At a royal hearing, guards accuse the Sable women of defying an imperial decree and order their execution, singling out Ms. Willow for her "killing aura." The family is seized and condemned. In the chaos Willow rushes to her dying mother and cradles newborn Kyle; the mother laments Kyle never met his father. Willow apologizes for coming late and vows, "I promise to keep the Sables' honor alive, Mother!" The key turn is the mother's death and Willow's pledge. With executions ordered, Kyle's survival and the family's fate hang as guards close in.