Petal looked in the mirror one last time as he adjusted his outfit. Made from the finest silks and fresh flowers from one of the greenhouses the Workers tended, he appeared equal parts dashing and beautiful. His top was a heavier sleeveless vest, the color of midnight, with an intricate pattern of silver dahlias embroidered that stood out in stark contrast. A silvery sash was cinched at his waist, draping into a deep plum sarong that stopped just below his knees, where the silver straps for the sandals ended their climb around his calves.

He had avoided wearing any greens—he didn't want to imply support for the Wayfarer who had gained a Jade Dragon and pale green hair—but he did choose the silver in tribute to Clover's off-hand comment of their preferred crown color to match their pale green scales. It was innocuous enough that he doubted anyone would make the connection, or even believe he understood the meaning behind each flower. But those little secrets that he kept to himself were what helped him endure what he was about to do.

He readjusted the crown of freshly cut, magically preserved dahlia flowers that matched the rest of his outfit. A sad smile pulled at his lips when he thought of the crown of flowers the lovely blonde girl had once placed on Jin's head. Basima would have made an excellent addition to the Lover's Sect if she had made it out of the Tower. It was a wasteful loss that should never have happened in his personal opinion—one he couldn't share publicly. Not yet.

"Come on, Petal. You've made it through more awkward meetings than this interview," he muttered to his reflection. As a finishing touch, he lined his eyes with kohl and used the tip of his pinky to spread a deep plum stain over his lips. "Just keep looking pretty for the Sense Stones, and nobody will suspect you're part of some nefarious underground rebellion plotting the downfall of our entire social structure."

He paused for a moment, then narrowed his eyes at his reflection. "...But maybe don't lead with that."

With a deep breath—unnecessary as a Sapphire Caster, but appreciated for its calming effects all the same—Petal straightened and left his little sanctuary in his home to head to the studio, where the Speakers awaited to pepper him with questions about the current Season's happenings. It wasn't an unusual request for someone in a position of power. Just yesterday, Alaina had done the same sort of thing as the leader of the Whispers, speaking out against Pax's abhorrent behavior in betraying the Silence Sect and assassinating his own Sect-mates. Even though Petal knew she had been the rebel to sanction it behind the scenes.

Now it was his turn to navigate those same kinds of lies.

When he arrived at the designated room, a small setup, really, intended for one-on-one interviews. It had multiple Sense Stones that were placed around the space to capture multiple angles of the pair of chairs and a small side table, which held a pair of glasses with water for the two participants. Currently, there was a woman from the Herald Sect who normally handled these types of interviews, and he also knew she liked to catch her interviewees with trap questions to trick them into faltering.

Across from her was her current victim: Salman, the Leader of the Servants. Apparently, Petal had arrived early enough to catch the end of Salman's own interview about the current state of the Season.

"It absolutely is frustrating that the Wayfarer has managed to corrupt such promising Servants, Leyla. Even more disturbing is how many she's led to their deaths in such a short time. Truly unfortunate," Salman said in such an oily way that made a shiver run down Petal's spine in disgust. "We can only hope the Fighters can catch up and put an end to her destructive ways."

"We can only hope," Leyla responded before turning towards a nearby Sense Stone and adding with a smile, "and VOTE! Which you can do every morning and evening, citizens of Qutbi. Your support for the Champions who still support the crown and our great society matters and helps give them more tools to bring down the notorious Wayfarer and traitorous rebels."

She turned to face a different Sense Stone as she continued speaking. "That also concludes our time with Mister Salman, Leader of the Service Sect. We'll be back soon with another Sect Leader—Petal of the Lovers. Keep watching for more insights!"

A few seconds later, more lights came on, and a few other people moved around to help guide Salman away and refresh the stage for the next interview—his.

"Petal! I'm so glad you could make it in time," Leyla greeted him with a false cheer that his stronger Aura senses could easily see through. "I know how busy this time of the Season is for your Sect. People always love watching the action with a companion by their side."

