Midgar's nobles prided themselves on control. Theirs was a city of masks, where politics danced behind gilded doors, and blood was shed in shadows, never in the open.
Selene Varadis shattered that illusion.
At dusk, Kael's spies returned, their whispers sharp with urgency.
"She has struck… Sovereign. In the noble quarter. At the grand steps of the council hall."
Kael's violet eyes narrowed.
"She burned them."
By the time Kael arrived, the air reeked of ash and charred flesh.
The council hall loomed, its marble columns blackened by fire. At the foot of the grand steps, corpses smoldered—ten men, stripped to their underclothes, their bodies marked with violet paint scrawled crudely into shadow-like patterns.
Kael's jaw tightened. Imitations of my mark.
Crowds gathered at a distance, whispering in horror.
"They said… they said it was the Monarch's doing…""He burned them alive… in front of everyone…""Even nobles aren't safe now…"
Guards struggled to hold the line, pushing citizens back. No one moved forward to extinguish the corpses. Fear smothered the square.
And there, upon the top step, stood Selene Varadis. Silver hair gleaming, crimson blade sheathed, her expression calm and cold.
She addressed the guards, but her voice carried to the crowd.
"This is the fate of those who follow the false shadow. He devours without reason, kills without mercy. The Monarch is no savior. He is the end of us all."
The crowd trembled, caught between horror and belief.
Kael watched from the rooftops, hidden among the chimneys. His shadows whispered restlessly, begging for command.
He raised a hand, silencing them. His gaze fixed on Selene.
So this is your counter, Hand of the Veil. Turn the people's fear against me. Paint my mark with your fire.
His lips curved faintly. Then let us see whose mask the people believe.
Back in his cathedral, Kael stood before his legion.
"She escalates," he said, his tone calm, deliberate. "She burns her own pawns in my name. She turns spectacle into weapon."
The shadows murmured, restless.
Kael's voice cut through them like a blade. "Then we will answer with truth. The people must see the difference between her fire and my shadow. They must see corruption laid bare."
He turned toward his spies. "Spread word quietly. Tomorrow, the Cult will be revealed—not as rumor, not as symbol, but as flesh and blood."
The spies bowed low.
Kael's violet gaze sharpened. "If Selene wants a stage… I will take it from her."
Elsewhere, Selene Varadis sat in the Vellor estate's grand hall, sipping wine as her crimson guards reported.
"The city whispers of the Monarch. They fear him now. Even the nobles demand the council act."
Selene smiled faintly, silver eyes gleaming. "Fear is a leash. And soon, even the council will wear it."
Her gaze hardened. "The Monarch wanted to play in shadow. Let him try to hide when the city itself hunts him."
High on the roof of the ruined cathedral, Cid sat cross-legged, watching Kael through a gap in the shattered glass.
His crimson eyes gleamed with amusement. "So the Hand of the Veil burns bodies and points her finger at you. Clever. She's not dumb muscle. She knows how to act."
He smirked. "But you… you don't just react, do you?"
Cid leaned forward, chin resting on his fist, as Kael's legion rose in unison, their whispers echoing through the ruin.
"Oh yes," Cid murmured. "You're building something bigger. A myth versus a myth."
His grin widened.
"And I want front-row seats."
Kael stood before his army, the Eye of Dusk pulsing at his chest. Its rhythm was steady now, in perfect sync with his heart.
Tomorrow, the city would not whisper lies. Tomorrow, it would see truth.
Kael raised his hand, shadows swelling around him like a storm.
"The Cult believes it controls perception. Selene believes she can dictate fear. But tomorrow, Midgar will learn that shadows are not lies. Shadows are truth, unblinking, eternal."
His voice resonated, violet flame burning in his eyes.
"And the Sovereign decides what truth the world remembers."
The cathedral shook with the roar of a thousand whispers:
By your will, Sovereign.