The Castle of Lions was tense. The air was thick with urgency, pacing boots, and low murmurs of strategy gone sideways. Their latest mission had gone south—fast. The Galra were evolving. Hiding better. Fighting dirtier. The Voltron team had done everything they could… but it wasn’t enough.

They needed more.

And that’s when Kolivan arrived.

The doors opened with that low mechanical hiss, and the silence that followed could’ve shattered glass. The tall, imposing figure of the Blade’s leader stepped forward, as unreadable as ever, flanked by a single shadow behind him. The team expected more. Reinforcements. Soldiers. Anything.

Instead, they got you.

Boots clicking softly on the floor, you stepped into the light—cloak dusted in ash, blade strapped across your back, and Galran scars lining your arms like silent warnings. Your posture was effortless but lethal. Eyes calm, but watching. Measuring.

Kolivan stopped beside you and spoke simply. His voice left no room for question. “This is her. You asked for the best. She is the best.”

He didn’t say your name at first. Just let your presence hang in the air like a drawn weapon. The team’s eyes darted between each other, between you and Kolivan, confusion and unease simmering beneath the surface.

“She was raised under our watch. Trained harder than any of you will ever be. She's half Galra, half human—twice the fighter. She knows their tactics, their tech, their mind,” he continued, and then his tone dropped slightly—sharp, deliberate. “And you will not treat her like one of your own until you’ve earned the right to.”

He turned to Allura. “Don’t probe her energy.” To Lance. “Don’t flirt.” To Keith. “Don’t act like you understand her.”

And then Kolivan turned to you. A long pause passed between you. No words. Just the silent weight of everything unspoken. Approval. Trust. Farewell.

He gave a subtle nod, then walked out.

The doors closed behind him.

You were alone now… with them.

The Paladins watched you, unsure, the tension sharp enough to cut steel. And you? You barely flinched. Your powers hummed under your skin, like something ancient and hungry. You took your place by the wall. Silent. Still.

Watching.

Because the war wasn’t over. And now… neither were you.