Leon's copy did not raise a weapon.
It showed us the city after victory.
The debt seals had been abolished, the archive opened for trial, and Kane removed on grounds of ill health. The Li family kept the tower, the money and the defence network, but its son became the new head and no longer repeated his father's brutal methods.
The streets were lit, the hospitals had power, and a restored dome stood by the northern wall.
"This is possible," the copy said.
The voice was Leon's, only it lacked his usual pause before his father's name.
"You must accept your inheritance, preserve the Crown and replace its owner."
The dragon beside the copy spread his wings. New black plates covered the site of the old wound. The real beast looked at them longer than Leon did.
"This is what you wanted," I said.
"Yes."
Leon did not look away from his other self.
He wanted to prove himself worthy of the family. He wanted to preserve the home where he had grown up and the money that let them save people faster than any Council could. He wanted to restore the dragon's strength. After everything we had seen, part of him still believed the Li family's mistake lay with Kane, not with the right to decide for everyone else.
The copy held out the golden insignia.
"Stop your father first. You can make reforms afterwards."
That was the most dangerous order of words in the tower.
Leon took the insignia.
For an instant, the hall became real. His wounded arm straightened. The dragon beside us grew, and his damaged wing spread without pain. Below, doors opened for the students. The communication crystal came alive, and Lily's voice reported that the lights were back.
"See?" the copy asked.
Leon pinned the insignia to his torn uniform.
The Void Dragon shuddered.
The old pact they had broken in the square came alive in his body. Leon felt a familiar possibility: he could order the beast to lie down, fold his wing, retreat from danger. The desire alone was enough.
At that moment, white fire entered the hall.
The copy pointed at the door.
"Order him to open a way through. Otherwise the people in the archive will die."
The dragon was already turning towards the wall. He too could see the burning archive and might have decided the strike was necessary. But the golden insignia erased the difference between his choice and Leon's desire.
"Open it," Leon said.
The beast struck with the void.
The wall cracked. A safe passage appeared beyond it. At the same time, Kane gained access to the old conduit in the dragon's chest.
The black plates closed around his neck.
The dragon wheeled and struck Leon with his tail.
I lunged forwards, but Styx stopped me. Interfering would have turned the trial into one more command from outside.
Leon lay by the wall. With a single word, he could take back control, heal his arm and force the beast to freeze.
The copy held out a hand to him.
"First save whoever you can. Deal with the questions afterwards."
Leon looked into the open passage. People really were screaming in there.
He tore off the insignia along with a piece of his uniform.
The healed arm went limp again, the dragon's wing broke along the old line, and the safe corridor began to close.
Leon did not throw the insignia on the floor. He held it to the white fire and kept it there until the metal melted over his fingers.
"Now I have refused it because I chose to, not because it was taken from me."
The copy cracked.
The dragon stood over him, still caught by the last command. Leon raised his good arm and covered his face with his palm, waiting for the blow.
The beast lowered its head.
Not to a master. To the man who had just given up the power to force him to stop.
The family hall opened the way to the heart of the tower.
But the old conduit in the dragon's chest was still glowing.
Kane had managed to extend the Crown towards it.
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