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My own heart stops.

What will you do, Jaro? What will you choose?

Chapter 26: MERCY AND STRENGTH

The air in the cavern is a living thing, thick with the coppery scent of blood and the electric hum of a thousand held breaths. Below me, on the obsidian floor of the Challenge Circle, Jaro stands over his defeated rival. Vex's massive beast form is pinned, his chest heaving, a low growl of impotent rage his only remaining defense. Jaro's blade is raised, its edge catching the torchlight, a sliver of deadly silver poised to end the conflict.

Kill him.The thought isn't mine, but a dark echo from the collective consciousness of the tribe. It's what tradition dictates. A challenger, defeated, must be eliminated to prevent future discord. It is the Xylosian way. I can feel the expectation pressing in from all sides, a tangible weight.

Jaro's partially-transformed body is a monument to controlled power. His muscles are coiled, his golden eyes fixed on the warrior helpless beneath him. I feel the war raging within him through our bond. A hot, roaring fire of primal instinct from his beast, screaming for the kill, for the final assertionof dominance. Beneath it, a cooler, steadier current of thought from the man, the leader, weighing the consequences.

Don't do it, Jaro. Please.My silent plea is a desperate pulse sent across the bond between us.Show them. Show them you're different. Stronger.

His gaze lifts from Vex, sweeping across the silent, watching tribe until his eyes find mine. Across the vast cavern, I feel the connection lock into place. He sees me. He feels my imploring hope, my terror, my absolute faith in him. I don't move, don't even breathe. I just hold his gaze, trying to send him every ounce of the calm, analytical focus I can muster.

A shudder runs through his powerful frame. The golden glow in his eyes softens, the molten core of the beast receding to reveal the amber warmth of the man. Slowly, with a deliberation that speaks volumes more than the act of killing ever could, he retracts his claws. The lethal blade at Vex's throat is lowered.

His transformation reverses further, the beast receding until he is almost fully humanoid again, his skin still a deep, powerful navy, his eyes still edged with gold.

“It is over,” Jaro's voice rings out, clear and absolute. He steps back from Vex. “He is defeated.”

A collective gasp ripples through the cavern. It is an act of mercy so profound, so outside the bounds of their tradition, that it leaves them stunned. Vex, humiliated but alive, struggles to his feet, his beast form shrinking back into its humanoid shape. He can't meet anyone's eyes. He is broken, not by Jaro's strength, but by his clemency.

A paradigm shift,I think, my heart hammering.He just rewrote their definition of dominance.

“What is he doing?” I whisper to Kyra, my voice trembling slightly.

“He is leading,” Kyra whispers back, her eyes shining with awe.

Jaro's supporters, who had been watching with tense uncertainty, now stand taller, their expressions shifting to pride. The traditionalists, Vex's faction, look utterly bewildered. Some seem to view it as weakness, but I see others, elder warriors among them, looking at Jaro with a new, dawning respect. I see it on Chief Torq's face, a complex mixture of shock, pride, and profound consideration. The political landscape of Vara-Ka just fractured and realigned in the space of a single heartbeat.

Jaro turns to address the tribe, his voice no longer the guttural command of a warrior in battle, but the measured tone of a leader.

“For generations, we have equated strength with destruction. We believed that to lead, one must eliminate all rivals. That to be strong, we must be feared.”

His eyes find mine again, a silent acknowledgment passing between us.

“But fear is not loyalty. And destruction is not growth. A true leader builds the tribe up, not tears it down. Vex's life is not mine to take. His strength, once his honor is restored, belongs to the tribe.” He gestures to the stunned warrior. “His challenge is ended. His defeat is absolute. There is no need for more blood.”

He speaks of unity, of adaptation, of a strength born from strategic thinking and control, not just brute force. He never says my name, never mentions my input, but our shared ideas are woven through every word. He is making them his own, framing them in a way his people can understand. He's taking my science, my logic, and translating it into a new philosophy of leadership.

He's brilliant.The thought is so overwhelming, so filled with love and admiration, that I feel our heart-bond mark pulse with a warm, steady light beneath my tunic.

Just as the tribe begins to absorb the weight of Jaro's words, a new sound cuts through the cavern. A high, piercing alarm fromthe perimeter sensors. Warriors instantly shift into defensive postures. Elders rise from their stone seats.

“What is it?” Chief Torq's voice booms, all traces of the thoughtful father gone, replaced by the battle-hardened ruler.

A warrior from the entryway sprints into the chamber, skidding to a halt before the council. “Chief! The sensors detect approaching craft. Multiple signatures. Their energy readings... they are like the alien's pod.”

Every eye in the cavern turns to me.

My blood runs cold.Earth ships. They found me.

This is it. Jaro's first, immediate test as the tribe's undisputed new leader. His people look to him, their faces a mixture of fear and expectation. Will he order a hostile defense? Will he hide them away?

He doesn't hesitate. He turns directly to me, his expression calm, his eyes seeking mine not for permission, but for data. For partnership. In this moment of crisis, before his entire tribe, he acknowledges my expertise.

“Kendra,” he says, his voice steady, a leader in full command. “Report.”