"Indeed," Petal replied with a polite smile. "It's always reassuring to have a warm body full of life by your side when watching others lose their own."

Instead of faltering, Leyla just grinned wider and said, "It is. I hope you keep that energy for the interview in a few minutes. You missed Salman ranting earlier about being tricked by the Wayfarer into allowing her entry into the Tower as a Champion."

"Tricked?" Petal echoed, one brow lifting in confusion. "How exactly did she accomplish that? She had only been under his care for a handful of days."

"Apparently, she claimed that her hidden Talents would serve the other Sects better inside the Tower. She pointed out that she wasn't fitting in with the others outside those extreme scenarios the Tower provides and was willing to risk her life to bring honor to the Servants."

Petal snorted a laugh, remembering his initial examination of Jin the day she arrived here and trying to place her in a Sect. What Leyla—or Salman—had described sounded nothing like the jaded girl he had met. Jin was direct and adaptive, not exactly cunning or manipulative.

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"I'll need to watch the recording later," he replied instead of revealing any of his impressions of the woman he was pinning many of his hopes on. Instead, he offered a cool smile and asked, "Are you planning to go easy on me this time, or do I need to shield my back for the verbal knife you plan to embed there?"

She let out a tittering laugh, nudging his shoulder with mock affection, and said with false reassurance, "I'm sure a natural entertainer like you won't have any issues dodging any of my knives. You know how we like to try keeping viewers on the edge of their seats even with interviews like these. The people want to be both entertained and reassured, Petal. I'm sure you, of all people, can understand that contrasting desire."

He nodded politely. "Of course I understand," he replied, not offering further fuel for her to latch onto.

"Excellent! Well, I'm going to run to the water closet quickly. Your makeup's already flawlessly perfect, but make yourself comfortable in the chair there. We'll start soon," she instructed before leaving for a side door.

Petal settled himself in the seat, getting one of the nearby Servants' help with adjusting his clothing and the lighting from the glowstones to hit just right on him. He didn't have to wait much longer before the back lighting dimmed to focus around him and Leyla sitting across from him. She adjusted a small notebook in her hands as she crossed her ankles and began her interrogation.

With a brilliant smile aimed at a nearby Sense Stone, Leyla greeted, "Welcome back, citizens of Qutbi! We're here with a face I'm sure most of you recognize: Petal of the Lovers and Leader of the Pleasure Sect. Thank you for taking the time to be here today, Mister Petal."

"Thank you, Miss Leyla, I'm happy to be here today and answer any questions you or our wonderful citizens want to ask me," Petal replied with an equally bright smile.

"Well, the most pressing question our dear citizens have been dying to know is the leadership's stances regarding the controversial actions surrounding the traitor, Pax, and the Wayfarer—"

"Servant," Petal interjected. "While she may not have been here long, she is still a Servant and part of our society, even if she struggled at first to adapt quickly."

There was a beat before Leyla chuckled and said, "Indeed, you have a point. Her actions are a reflection of the Servants and have been gaining the Service Sect quite a substantial number of points, which they don't often see beyond the first floor."

"Because they're usually killed by other Champions before having the chance to move forward," Petal pointed out again, but shifted in his seat slightly, realizing he was being too defensive of Jin's position at the moment. "However, I only bring up the point because it pains me to see any of our promising Champions losing their lives in the Tower that can reward collaboration and teamwork. I fear for the entirety of the remaining Champions to reach the top when their numbers dwindle so much."

"Indeed!" Leyla replied, smiling brighter and latching on to that. "Already between Pax and Jin, we have lost nine wonderful Champions, in addition to the thirteen other Champions who have been forced to retire on the first floor."

