The taste of power was intoxicating, but it came with a price.
Back in the kingdom, whispers of my "death" stirred unease among the nobles. Some smiled, believing the villain was truly gone. Others, more cunning, sensed the shift—a shadow lurking beneath the surface.
Disguised by night and fueled by the cold magic granted to me, I slipped silently through the city's twisting alleys. The familiar streets were no longer home but a maze of secrets and threats. Every glance carried suspicion. Every shadow, a potential enemy.
My mind churned with one burning question: who betrayed me?
Elaine's cold eyes haunted me still. Had she truly turned against me, or was she a pawn like I was?
As I traced the threads of treachery, a whisper reached me—an underground resistance, a faction hidden deep within the court, opposing Prince Dorian's ruthless reign. They called themselves the Black Veil.
If I wanted to survive—and take my revenge—I would need allies. But trust was a currency more precious than gold, and far more dangerous.
That night, cloaked in darkness, I made my way to the meeting place of the Black Veil—a forgotten cellar beneath the city's oldest tavern.
The door creaked open, revealing faces etched with pain, anger, and hope. Among them, a woman stepped forward—her eyes sharp, her smile a challenge.
"Alex Smith," she said quietly, "we've been waiting for you."