CHAPTER 46: Unforgivable

Shae returns to a locked-down Kaul estate after the bombing that killed Maik Kehn, suspecting Ayt Mada but unsettled by the method. Security questions all visitors and staff; the attack appears to have originated inside the grounds.

Juen informs Shae that a man has confessed. It is Maro, who is detained on the driveway. He admits the bombers entered under the cover of a Four Virtues meeting he asked Shae to arrange with Hilo, by adding two fake interns to the visitor list.

Maro explains he was coerced by barukan operating in Shotar. Led by a half-Shotarian man called Soradiyo, linked to Zapunyo, they threatened his father, sisters, and young nieces, sending surveillance photos and promising mutilation if he warned anyone. He believed no help from Kekon could protect them abroad and accepted that the true target was Hilo.

Pressed by Juen, Maro provides descriptions of the operatives but few names. He returns to Shae to explain himself, choosing the clan’s justice over a life in hiding. With Hilo and Maik Tar en route, Shae fears Tar’s vengeance and prolonged torture.

Shae asserts her authority to act. Kneeling with Maro, she offers apology; Maro accepts his fate and asks for a quick end. Shae Channels into the base of Maro’s skull, killing him instantly and sparing him torment. Overwhelmed by grief, she withdraws to her house, collapsing in private while Juen and the Fists witness the execution.