Margaret watched everything silently from above.

The battlefield was chaos. And yet her attention was not on the monsters. Rather, it was on the soldiers, and on who they listened to.

Who they trusted. Who they looked toward for orders. And it was not her.

Her eyes darkened slightly. Then footsteps approached from behind her.

Margaret turned calmly as two restrained figures were dragged onto the tower platform.

Enzo’s face immediately hardened the moment he saw the battlefield below. Stefan looked even worse. His eyes were fixed on the monsters attacking the barricade while fury burned across his exhausted face.

"Why are we here?" Enzo asked coldly.

Margaret smiled faintly. "To watch."

Stefan stepped forward instinctively, but the soldiers immediately grabbed him harder.

"Let me go," he snapped. "You restrained me and stopped me from going back to Tina, you are evil ."

"Yes I know," Margaret replied casually. "Sacrifices are needed after all."

Stefan stared at her as if he could not believe what he was hearing.

Enzo’s jaw tightened. "You brought us here to make yourself feel powerful?"

Margaret slowly walked toward the edge of the tower, her gaze drifting across the battlefield below. "Power isn’t something you feel," she said calmly. "Power is something people obey."

"And by the way I brought you to execute you for your crimes."

An explosion echoed below them, and the ground shook violently.

One of the laser weapons suddenly rotated sharply before firing several beams rapidly into the darkness. Screeches filled the air as multiple monsters collapsed instantly, but more continued rushing forward behind them.

Margaret’s faint smile remained as she looked down at the battlefield below. "Laurel prepared this battle well," Margaret said calmly. "I’ll give her that much."

Another laser beam flashed across the battlefield and pierced through two monsters at once. Their bodies dropped instantly.

"It’s obvious we’re winning."

Enzo glanced toward the battlefield before looking back at her. "Then you should focus on the monsters instead of dragging us here."

Margaret slowly turned toward him.

Enzo’s expression hardened further. "You don’t have the right to execute me. I haven’t even been proven guilty yet."

The air between them immediately grew tense.

The soldiers standing nearby tightened their grips around their weapons while the sounds of battle continued below them.

Stefan suddenly stepped forward despite the restraints holding him. "And I didn’t commit any crime either," he snapped. "You locked me up for no damn reason."

Margaret’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Then Stefan’s expression changed. His anger faltered for a second as another thought suddenly entered his mind.

’Ida.’ His chest tightened instantly.

He had been so focused on escaping and getting back outside that he had not even thought properly about where she was.

His eyes widened slightly as he looked at Margaret. "Wait..." His voice turned urgent. "Where’s Ida?"

Margaret looked at him silently.

Stefan took another step despite the soldiers restraining him harder. "How is she doing? Where is she?"

Margaret clicked her tongue softly. "You really don’t understand the situation you’re in."

Then she lifted her hand slightly in a gesture.

The soldiers behind Enzo and Stefan immediately forced both men down onto their knees.

Stefan struggled immediately. "What are you doing?!"

Enzo’s shoulder slammed roughly against the floor as two soldiers forced him lower. His jaw tightened in anger while another soldier pressed the cold tip of a gun against the back of his head.

Stefan froze the moment he felt a gun pressed against his skull.

The metallic click of fingers moving against triggers echoed sharply around the tower.

Below them, another explosion burst across the battlefield.

Margaret looked down at them calmly. "You should feel honored," she said. "Most traitors don’t get to witness such a beautiful victory before they die."

Stefan’s breathing turned heavier.

Enzo clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned pale.

Then suddenly he shouted, "At least wait until the battle is over!"

Margaret’s brows furrowed slightly. ’What is this sly man up to again?’

Enzo lifted his head despite the gun pressing harder against him. "If the fortress wins tonight, then everyone will witness it," he said through gritted teeth. "And if the monsters break through..." His jaw tightened harder as veins rose visibly along his neck. "Then use our lives to defend the fortress instead of wasting bullets on us now."

The tower fell quiet for a brief moment. Even the soldiers exchanged glances.

Stefan turned sharply toward Enzo. At first, he almost protested. He almost demanded they stop begging Margaret for anything.

But then he understood Enzo was buying time. Stefan’s eyes flickered toward the battlefield below again.

The monsters were still pouring toward the fortress in massive numbers. Even with the laser weapons cutting through them nonstop, there were too many.

This battle would not end quickly. It could continue for hours. Six... maybe eight hours.

As long as they stayed alive, there was still a chance something could change. Stefan lowered his gaze slightly, forcing himself to stay silent.

Margaret’s expression darkened faintly as she stared at Enzo. She could already tell what he was doing.

And what irritated her more was that part of her knew his reasoning made sense.

Executing them now would satisfy her anger, but keeping them alive during the battle could strengthen her image in front of the soldiers. It would make her appear rational instead of emotional.

Her fingers curled slightly beside her. Before she could speak, footsteps suddenly approached from behind.

"Acting-Commander Margaret."

A new voice interrupted the tension. They all turned in the direction of the voice.

Dylan stepped onto the tower platform calmly, his expression unreadable as cold wind moved through his dark hair. Behind him stood several armed Lennox soldiers, their presence immediately tensing the atmosphere.

Margaret’s eyes narrowed slightly. Yes... another variable she had to get rid of. But she knew it would be difficult, and she could only play by ear for now.

Dylan’s cold gaze briefly moved toward Enzo and Stefan kneeling on the ground before returning to her.

"I think Enzo’s idea is a good one," he said casually. "Killing them now would be wasteful."

Margaret stared at him without uttering a word.

Dylan slowly walked closer. "The monsters are still attacking from every direction. The soldiers are already exhausted, and morale is unstable." His eyes drifted briefly toward the battlefield below. "Executing a well-known fighter and an awakened in the middle of a battle won’t help you in any way."

His words were calm. But the meaning behind them was sharp.