Astós immediately turned his gaze towards his aunt, concerned. She had taken a step back, her chin trembling. Her eyes gradually filled with tears. She had abandoned her monstrous form since the beginning of the conversation, which made her appear even more fragile. Korè and Maximus, who had also noticed the distress of Dnophos, showed their support. Korè reached out and clasped her trembling hand, while Max struggled to whisper reassuring words to her.

Astós spoke up as his brother returned to the room with his bewildered sister. She had a demonic glint in her eyes, and when she spotted Sklerótes lurking behind her friends, she chuckled.

"What have you done?" Astós demanded fiercely, positioning himself as a shield in front of Sklerótes.

"Well, well! Look who's here! You haven't changed a bit, you filthy monster!" she mocked.

"What are you talking about?" Endiá asked weakly, perplexed. "How do you two know each other?"

"You've chosen your allies very poorly, Endiá. Do you know who stands by your side?" Astós raised his voice. "You think the villains in this story are the Dnophos, but the person next to you has caused far more damage," he bellowed.

"I'm perfectly aware. But you see, while you were telling me your little adventure, I figured it out. Kyneos is an Heiress too! She could provide us with energy to save Mother!" Endiá interjected.

Sklerótes spoke up, causing Astós to startle. "You're foolish... You know absolutely nothing about Heiresses! You don't understand how it works. Look into her eyes, do you see any hint of compassion or anything? I don't. She has no humanity left; she only serves her own interest. But look at her finally! Open your eyes!" she thundered.

"I remind you that I am your king; you are not authorized to speak to me in this manner. And furthermore, you are wrong; she will help us. Won't you, Kyneos?" Astós approached Sklerótes gently and said in a pacifying tone, "Listen, I'm sorry for what I've put you through, but I would like to help you now. You are Mr. Endiá's friends, and my friends' friends are my friends. Please take this hand as a sign of our unity."

Everyone watched the scene with suspicion. It seemed too easy. Astós noticed Kyneos's slight smirk intensify, and her eyes gleam as Sklerótes grabbed onto her. He lunged towards Dnophos, but it was too late.

"Sklerótes, watch out!" he exclaimed.

The prince saw white flames envelop his friend's arm. She let out an inhuman scream of agony. Astós snapped and threw himself at Dnophos, engulfing her in flames and sending a burst towards Kyneos. She took the flames full on her face but skillfully recoiled, one hand covering the right side of her burned face, while the other conjured a blaze in her palm.

Astós and his friends managed to contain the fire that had seized their friend. Endiá, panicked, dragged her as far away as possible from their opponent, tears filling his eyes, while Palaïós supported him. Korè and Maximus flanked Astós, preparing their own flames, ready to incinerate if necessary. Maximus cast a concerned glance at Astós's hands.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"It will have to be," the prince replied firmly, glancing at his palms. "Not a step further, Kyneos. If you advance, you'll deal with us, and despite your power, we outnumber you."

Kyneos reignited the flames dancing in her hands. "Well, come closer, I'm waiting. Although I think you underestimate me. You definitely don't stand a chance," she said confidently.

"That's what we'll see," Maximus retorted. "You won't harm a hair on anyone here."

Kyneos lunged at him, hatred in her eyes. She hurled a burst of flames towards the group, but Astós reacted quickly. He countered them with his own fire, stronger than ever. Thanks to his intervention, no one was harmed. Korè, inexperienced in combat, stayed with the rest of the group, ready to protect them at all costs.

Astós remembered he had a sword as it banged against his leg while he ran. He drew it swiftly, and it seemed to absorb Kyneos's flames. When he swung it at her to push her back or simply to avoid getting burned, nothing affected it; the metal remained as black and solid as ever. He even managed to slice off a strand of her beautiful blonde hair, which fell silently to the ground.

Her eyes shot daggers, and the battle raged on for long tens of minutes. An hour later, as they were all exhausted, Kyneos made one final attempt to reach Sklerótes, in vain. Astós was overwhelmed by a sudden surge of energy and spun his sword in a spectacular round, accompanied by flames of his own making. He spectacularly sliced off one of Kyneos's arms and a leg, rendering her unconscious from the pain. She lay on the icy marble floor, bleeding out.

The battle was over; they had won. But at what cost?

Astós was charred all over, and everyone was breathless and exhausted. Unable to hold on any longer, he collapsed onto the ground, a forced smile on his face.

"We've won," he declared.

The others in the room rushed over to check on him, relieved to see that he was (more or less) alright. When they realized that the prince was merely drowsy after the battle, they laughed in relief. Palaïós simply applied a salve made from saliva to his wounds.

Endiá glanced at Kyneos, who hadn't moved an inch. He asked for Palaïós's assistance.

"Can you do something for her?" he inquired.

"I'm really hesitant," the sorcerer said simply. "She doesn't deserve to be saved."

Korè approached and spoke up. "But she's still his sister," she said.

"Half-sister," Palaïós corrected.

"Sorry?" Endiá was intrigued. "How is she a 'half-sister'? Could someone explain?"

"Oh, right. (Sklerótes had also joined the discussion.) He's not aware..." And they recounted everything to him, every detail, the tales of massacres, and all the rest. They didn't leave anything out.

"Alright, fine, that explains... absolutely nothing! Anyway, for now, she's still dying on the floor there. So, are you going to heal her or not?" he persisted.

Palaïós sighed and then nodded.

A few hours later, Kyneos opened her eyes, suffering immensely. Astós, who had risen earlier than her, immediately placed a possessive hand over her mouth, pressed on her wounds, and slapped her.

"If you try anything, you can say goodbye to life. You are under our control, and your life hangs by a thread. Believe me, I won't hesitate to inflict upon you all the suffering you've caused. After helping us resurrect Mother, you will be locked under the palace, and we will ensure that you stay there for the rest of your life. Do I make myself clear, Kyneos?" he threatened as she writhed in pain, tears in her eyes.

She growled, and Astós took this growl as an agreement. She wasn't in a position to decide anyway.