Chapter 24
Calvenne was choking on chaos.
The nights were no longer silent: they vibrated with screams, sudden battles, and schemes erupting in the heart of the streets. Flames sometimes lit up the sky, while the Merchant Council lost its authority and the City Guard splintered into rival factions.
Kael observed it all with the cold satisfaction of a puppeteer.
Every faction still believed it acted of its own free will, but he could see the whole board.
Yet one truth lingered, oppressive: the bounty.
It kept attracting new predators.
The Packs Organize
Unlike the past weeks, when hunters came in scattered groups, Kael now noticed an unsettling coordination.
Dozens of hunters gathered, trading information and resources.
A true network was forming to track him.
He realized it one night as he watched from a rooftop:
in the distance, a convoy of hunters entered the city, armed, disciplined, with symbols of different guilds engraved on their armor.
This was no longer blind hunting.
It was an organized manhunt.
Kael straightened slowly, his eyes burning in the dark.
— "So, the real game begins."
Selene Grows Distant
Back at the inn, he found Selene sitting alone, hands folded.
Her gaze avoided his, and her smile seemed forced.
— "You're late," she said in a neutral tone.
Kael approached, sitting across from her.
— "The city is on fire. There's much to manage."
She shrugged.
— "Sometimes, I wonder if you're really managing things… or just enjoying the chaos."
Silence weighed between them.
Kael held her gaze, but he felt the gap widening.
She still spoke as his ally… but her words betrayed distance.
The Plan in the Shadows
Cautious, Kael decided to leave nothing to chance.
He placed several pieces across the city:
Secret caches holding weapons and supplies.
Illusions etched into walls, ready to trigger at a signal.
Silent agreements with criminals, ready to serve as bait in case of a hunt.
All while keeping his actions hidden from Selene.
He whispered inwardly:
— "When the thread snaps, I must be the one still holding the web."
The Final Suspicion
One night, coming home, he once again caught her with a parchment in her hands.
This time, she didn't even try to hide it.
— "A letter?" Kael asked calmly.
Selene held his gaze a moment too long.
Then she simply replied:
— "Yes."
Kael tilted his head slightly, not pressing the matter.
But in his mind, the certainty cut like a cold blade:
She is already preparing her exit.
The Promise of Blood
From the roof of the inn, Kael watched the flickering lights of Calvenne.
The city was nothing more than a battlefield waiting to erupt, and he knew the decisive moment was near.
— "When the thread breaks," he murmured to himself, "blood will flow. But it won't be mine."
His eyes gleamed in the darkness, and the wind carried his words like a prophecy.