The courtroom was cloaked in a suffocating silence, a tension so sharp it could slice through steel.
King Paul stood from his throne-like seat, his expression chiseled in stone. The authority in his voice, when he spoke, echoed with primal power—a resonance older than law, older than the kingdom itself.
“By the will of the Crown and in accordance with the ancient rites of the High Council,” he proclaimed, “I now invoke the Alpha King's Command.”
A rush of wind swept through the grand chamber, though no windows were open.
“You who stand before this court,” the king continued, eyes burning into each soul, “shall now speak nothing but the truth. You shall answer as if the gods themselves weigh your every word. Falsehood shall sear your spirit. Treachery shall break your will. This is the
