Extra's POV: My Obsessive Villainous Fiancee Is The Game's Final Boss

"And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." Ren smiled. "Or in this instance, if it comes to it, I shall tell you the truth and the truth shall set us free."

He watched as Elder Korrin's eyes narrowed at his words, seeing the barely hidden hate shine through the man's eyes.

"But until then, feel free to discuss among yourselves." He chuckled to himself. "Whatever path you choose, all you need to know is that I shall win."

A brief silence followed. The High Elder's eyes remained locked on Ren, unreadable, but there was a hint of respect in her gaze.

"We will deliberate." She said. "You are dismissed for the time being."

Ren, Thorn, and Lilith were escorted out, and the doors closed with a finality that echoed through the hall.

Once they were outside, Thorn began pacing nervously.

"How do you think it went?" He asked, glancing at Ren. "You think they'll actually listen?"

Ren didn't answer immediately. He gazed up at the vaulted ceiling, fingers tapping against his knee.

"It's in their hands now. But I wouldn't have come here if I didn't have a get out of jail free card."

"Get out of jail free card?" Thorn frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Ren smirked. "A card that contains the power of the truth. The kind of truth that they can't ignore even if they wanted to. The kind of truth that had the power to shake Tidecaller society."

Thorn stared at Ren for a second before exhaling. "Well, I should've expected this. You always have a solution for everything."

Ren shook his head, a sad smile on his face as he fixed his eyes on Lilith. "Not everything." He whispered.

His mind went to the illusion. The time he'd spent with his father and brothers. "Not the things that matter."

Thorn stopped his pacing, turning fully to face Ren. "At the very least, tell me I won't be their bargaining chip."

"You won't be." Ren reassured him. "Whatever decision they make, they won't win. Even if my card doesn't work, which I doubt, we'll still get out of here."

"But just like you said, we'll be fighting them on the sea, which is practically their home territory if we leave." Thorn frowned.

"That's the best part." Ren chuckled. "We take the fight into the sky. The sea may be their home territory, but for Lilith and I, the sky is our vacation home."

Lilith, who hadn't spoken once in the last two weeks finally spoke now, her voice cold.

"I'll kill them."

Silence filled the air, because they all knew that if Lilith was willing to lose herself, she could kill them any time she wanted.

And that was damn scary.

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In the silence of the council chamber, the elders remained seated, their attention fixed on the matter at hand.

The High Elder stood at the center, her fingers lightly resting on the stone podium.

She knew the tension in the air could only be cut through by swift, decisive action, but the council was divided.

There was no quick resolution to the fate of the outsiders, not when this trial was leading to the very foundation of Tidecaller law being questioned.

Not just that, but it also affected the morals of a few elders. Some did not want to repay good with evil. After all, if they'd gone with an army, they'd have definitely suffered huge losses.

That was something to be thankful for, not to put their saviors on trial.

Elder Korrin, seated near the High Elder, leaned forward, his eyes scanning the room and calculating his next move.

He knew what he had to do to win this argument, and it wasn't through logic alone. It was through fear, fear of what could happen if the wrong decision was made.

"I understand your concerns." Elder Korrin began, his voice low. He addressed the smaller group of more hesitant elders, those who were still wavering in their judgment.

"But we must consider the precedent this sets before we decide what to do."

A few of the elders frowned, glancing in his direction and he could tell that he had their attention.

"If we let these outsiders go unpunished, what does that say about us? About our ability to protect our own?"

"Whether we like it or not, we've buried ourselves into a corner by finding Zuzu guilty of engaging in battle and violating the law as a Tidecaller child."

Murmurs filled the room, some of the elders shifting uncomfortably in their seats.

"Even though she has been granted the rights of an adult for her contributions, it doesn't change the fact that we have labeled their fight against the Deep as a war. That is now an irrefutable fact."

"This also means that by default, the outsiders are guilty. If not of kidnapping, then of taking a child into a war and fighting alongside them."

"And this means they must be punished. I know we feel gratitude for what they did, but that shouldn't be enough to wipe out their crimes."

"Not because we want our saviors under our feet, but because we cannot afford to show weakness, even if we want to. The price would be too great."

The chamber was silent as Korrin's words hung in the air. A few of the elder's faces shifted, doubt flickering in their eyes.

Elder Shai shook her head slightly, still unconvinced. "What price would we pay, Korrin? These are the people that destroyed the Deep. They saved the Mare Dulce. Isn't that worth something? Or is the law so important that we'll punish those who save us just to keep it?"

Korrin's gaze hardened. "Their actions are commendable, yes. But consider what would happen if word spread that the Tidecallers could be swayed by acts of heroism, by emotions."

Silence filled the room, for they all knew exactly what Korrin was trying to say.

And it wasn't a pretty picture.