked, his voice smooth, deliberate.

The crowd fell silent.

Marnoell’s eyes snapped to Malok. He wasn't sure how relevant that question was. But he decided to wait

Bhola and Khotal exchanged uneasy glances.

Nox’s brows furrowed in confusion.

Marnoell sensed the shift. He took the bait. "Who checked the lifeline?" he echoed, pressing for an answer.

Khotal hesitated, his voice almost reluctant. "It was Nox."

Stolen story; please report.

And just like that, everything snapped into place. Marnoell felt a pressing need to dig deeper. He turned to Bhola, his voice measured but firm.

"What did you do after the raft collapsed?"

Bhola straightened under the chief’s gaze. "We swam to the shore," he said. "But then… then we saw Dias crawling out of the water." His throat bobbed as he swallowed. "Half his body was missing."

He took a steadying breath and continued, carefully reiterating everything Nox had said that morning. He made sure not to contradict a single detail. Bhola might not have spent much time with Nox, Turo, or Malok—he kept to himself—but he wasn’t a fool. He could see how Malok was steering this trial, laying his traps carefully, one after another. None of them knew where he would strike next.

So Bhola remained alert. He knew what had happened that night. He wasn’t in the dark like Marnoell, nor was he drowning in grief. He would not let his words be twisted to punish an innocent man. People had always seen his quiet, passive side, mistaking it for cowardice. But today, they will see my resolve.

"He said a lake monster attacked him," Bhola went on, "and that it took Ayan with it. And then… he fainted."

"We carried him under a kapok tree," Khotal added. "Nox suggested we gather materials and build another raft so we could take Dias and Turo back to Tuscanvale." His brows furrowed slightly, as if recalling something. "Oh, right—Turo was with us the whole time. We found him before the raft collapsed. He was unconscious, stuck against a palm trunk. Nox pulled him to shore with us."

Bhola nodded and picked up where Khotal left off. "Nox said he’d go search for Samora while we built the raft. He even told us to leave without him if he wasn’t back by the time we finished."

Malok scoffed.

Khotal ignored him. "We started working on the raft, but first, we built a fence to keep Dias and Turo safe from predators. Then we heard a noise. When we ran back, both of them were gone." He hesitated, his voice thick with unease. "We found animal tracks… so we assumed Dias had been dragged off. But there were also footprints along the shoreline."

Marnoell’s eyes narrowed. "You assumed they were Turo’s?" His tone sharpened. "How do you know? What if they belonged to Nox? He went searching for Samora, didn’t he?"

Bhola and Khotal looked at each other.

"Well… we don’t exactly know," Khotal admitted. "The footprints were steep, but we don’t remember the size. They could have been Nox’s, but we assumed they must’ve been Turo’s because Nox came back from inland. So naturally, we thought he must have come back the way he went, which meant the footprints along the shoreline weren’t his."

Marnoell felt something was amiss. His gaze sharpened as he turned back to Khotal.

"You saw Nox coming back from inland?" he asked. "But did you see him going in?"

Khotal hesitated. "No. We left before Nox did," he said without thinking.

Malok’s lips curled slightly. His job was nearly done. Marnoell was already moving in the direction he wanted.

"So you don’t know what happened after you left?" Marnoell asked, suspicion creeping into his tone for the first time.

Khotal shook his head. Bhola stomped his foot, trying to stop him, but the damage was done.

"And when you returned, Dias was gone? And Turo was missing as well?"

"Yes," Khotal admitted. "And Nox came back from inland. He wasn’t there either."

Bhola, thinking he was helping, added, "And that’s when we realized Turo and Samora were… gone."

The words had barely left his mouth when he sucked in a sharp breath. His mistake hit him a beat too late.

"How did you know, son?" Kaius prompted.

Bhola’s mouth went dry. "Nox… said so," he stammered, realizing too late that his words, whether he consented or not, were now evidence against Nox.

Nox stood frozen, confusion clouding his thoughts. That’s exactly what I told them this morning. What new insight did they gain now? His pulse pounded in his ears. Why are they treating me like a criminal? He had done everything in his power to bring them back alive. I failed—miserably, yes—but not intentionally. And yet, his own uncle was questioning him like this. The weight of it fogged his mind, making him unaware of the snare tightening around him.

"You didn’t know they were dead?" Marnoell pressed. "Not before Nox told you?"

Bhola hesitated, then nodded, almost regretfully. He lacked Creda’s courage to speak up, but he had wanted to help Nox. He had believed he could. And now, he had failed him.

Malok’s smirk deepened. "Yes, Chief. I think you see it now." He turned, addressing the gathered crowd, his voice dripping with conviction. "We know Turo willingly entered the birthing chamber. We know he followed Samora of his own will." He let the words hang in the air before driving in the blade. "Because Nox said so."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

"And now we know the baby tore its way out of Samora’s womb, killing Turo before it escaped," Malok continued, his tone grave. "And do they have any explanation for that?" He gave a small, bitter laugh. "No. Because—" He let the silence stretch, then delivered the final blow.

"Because Nox said so."

Gasps. Whispers.

Malok turned back to Marnoell, feigning grief, his voice breaking just slightly. "He’s clever, Chief. He killed my wife… and then set the creature on Turo so it would kill him too. And now, with Turo gone, the path is clear. The title is his. And so is Creda."

The accusation slammed into Nox like a physical blow.

This wasn’t just about him missing Turo’s cremation or defying a meaningless order anymore. This was about murder. About betraying his own family for self-serving ambition.

His blood boiled.

Before he could stop himself, he lunged. His hands wrapped around Malok’s throat.

"You—!" Nox snarled. "How dare you—I'll kill you!"

Shouts erupted as bystanders rushed forward, trying to restrain him. Nox thrashed, blinded by rage.

In the scuffle, something tumbled from his waistband and hit the ground with a muted thud.

A dagger.

Malok’s eyes flicked downward. Recognition flashed across his face. Even bloodstained as it was, he knew that dagger.

It was Turo’s.

Malok bent down slowly, picking it up from the ground. He turned it over in his hand, then held it up for all to see.

"Is this what you killed my wife with?" he whispered, his voice trembling just enough to sound grief-stricken.

Creda gasped.

For the first time, doubt crept into her eyes.

Had Nox really killed her sister?