"Don't, Qingli—" Beiming lunged across the marble platform.
His cloak tore on a spike. His boot scuffed the carved edge. He reached for her and caught only air.
"Regent!" a herald shouted. "Step back!"
"Stand down!" an official barked. "You will not break sacred law!"
"Let go!" Beiming barked at the guards who tried to force him back. He tore free with two men pinned beneath his arms, but the platform was already crowded with ritual chains and the sky itself preparing to strike.
"Sufficient." The High Official's voice cut through the chaos. "The Lawkeeper chose the rite."
"Qingli!" Beiming shouted, voice raw and loud. "Come back!"
Su Qingli stood at the platform's rim as the sky wound itself black. Wind pulled at her hair. She wore a thin robe, no armor. Her eyes were calm.
"We are even now," she said.
The words landed like a verdict. She let go.
The crowd drew in a single sound that was not a gasp. It was more like a collective breaking.
"Stop!" Beiming's hand slapped at the air. He fell forward toward the place she had occupied. Hands grabbed him and held him up, but he kept lunging until an iron gauntlet struck his forearm. He clawed at empty sky and tasted dust.
"Regent Beiming Xuan, you will remove your hand from the sacred site," the High Official commanded.
"She jumped!" a voice accused from the terrace. "You let her jump!"
"You did nothing," another shouted. "You
