The dinner ended without further incident. General Ryan had laughed too loudly, drank too much wine, and seemed utterly unaware of the silent chains shifting beneath his very nose.
Lucius, calm as ever, excused himself once the plates were cleared.
The secretary waited just outside the general's quarters, his expression tense. He fell into step beside Lucius as they walked through the dimly lit halls of Lumious.
The night air outside was cold, the kind of sharp chill that crept under the skin.
For a while, neither spoke. The secretary kept glancing sideways at Lucius, his lips pressed into a thin line as if holding back words.
Finally, he bit down on his lip hard enough to draw blood.
"…What did you do? The shackles… they feel lighter. I don't feel… I don't feel the urge to follow the general anymore."
His voice trembled.
Lucius gave him a sideways glance, unbothered.
"I modified the contract. The bindings are no longer tied to Ryan. They belong to me now."
