The Ring of Purple Fire [has a mistake ]

The heavy iron-reinforced doors groaned under a second, more violent blow from the outside. Splinters of ancient oak showered onto the pristine stone floor of the observatory.

"Open the gates in the name of His Imperial Majesty!" the voice thundered again, accompanied by the harsh clanking of heavy plate armor.

Ren didn't retreat. The initial panic of finding himself inside Night of the Blood Oath was entirely swallowed by a sudden, instinctual wave of power rushing through his new veins. The dark elderwood staff felt like an extension of his own arm. When he took a step forward, the intricate purple runes carved into the marble dais flared to life, hissing with raw electrical static.

"Stay where you are, Ren," Caelen commanded, his voice a low, lethal purr.

The prince stood like an immovable wall of navy and gold directly between Ren and the shuddering entrance. His drawn sword gleamed beneath the starlight filtering through the vaulted arches above. The sheer intensity radiating from Caelen’s shoulders made it clear that he wasn't just defending a grand mage—he was protecting something he refused to let the empire touch.

With a deafening crash, the iron hinges gave way.

The doors burst inward, and a dozen imperial guards clad in silver armor flooded into the chamber, their halberds raised. At the front of the line stood Commander Vane, a ruthless man Ren remembered from the novel's early chapters as the Emperor's personal hound.

"Prince Caelen," Vane barked, his eyes sweeping over the wrecked entrance before locking onto the dais. "The ritual failed. The skies did not clear, and the Emperor demands the Grand Mage's head for wasting the realm's sacred catalyst. Step aside."

"You dare bring bared steel into my presence, Commander?" Caelen's voice dropped to a freezing register. He didn't lower his blade an inch. "The ritual succeeded. The Grand Mage is alive, and his mana is stable. If you take one more step forward, I will consider it an act of treason against the crown prince."

Vane sneered, his grip tightening on his halberd. "The Emperor's decree overrides your status, Your Highness. Guards, seize the mage!"

The silver-clad soldiers surged forward, their boots hammering against the marble floor.

Ren didn't wait for Caelen to clash with them. Closing his eyes for a split second, he tapped into the vast reservoir of energy humming inside his chest. It felt like manipulating a complex dataset, a familiar logic rewriting itself into physical force.

He slammed the base of the elderwood staff hard against the stone dais.

Thoom.

A shockwave of brilliant violet fire erupted from the crystal tip, tearing across the floor in a perfect, blinding circle. The purple flames didn't burn the wood or stone, but the sheer concussive force of the magical barrier slammed into the advancing guards, throwing them backward into the stone walls with a deafening clatter of steel.

Commander Vane stumbled, his boots skidding across the floor as the ring of purple fire hissed violently just inches from his face, cutting the chamber completely in half.

Through the shimmering heat of the barrier, Ren stood tall, his royal purple robes billowing around him as his glowing lavender eyes locked onto the stunned soldiers.

Beside him, Caelen slowly turned his head, looking back at Ren over his shoulder. The dangerous, sharp smile returned to the prince's lips, his purple eyes burning with an intense, dark satisfaction.

"It seems," Caelen murmured, his gaze tracing the fierce glow of Ren's face, "you won't even need my protection after all."

TO BE CONTINUE---

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