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Chapter 22
Calvenne had become a wounded beast.
Its streets were filled with whispers, suspicion, and wary glances. Alliances once solid now crumbled like sand slipping between fingers, while rumors of murder, conspiracies, and betrayals multiplied in the shadows.
Kael moved through this chaos like a tightrope walker above an abyss—each step measured, each action deliberate.
He knew the balance would soon break.
The Arrival of the Wolves
The bounty on his head had changed everything.
It was no longer mere opportunists or desperate men who came after him, but seasoned professionals.
The first strike came at dusk.
As he crossed a deserted square, a volley of arrows sliced through the air. Kael slid behind a stone pillar, illusions shattering like glass fragments to cover his retreat.
Three armed figures emerged from the rooftops. Their coordination was flawless, their eyes cold as steel.
Kael summoned a double of light before him. The hunters did not hesitate—striking the illusion with surgical precision.
Not amateurs… Kael thought.
The battle dragged on for long minutes.
Kael weaved illusions, barriers, and sudden strikes to disorient his assailants. Two fell under the weight of their own mistakes, skewering each other while thinking they had struck him.
But the third came close, his dagger grazing Kael's throat before the mage ended him with a burst of energy.
Breathless, Kael realized this was only the beginning.
Selene's Shadow
Back at the inn, Selene was waiting, her dark eyes fixed on him.
She noticed at once the faint red mark along his neck.
"You were attacked," she said plainly.
Kael nodded.
"The real hunters are here now."
Selene remained silent. But in that silence, Kael sensed a growing distance—like a void settling between them.
So he stepped closer, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't be afraid. As long as you stay with me, nothing will touch you."
Her reply was soft, almost a whisper:
"I don't know if it's your protection… or you yourself… that's more dangerous."
Kael held her gaze without flinching.
In her eyes he saw what he feared—an ember of uncertainty, perhaps even guilt.
The Net Tightens
In the days that followed, Calvenne sank deeper into chaos.
Clashes erupted between the City Guard and the Brotherhood of Shadows.
The Merchant Council attempted to impose stricter rules, but warehouses soon burned in retaliation.
Kael watched this chaos with the cold satisfaction of one reaping what he had sown.
Yet at the same time, he felt the net closing around him.
Each group of bounty hunters was bolder, more prepared than the last.
And Selene… Selene was nothing more than a fragile thread, swaying between loyalty and betrayal.
A Whisper in the Night
One night, alone in his room, Kael whispered as he stared at his own reflection distorted by illusion:
"All these wolves hunt me… but the worst will come from within."
And in his blazing eyes burned the certainty that he would not be devoured without blood being spilled.