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Chapter 19
Rain fell upon Calvenne like a gray veil, washing the streets of dust and sweat, but unable to cleanse the atmosphere of fear settling over the city.
Once vibrant, the city was now slowly consuming itself, a victim of its own fractures.
Kael, still cloaked in his dark mantle and protected by his illusion, observed the flow of people from a high terrace.
He did not see a city in suffering. To him, it was an almost completed painting. And the colors of chaos glowed brilliantly.
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Whispers That Kill
Rumors now spread faster than the wind.
A merchant of the Council had been found dead, poisoned during a banquet. The Guard already accused the Brotherhoods.
A captain had mysteriously disappeared, his men whispering of betrayal and flight.
And in the lower districts, artisans sang ballads where the names of invisible enemies echoed in the shadows.
Every new incident bore the invisible mark of Kael.
He no longer needed to act directly: the city's own powers were killing each other on their own.
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The Echo of Doubts
Yet within his inner circle, the fissures grew deeper.
Selene was no longer the same.
She still followed him, still carried out her tasks, still aided him in his manipulations… but her eyes spoke more than her actions.
One evening, as they watched the city from a rooftop, she spoke in a low voice:
> "Kael… how much longer do you intend to keep playing with them?"
He remained silent for a moment, the wind brushing across the tiles.
> "Until the city collapses. Until nothing remains but ashes and broken chains."
> "And then?" she asked, her gaze gleaming strangely.
"Then… I'll leave. For this city will have nothing left to offer me."
Selene lowered her eyes, her fingers tightening around the railing.
A heavy silence settled between them.
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The Mask Cracks
In the week that followed, Kael noticed details he could not ignore.
Selene sometimes disappeared for hours, claiming she had contacts to meet.
She asked more questions than before—about his plans, his true intentions.
And above all, her tone carried a new distance, a cold restraint he had never felt from her.
He said nothing.
He simply watched.
And he waited.
For Kael knew better than anyone: the most dangerous enemy is not the one who stands before you… but the one who shares your table.
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The Shadow of Hunters
Meanwhile, a troubling rumor spread through taverns and markets: bounty hunters from outside had crossed into the city.
Their objective was clear—capture the man whose face adorned the wanted posters.
A face now hidden by illusion, but whose legend only grew stronger.
Kael was aware.
The net was tightening.
And as he saw Selene drift further away from him, he understood that the hour of truth was drawing near.
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A Cold Certainty
That night, alone in his chamber, Kael stared at his reflection in the warped mirror distorted by illusion.
He touched the magical veil and whispered:
> "Let them come. Let them betray me. I will not falter."
And in his eyes already burned the light of one who was preparing not merely to survive… but to crush.
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