Petal managed to prevent his teeth from grinding at the impersonal term of "retired"—a hollow euphemism for what it really meant: pointless death. His smile didn't falter as he nodded and replied, "A tragic outcome for the first floor, but it supports my fear. Losing twenty-two Champions out of the sixty that entered is a devastating start with nine more floors still remaining." He gave a heavy, forlorn sigh for the Sense Stones before adding, "It's especially mournful when events like the Trial of Aspects show that we have the magical sophistication of preventing those deaths at all by teleporting them to safety before their final breath. Why the entire Towers isn't designed that way is a question we can, unfortunately, only ask the Tower Keepers and the Gods they serve."

Leyla paused for a moment before saying, "Well, we could also hope the Champions who enter aren't so determined to kill one another if less bloodshed is your desire. Pax and Jin didn't need to kill everyone like they have been."

"You're right, of course," Petal admitted with a graceful nod. "Truly unfortunate that they felt compelled to kill at all. I do not condone any of the lives that have been lost and do not endorse any of the violence towards their fellow Champions."

"Your sister doesn't seem to hold that same condemnation," Leyla said smoothly with a smile that turned slightly predatory. "She is actively assisting the traitor Pax now. Tell me and all our avidly watching citizens, Petal, do you approve of Zendri's actions in healing and then accompanying the traitorous Whisper?"

At the mention of his younger sister, Petal's shoulders tensed. His smile slowly fell as he hardened his heart and lied, "Of course not. I am truly shocked to discover that my baby sister has fallen into disgrace by siding with the rebellious citizens sowing discontent among our city. While I may have chosen to transfer from the Herald Sect for personal reasons, she had always appeared loyal to the Speakers and the crown."

"Yes, I think many people remember your surprising transfer midway through the previous Season after the death of your father. Do you think this might be the reason behind Zendri's own betrayal of the Herald Sect?" Leyla asked with a sugary sweetness tinged with false pity.

He straightened slightly and firmly stated, "I never betrayed the Herald Sect, if that's what you're implying with your question. However, while my father's tragic death was part of the impetus for my departure, it was something I had already been contemplating long before, when I first received my Aspects that support my love for dancing. The Pleasure Sect that my father belonged to had long been calling to me, and joining it in his memory was a small move to soothe my own grief. 'Sect before self' may be our way of life, but choosing a Sect that aligns with who we are is key to making that loyalty a joy rather than a burden."

"But your sister—"

"Zendri is a young woman who hasn't spoken a word since the death of our father," Petal said, his tone sharpening. "So obviously his death has impacted her mental wellbeing. But as to her true motives, only she can answer that question. She is a secret wrapped in thorns. Of course, I do not approve of anything that destabilizes our city or causes the deaths of our citizens, no matter how much grief someone carries. We should be working together to better our society, not stabbing each other in the back."

"If 'Sect before self' is something you still believe in," Leyla pressed, voice cool but probing for a crack in his armor, "then surely you would be willing to publicly denounce Pax and Zendri, who are actively working together to weaken their own Sects and sabotage the Season. Or are you still loyal to your blood instead of your Sect, Petal?"

Petal's eyes narrowed.

With a subtle flex of his Aura, he reminded her without words that he was a Sapphire Caster, and likely capable of killing everyone in the room before she could blink. Her breath caught, and her eyes widened in sudden fear.

He simply smiled brightly again with an edge of danger laced in his posture.

"I'd never choose my blood over my responsibilities to my Sect," he said, tone sweet as poisoned honey. "The traitors of Qutbi will never have my support or loyalty, and I will never approve of actions that directly harm any of our citizens. Do I make myself clear enough for you, Miss Leyla?"

She numbly nodded and said with a slight tremble in her voice, "Yes… I believe that does help reassure everyone watching at home. Thank you again for your time, Mister Petal, but I think that's all we have for today."

"Thank you for inviting me," Petal replied with gracious ease. He leaned back with a casual posture before turning to address the nearest Sense Stone. "Also, to those watching—be sure to visit the Wideway theaters, where many talented Lovers perform some of the city's most beloved classics. You might catch one of my new dance performances on the Silver Stage."

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