VOID; SHADOWS OF THE TWIN KINGDOMS

THE LIMIT OF MASTERY

“Such beauty shouldn’t be wasted, Mrs.,” the man said, his eyes lingering a bit too long. “If you want a man, please—not here.”

“All fat, no strength,” Azeya replied sharply. “I pack more power than you. So choose—either let me in or die at the hands of a woman.”

She paused, her tone turning almost playful. “Or maybe… let me in while holding my hand.” She extended it, the gesture somewhere between challenge and surrender.

The man hesitated, then swiftly took her hand. “If anyone here doesn’t know you,” he said quietly, “tonight might be the last you see.”

Another guard started to move, but he was waved off. The door opened, revealing a second gate. The man whispered something, and the gate’s dark purple shimmer turned pitch black.

On the other side was a long table. Seated there were four kings—and, at the furthest end, the gatekeeper himself.

The first king had distinctly Eastern features.

The second was dark-skinned, with a red tattoo that coiled around his arm like chains.

The third was large, brown, and broad-shouldered.

And the fourth wore a mask—four eyes stacked vertically—and had long, dark hair that spilled down his back.

“Who’s this bitch?” the second king snapped, rising. “If you don’t explain yourself, you’ll die right here.”

“Apologize,” the third king said calmly, though there was amusement in his eyes.

“Why apologize to someone without limiters?” the first king muttered.

“I’d remind you,” the masked king interjected, “that we are all equals here.”

The third man smirked and stood. Without a word, he pulled off his shirt, revealing a tattoo—a stone marked with an F engraved deep into it.

“Are we showing emblems now?” the masked king asked dryly.

The third man turned around, exposing another emblem: a dragon’s head breathing fire onto the shapes of a man and a woman.

“I couldn’t take the risk of her stripping to show you this,” he said, voice dropping into authority. “You are in the presence of the Limit of Mastery—Azeya.”

“Can I assume she’s Leon’s hea—” the first king began.

“Stop. You’re too weak,” Dreezy cut him off sharply.

“Thank you, Dreezy,” Azeya said coolly. Then she looked down at the guard still clutching her hand.

“Let go, or I’ll break it.”

The guard felt saw the gaze with intent to do evil, he was suprised but fear quickly came in, and he instinctly removed his hand.

“I’m sorry, one of them called you—” Dreezy began.

“Don’t worry about it,” Azeya interrupted. “I’m actually looking for an accomplice—Sherlyn. She was kidnapped by a Somnari girl named Neyra. I need her by morning.”

“Neyra—the girl with the mask?” the second king asked.

“Yes. And we have a mask right here,” Azeya said, her gaze locking on the masked man. “Bring her to me before morning—unharmed, and without any excuses.”

“I know no such person,” the masked man said evenly, resting his hand on the table. Three rings gleamed on his fingers.

“Amplifiers,” Azeya said, her smile cold. “Add more.”