Horror has a face, and we must make a friend of horror. Horror and moral terror are our friends. If they are not, then they are enemies to be feared. They are truly enemies.

For Zane, he believed horror were Halocrats. But when he stepped towards the Emberlord, the face of horror morphed. The face of horror for him, became the Emberlord.

Even in rage, Zane’s survival instincts got hold of him and the remaining resistance towards his fear got strengthened by Tesla’s words.

"You need to stay alive to protect your sister. Listen to me!"

Tesla might appear stupid but he chose the best words to make himself heard.

He mentioned Zane’s sister and since Zane had already seen death in Emberlord, he would not face it. He really needed to stay alive for his sister.

So, he turned around from the Emberlord and looked at his feet.

At Tesla.

And as much as he wasn’t in the mood for talking anything, he still said:

"Speak."

Tesla beamed and finally let go of Zane’s feet.

Xavier clicked his tongue.

"Don’t listen to him, Zane. This guy unlocked the last level of cowardness."

Zane looked at Xavier and nodded.

Xavier sighed and focused on the Enforcer he was busy fighting with.

Tesla ignored Xavier’s words as he knew he didn’t have time to argue with him. Zane would not spare him more than ten seconds.

So he said the main thing from the start.

"The Emberlord can’t hurt you if you don’t make the first move."

Zane frowned. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Tesla carried on.

"Right now, this is not a Cathedral. This is a court, Zane. Why do you think the Emberlord removed his robe? Why do you think he placed his scythe away after seeing your anger?"

Zane said nothing.

"It’s because right now he is a lawyer. Lawyer in the favor of the First Flame while you are the culprit. It’s written in Dwarkam Constitution that as long as the culprit isn’t proven guilty, no one can hurt him. No one can hurt you, Zane."

Zane’s brows shot up.

He looked over his shoulder.

The Emberlord had the same face but Zane already knew he would find nothing from Coin’s face.

So he looked at the man’s fists and indeed, they were clenched.

He didn’t wanted Zane to know the rules.

But talking about rules...

"Does this rule apply even if the culprit is a gutterborn?" Zane asked.

Tesla nodded. "Yes. The constitution was written by the first Heads of the Crowns. No one can oppose it. Even if the culprit was a worm, the rules would apply."

Zane went silent.

Then he said:

"And if I had hit the Emberlord first then he would have been able to retaliate?"

"Yes. That would have nullified the rule and you would be dead in a blink of an eye."

Zane roamed his eyes.

Everything made sense to him now.

Why no Halocrats attacked him when he jumped at them. Why the woman’s husband only use words instead of pouncing on him for trying to kill his wife.

They couldn’t hurt Zane as long as he wasn’t proven guilty of his crime of stealing the relic.

Zane looked at Tesla in a new light.

The man technically saved him from dying.

He was knowledgeable, smart and survivalistic just like Zane.

Xavier might dislike the man because he didn’t have courage but Xavier didn’t know what Zane knew.

The defeat of courage was still the victory of survival.

Nevertheless, whatever Tesla told him was good. It was useful but that didn’t change the fact that Milo was still in danger.

"Tesla, I won’t fight the fight I can’t survive. But this is above survival now."

Tesla gulped. "The Emberlord will kill you."

"I know. That’s why I will go after the one who has gone to fetch my sister. He is not kind, Tesla. He won’t stop at just bringing her here. He would make sure she suffers in absolute agony until she reaches the doors of the Cathedral."

Zane’s blood boiled just by thinking what would Kairon do to Milo.

"If you go outside then the rules of the court won’t apply. Kairon can hurt you. You can die." Tesla insisted.

Zane sat on one knee.

He came to Tesla’s eye level.

"I was dead the moment I was born as a Gutterborn."

Tesla’s next words stayed in his throat and Zane patted his shoulder.

He said nothing and turned around to face the Emberlord again.

Coin had placed his hands behind his back like before.

Zane had nothing to do with that anymore as he simply said what he wanted.

"I will give you one offer, Emberlord."

All ears directed at Zane. Including the Emberlord’s.

"Do whatever you want to do with me while keeping me alive. Let me meet my sister once a year, give her allowance. Torture me daily, starve me, rape me, humiliate me, spit on me. Anything as degrading as possible. Do that to me over and over again. I won’t complain. I won’t forget my place as a gutterborn. But, for the sake of the God you work for, for the sake of any love you have in your webbed heart..."

Zane bowed and joined his palms.

"Please take back the order you gave to Kairon."

Brows shot up.

Gasps rang out again.

Not one soul expected something like that to come out of Zane’s mouth.

Tesla’s eyes teared up witnessing a brotherly love so potent and selfless that would put the most devoted lovers in shame.

Zane was willing to endure the worst of the worst if it meant his sister staying safe.

Zane figured he wouldn’t be able to defeat the Emberlord with his hands and legs. So he went for the heart.

He let go of his pride if it meant his sister breathing with no worries.

The Emberlord watched Zane’s bowed head and all eyes waited for Coin to reply.

The Halocrats snickered seeing Zane the way they wanted. They were already planning what should they do when he would be held captive for the torture.

Zane knew that as well.

He knew how the rich worked. Stroke their ego and they would give you fortune. Show them you know their place, they would find mercy.

Zane played exactly on that.

He hoped for success.

The gutterborns’ revolution could wait.

Milo’s life came first.

He had his hopes on the ego of the Emberlord.

However...

"My orders are absolute, Zane Atlas. Your sister shall appear today."

Hopes and gutterborns, they weren’t used in the same sentence.