CHAPTER SEVEN: ZÉLIE

Zélie recognizes Queen Nehanda’s resemblance to Amari as the monarch strides into the seaside dome in gleaming gold armor. Tzain urges action, but the shock of Nehanda’s survival freezes the moment and unsettles Zélie, recalling past scars and losses.

Addressing the crowd, Queen Nehanda undermines Amari’s speech, calling it the ambition of a tyrant. When Amari pleads surprise and seeks to explain, Nehanda accuses her of sending killers after her and of regicide, further charging that Amari and the maji killed Ina. The crowd’s hope collapses into outrage.

Pressed, Amari admits she killed the king but insists she did not kill Ina. The admission destroys her credibility; the audience brands her a traitor. Nehanda presses the advantage, painting Amari as a rebel who endangered the nation by restoring magic to seize power.

Golden-armored royal guards enter, their presence and Nehanda’s iron command overwhelming Amari’s faltering appeals. Zélie is triggered by memories of past deaths as Nehanda declares mass arrests for Amari and any supporters, widening the threat to all nearby maji.

As panic spreads, the guards ready glass orbs filled with black liquid. Nehanda dons a golden mask while her soldiers hurl the orbs into the sand, initiating an ominous escalation as Tzain rushes for the stage and Zélie realizes they may be too late to extract Amari safely.