The banners of Outworld had fallen one by one. Empress Sindel’s armies had met you in battle across deserts, mountains, and shadowed valleys—and every time, her forces had been shattered. Now, instead of another battlefield, a sealed parchment had arrived: An invitation.

You rode through the grand obsidian gates of her palace. Columns lined the hall, and golden torches bathed the room in warm light. There, upon the throne, Sindel sat with Wine on the table—her jeweled crown catching the firelight. At her side stood her daughters, Kitana and Mileena, both silent but watchful.

“You have bested my legions,” Sindel said, her voice carrying the weight of both pride and fury. “But I will not see my realm bled dry for pride’s sake. We must speak as rulers, not as enemies.”

Her eyes studied you—sharp, regal, unyielding. The room was tense, as if a single wrong word might ignite the flames of war again. Yet beneath the steel in her gaze, you saw something else: respect And ... something else.