The world, which had just recently snapped back into a semblance of sense, fractured all over again.
Seraphina Vane.
The ambitious ducal daughter. My new ally. The woman I had just kissed, whose will I thought I had conquered.
A puppet master.
The pieces clicked into place with horrifying clarity. Why was Seraphina at the palace today, a year before our engagement was scheduled? Why did she so logically and helpfully suggest the Alchemist Guild, pointing Lyra directly towards Jian Yue, the vessel of the remnant soul? She wasn't an observer analyzing the game; she was a player, subtly guiding the pieces into position.
Her 'interest' in me wasn't because of my power. It was the calculated move of a predator who had just seen one of her assets (Lin Feng) get captured by an unknown variable (me). She wasn't drawn to my ambition; she was getting close to the man who now held her pawn in his dungeon.
The kiss, my moment of conquest, felt like a fool's gambit in retrospect. Had I conquered her will, or had she simply allowed it, a tactical concession to get inside my guard?
My mind raced, re-evaluating every interaction. Lyra, for all her future knowledge, was a direct and emotional player. Her hatred for me was a palpable thing. Lin Feng was a blunt instrument, a weapon of raw, arrogant power.
But Seraphina… she was a true shadow. A manipulator who played both sides against the middle. She was using Lyra's regression and Lin Feng's demonic destiny for her own ends. But what were those ends? Was she also allied with the Netherworld? Or was she a third faction entirely, with her own source of power and information?
My blood ran cold. I had thought I was the only player with a cosmic cheat code. What if I was wrong?
I didn't let the shock show on my face. I maintained my calm, purposeful stride as I left the Emperor's study. The guards I needed were waiting, their expressions grim.
"By order of the Emperor, the prisoner is now in my custody," I said, my voice leaving no room for argument. "Take me to the Sky-Cell."
The journey to the top of the highest palace spire was a silent one. The Sky-Cell wasn't a dungeon of bars and stone, but a cage of pure, solidified wind-essence, hovering in the open air, exposed to the howling gales a thousand feet above the ground. It was designed to suppress a cultivator's Qi and leave them at the mercy of the elements.
Lin Feng was inside, chained to the floor, his hair whipped by the wind. His face was a mask of cold fury. His overclocked halo had faded, the adrenaline of the fight gone, leaving him just a "normal" Foundation Establishment prodigy. A prodigy, but a mortal one.
When he saw me, his eyes blazed. "You! You think these chains can hold me? When I get out of here, I will—"
"You will do nothing," I cut him off, stepping right up to the edge of the cage. "You are no longer the hero of the hour. You are a nameless prisoner in a secret dungeon, and your fate is entirely in my hands. The world you thought you were the center of? It has already forgotten you."
"The princess will not let you do this!" he snarled.
"The princess is far too busy explaining to our father why she seems to be connected to every traitor and intruder that appears in the palace," I said with a dismissive wave. "Her credibility is, at the moment, rather low."
His face paled slightly. I had struck a nerve. He was counting on her.
"I am moving you," I informed him. "To a place with less of a view, and far less hope." I turned to the guards. "Unchain him. Keep him suppressed. If he so much as twitches, break his legs."
The transfer to the Black Cells beneath the old cistern was conducted in absolute secrecy. We moved through forgotten servant passages and dusty tunnels. This was my personal dungeon now, the place where I had devoured a demon. It was fitting that it would become my rival's cage.
The cell was simple: stone walls, no light, a heavy, rune-etched iron door. We threw him inside. As the guards chained him to the wall, I leaned in close, my voice a low whisper only he could hear.
"Welcome to your new home, little brother."
The look of pure, unadulterated shock on his face was more satisfying than any victory in the duel. I had just dropped a bomb on his entire identity. Before he could process it, I turned and left.
"No one enters without my express permission," I told the guards stationed outside. "No one. Not the Crown Prince. Not the Princess. Understood?"
"Yes, Your Highness," they affirmed, their loyalty now absolute. The Emperor's decree was law.
With my prisoner secured, it was time to address the true threat. I needed to understand Seraphina's game. Confronting her directly was foolish. I needed to gather information. I needed a spy.
And I knew just the one.
I returned to my chambers, the first hints of dawn painting the sky. My victory banquet felt like a lifetime ago.
I sat down and pulled out a simple, elegant piece of parchment. It was a formal invitation card.
I wrote:
Lady Seraphina,
Your insight last night was invaluable. The situation is far more complex than it appears.
I believe there are factions at play that even my father is unaware of.
I require the counsel of a sharp mind I can trust.
Meet me at the Whispering Bridge at noon.
Alone.
K.
It was a baited hook. I was appealing to her ambition, her intelligence, and her desire to be on the inside of a grand conspiracy. I was offering her the illusion of being my confidante, my partner.
I sealed the invitation and handed it to a trusted attendant. "Deliver this to the Vane estate. Directly into the hands of Lady Seraphina's personal maid. No one else."
With the message sent, I turned my attention to the final piece of the puzzle. The system had been quiet, but I knew it was working.
"System," I said. "Report. What have you learned from the blood analysis about Seraphina's spiritual trace inside Lin Feng's soul?"
The system's response was swift, and it opened a door to a possibility more terrifying and wonderful than I could have imagined.
[ANALYSIS COMPLETE.]
[The spiritual trace is a 'Guidance Imprint'. It is not a control mechanism, but a subtle marker that influences the target's subconscious, guiding them towards opportunities that benefit the imprinter.]
[The nature of the imprint is highly advanced, utilizing principles of karmic destiny and soul-weaving that are not native to this realm.]
[CROSS-REFERENCING IMPRINT SIGNATURE WITH NEXUS CODEX DATABASE...]
...
...
[!!! CRITICAL MATCH FOUND !!!]
[The signature of the Guidance Imprint is consistent with the 'Scribe of Correction' class of System Users.]
[Conclusion: Seraphina Vane is not a puppet master for the Netherworld.]
[She is a regressor, just like Lyra. But more importantly... she is also a System user.]