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Chapter 16
The city of Calvenne was no longer alive.
Not truly.
Its markets lay silent, laughter had vanished, and taverns once alive with noise now whispered only fear.
Everywhere, signs of collapse were visible: charred roofs, torn-down signs, and walls still stained with blood.
Kael, hidden beneath his illusion as Varlen, walked calmly through the ruined streets. Each step carried him closer to the collapse he had orchestrated.
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The Machinery of Manipulation
That evening, he met two captains of the guard in a dimly lit chamber, the glow of a single lantern flickering between them.
> "The Council has lost its grip," one spat, a fresh scar running down his jaw. "They tear each other apart while we lose men."
> "The merchants don't care about protecting the city," the other added bitterly. "They want control, and we're nothing but tools for their power games."
Kael let out a quiet sigh, his gaze sharp.
> "Perhaps," he said softly, "it is time for the guard to stop being pawns. Perhaps you should decide for yourselves who you truly serve."
The two men exchanged uncertain glances.
Kael pressed no further. He didn't need to.
A seed of rebellion had been planted — and he knew it would grow.
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The Shadows Behind the Guilds
Later, in an abandoned warehouse, Kael met with the leader of a smuggling guild. Their voices quickly rose in anger.
> "My shipments keep vanishing!" the man shouted. "If this continues, my men will turn against me!"
Kael's lips curved into a cold smile.
> "Your shipments vanish because you're being played. The guard knows your routes. And do you know who feeds them that information?"
The smuggler froze.
> "Who…?"
Kael leaned closer.
> "One of your own lieutenants. I won't say which. But if I were you, I'd start watching the ones who smile too easily."
He knew what would follow: blood, purges, betrayal. Another fracture, another stone pulled from the crumbling foundation of Calvenne.
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Sélène's Doubt
That night, Sélène found him standing on a balcony overlooking the burning skyline.
The firelight reflected in her eyes, mixing with the storm of doubt gnawing at her.
> "Kael…" she whispered, almost pleading. "How far will you go?"
He remained silent for a moment before answering in a voice calm and merciless:
> "Until this city stops breathing its own lies."
Her voice trembled.
> "And when it's over? Do you truly believe there will be anything left but ruins and ghosts?"
Kael turned toward her, his gaze piercing even through the veil of his illusion.
> "What will remain," he said quietly, "is an example. A truth that no other city will be able to ignore."
Sélène lowered her eyes, unable to endure the weight of his conviction.
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The Invisible Flames
Weeks passed, and Calvenne ignited from within.
Merchant families accused each other of treachery.
The city guard splintered into hostile factions.
The Shadow Brotherhood devoured itself in internecine bloodshed.
Kael no longer needed to intervene directly.
Every whisper he had planted months before had grown into a blaze.
From his vantage point, he watched Calvenne consume itself. And in the silence, he murmured:
> "The most destructive flames… are the ones no one sees."
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