Gyre will succeed at toppling backwards, but will fail at his attempt with the shield. The instant it manifests, four of Twelve's eyes lock on the shield and hold it in place. Did she have to use four eyes, or was she doing it for another reason? It isn't certain.

What is certain is that Eight has no idea what Luka is talking about. And he has no idea that Luka is getting flashed with another four-perspectived vision of Gyre's shield being stopped in midair.

He takes a step closer to the princess, focusing on what exactly is happening in this moment before he realizes what Twelve is up to. He's put enough of his pieces together that he has some semblance of a plan to act on.

All at once, eight portals open up in a sphere around Twelve. They go to all kinds of locations around the garden: The lake, Eight's room, the path, Twelve's rock, and others. The perspective of seeing eight flat discs rip open in reality to reveal different locations beyond is jarring. More jarring is the barrage of scents and sounds that flood through all eight.

But it's enough that Twelve stops. All of her eyes look not aggressively, but curiously towards Eight...

...and Luka. Hopefully Gyre will notice that Twelve is not looking at him at all as the eight portals disappear around her massive body.

"Explain, Princess." Comes the whisper.