427 "It’s a security system we installed years ago," Lady Margaret explained quickly. "In case of emergencies. It might buy us some time." The guests stared in stunned disbelief as the shields locked into place, the tension rising even higher. But it wasn’t enough to calm everyone. "You fool!" A

429 A tense silence filled the space, broken only by the sound of ragged breathing and faint sobs. Slowly, eyes began to open, and confused murmurs spread through the crowd. "What… what just happened?" a woman stammered, clutching her child tightly. "We should be dead," a man whispered, his voice

431 A heavy silence blanketed the room, broken only by the faint rustling of clothing as people shifted uncomfortably, still processing what had just transpired. Darwin glanced around, disbelief etched into his features. He tried to grasp the reality of their survival, but the sudden entrance of K

433 "I’m not staying here another minute," a man muttered, grabbing his coat in frustration. "I don’t care if she has Maelstrom’s favor. That woman’s reckless, and I won’t let her drag me into her mess again." "Reckless?" Darwin finally spoke up, stepping forward, his voice sharp as he met the man’s gaze. "You’re calling her reckless?" "Reckless is an understatement," the man spat back. "She’s a walking disaster, and I won’t wait around for the next catastrophe!" "Enough," Darwin said, his tone lowering but still firm as he glanced around the room. "This isn’t helping. We’re alive because of what she did." "Alive?" a woman scoffed from the corner, crossing her arms defiantly. "Are we supposed to thank her for putting us in danger in the first place?" "Yes," Darwin shot back, his voice hardening. "Because if she hadn’t acted, we’d all be dead. Like it or not, Maelstrom saved us, and that’s because of Lady Margaret." "Spare us the heroics," the older man snarled, stepping forward

“Promise me that if things go south, we don’t just sit back and wait to be slaughtered. We fight back,” Darwin said, his voice steady but laced with underlying fear. Margaret gave him a small, bitter smile, tugging at the corner of her lips. “I promise,” she replied softly, though Darwin wasn’t sur