The ink was still wet on the contracts when the nobles left Lucius's estate, their heads bowed and their dignity torn apart. The council watched them go, some sneering, others smirking, each knowing the Devil's shadow had spread further than ever before. Outside the walls, whispers already carried through the streets. If nobles were crawling to Lucius, then the Devil was no longer just a figure of fear. He was becoming something greater.
Silvio gathered the signed papers and tucked them away with meticulous care. "The moment word spreads, the balance of power shifts. The crown may still sit on its throne, but its luster fades the moment nobles kneel to another. We are no longer hidden in shadows. We are building a throne in plain sight."
Victor Draemont leaned back in his chair, his grin sharp. "Let them whisper. Let them choke on their pride. Their estates, their gold, their influence all now bleed into us. The banks will not refuse me when their clients have already sworn to Lucius."
Darius cracked his knuckles, his voice heavy with satisfaction. "The nobles chose survival over honor. That is weakness, and weakness will be sharpened into a weapon. Their lives belong to him now. If they falter, their heads roll."
Ravenna laughed, her eyes gleaming with manic delight. "I love the sound of silk dragging through dirt. Shall I pay their estates a visit, Lucius? I can make sure they remember the taste of crawling whenever pride tempts them to stand."
Lucius raised a hand, silencing them with a single motion. His crimson eyes burned in the candlelight, a predator's gaze piercing the air. "Not yet. Fear has been planted. Pride must wither on its own before the roots of obedience take hold. But make no mistake, they are not allies. They are bound servants. They will learn that their protection is bought with their souls."
Selene bowed low, her chains rattling faintly. "Master, shall I watch them in secret? If they even think of betrayal, I will bring them back broken."
Lucius's lips curved into a cruel smile. "Yes, Selene. But do not break them yet. Sometimes fear grows stronger when it is allowed to breathe."
Adrian Crowe chuckled darkly. "And I will tighten the noose. Every legal avenue, every political tie they cling to will lead back to you, Lucius. The courts themselves will protect your ownership of their legacy. Even kings will hesitate to intervene when the law wears your mark."
Cain Mortalis remained silent, but the steady thud of his axe against the floor was enough to remind the hall what would happen if law and fear were not enough.
Victor leaned forward, his tone sharpening. "We should not wait too long. Other noble houses are watching. If one has crawled, the others will choose soon whether to kneel or to rebel. Their choice will decide if we have allies or corpses."
Silvio tapped the table, calculating. "Then let us use this house as bait. Their open allegiance to Lucius will draw out their rivals, perhaps even provoke resistance. Resistance can be crushed. Submission can be harvested. Either way, Lucius wins."
Ravenna's grin widened. "I prefer the crushing option."
Darius shot her a glare but said nothing. His eyes were fixed on Lucius, waiting for his command.
Lucius stood, his presence suffocating, his shadow stretching across the hall like a crown of darkness. "Let the city see. Let the nobles tremble. Let the crown itself hear whispers of who truly rules. Tonight, the Devil does not ask. He takes."
The council erupted in murmurs of approval, each member ready to play their part.
Outside, the streets churned with rumors. Merchants spoke of nobles signing away their titles. Thieves whispered that gold now flowed only through Lucius's veins. And in the noble courts, fear spread like rot in silk.
Within a week, the once-proud noble house that signed Lucius's contracts found themselves shunned by their peers. No one dared stand beside them, for to do so meant acknowledging the Devil's rise.
But Lucius knew better. Isolation was not a punishment. It was bait. The other houses, divided and afraid, would either fall one by one or come crawling together. Either way, they would bleed into his empire.
In his chambers, Lucius stood at the window, watching the city lights flicker like dying stars. "The first noble has bent," he whispered. "Soon the rest will follow. And when they do, there will be no throne left but mine."
His eyes glowed crimson against the night.
And somewhere in the city, the crown itself began to stir, realizing too late that the Devil was no longer content to rule shadows. He was climbing toward a throne made of blood, gold, and fear.