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Chapter 18
Calvenne now lived in a state of invisible war.
The markets were no longer places of prosperity but stages of confrontation. Shifty eyes, hesitant handshakes, and transactions under constant watch gave the city the scent of gunpowder—ready to ignite at any moment.
Kael, still hidden behind his subtle illusion, walked among the crowd like an invisible spectator.
He no longer saw citizens… but pawns. Every smile hid a calculation, every rumor represented a piece waiting to be moved.
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The Chessboard of Chaos
For six months, he had patiently poisoned the three major powers of the city.
The Merchant Council, divided by suspicion.
The City Guard, weakened by conflicting orders and desertions.
The Shadow Brotherhoods, bled dry by orchestrated betrayals.
But now, Kael no longer needed to push.
The factions tore each other apart on their own, each convinced the other was plotting their downfall.
Kael watched the spectacle with an imperceptible smile.
"The seeds have sprouted. Soon, the tree will rot from the inside."
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A Poisoned Dinner
That evening, he arranged a meeting between two rival merchant families, promising them common ground.
Sitting at the table, he played the role of mediator.
> "You accuse without proof," he said calmly to one. "But have you considered it may not be your rival plotting against you, but a third party seeking to divide you?"
The two men exchanged a suspicious look, and Kael saw the seed of doubt take root.
He didn't need to lie. He only had to twist the truth against itself.
And when they parted, each convinced the other was hiding something, Kael knew his trap had closed.
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Selene's Cracks
Later that night, as they returned to their hideout, Selene was more distant than ever.
> "Do you realize what you're doing?" she asked suddenly.
Kael turned his head toward her.
"I'm accelerating the inevitable."
"No," she replied, her voice trembling.
"You're creating the inevitable. You manipulate them into killing each other. Do you call that justice?"
Kael stopped walking.
Their eyes met in the shadows.
> "Do you know what justice is, Selene? It's a weapon wielded by those in power. I'm merely reclaiming that weapon."
She looked away, unable to meet his gaze for long.
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The Seed of Doubt
That night, as Kael planned his next move, he sensed a weakness he had not anticipated: Selene was no longer an unwavering ally.
Her silence, her sighs, her averted glances… all betrayed a heart in conflict.
He knew she now wavered between admiration and revulsion.
And in that doubt, Kael saw a danger no illusion could erase.
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A Shadow Looms
Far away, rumors were already spreading: whispers of outsiders seeking to profit from Calvenne's division, of bounty hunters drawn by the reward on Kael's head.
The city was a fruit too ripe, and soon, other hands than his would reach to pluck it.
Kael, watching the flames of a lantern flicker above the rooftops, whispered to himself:
> "The hour approaches. And when the mask falls… it won't be mine, but this city's."
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