The shadows released us into silence.
Cold air.
Stone walls.
A place far from Camelot… and far from Merlin's sight.
I stepped forward slowly, the faint ache in my body reminding me of something I had almost forgotten—limits. Not permanent. Not absolute. But present.
For now.
Behind me, Angor Rot emerged from the darkness, silent as ever, his form flickering slightly as the strain of battle settled into stillness.
I exhaled softly.
"We withdraw," I murmured. "We recover. And then…"
My eyes darkened.
"We escalate."
The chamber shifted as I willed it.
Shadows parted, revealing another presence.
A familiar one.
Morgause
My sister.
She stood near the center of the room, regal, composed, her eyes immediately locking onto me with sharp intelligence. She had already felt it—the disturbance in magic, the clash in Camelot.
"You've changed," Morgause said quietly.
Not a question.
An observation.
I smiled faintly.
"I've evolved."
Her gaze flicked briefly to Angor Rot, then back to me. She understood immediately—this was no simple rebellion. No emotional outburst.
This was calculated.
Dangerous.
Deliberate.
"You attacked Camelot," she said.
"Yes."
"And Merlin?"
I paused for a fraction of a second.
"…Is still standing."
That was all she needed to hear.
Morgause stepped closer, her expression sharpening with interest rather than fear.
"Then you're not here to surrender."
A soft laugh escaped me.
"Hardly."
I turned, letting shadows curl lazily around my fingers as I began to pace.
"Camelot will fall," I said calmly. "Not today. Not recklessly. But it will fall."
Morgause watched me carefully.
"And how do you intend to accomplish that?"
I stopped.
Slowly turned back toward her.
And for the first time since the battle…
I laid the plan bare.
"Power alone isn't enough," I said. "Not against Merlin. Not while he holds influence, foresight, and the loyalty of Camelot."
I gestured outward slightly.
"So I change the game."
"An army," Morgause said immediately.
I smiled.
"Exactly."
But not just any army.
That was the difference between her and me.
"I don't need numbers," I continued. "I need force multipliers."
Morgause tilted her head slightly.
"Explain."
I raised a hand.
Shadows formed above my palm—shifting, shaping into images. Possibilities.
"Undead," I said first.
The shadows twisted into skeletal forms.
"Loyal. Tireless. Disposable."
They shifted again.
Creatures. Twisted. Monstrous.
"Constructs. Shadow-born entities. Creatures shaped by magic itself."
Another shift.
Figures in armor.
"Mercenaries. Disillusioned knights. Those who already doubt Arthur's rule."
The shadows dissolved.
"And above all…"
My voice lowered slightly.
"Control."
Morgause's eyes sharpened.
"You plan to rule them. Completely."
Sauron's influence stirred within me.
Ancient. Absolute.
"Yes."
Silence hung between us for a moment.
Then—
Morgause smiled.
"Now you sound like a queen."
I stepped closer to her, my expression calm but filled with quiet intensity.
"This isn't rebellion anymore," I said. "This is conquest."
Behind me, Angor Rot stood motionless, his presence a constant reminder of what I already possessed—absolute control over a deadly force.
But he was only the beginning.
"If I am to take Camelot," I continued, "I will need more than power. More than skill."
My eyes gleamed faintly with violet light.
"I will need inevitability."
Morgause folded her arms.
"And what do you need from me?"
I didn't hesitate.
"Support. Resources. Influence."
A pause.
"And your magic."
She studied me carefully.
Weighed the risks.
Measured the ambition.
Then she nodded.
"Very well," Morgause said. "If Camelot is to fall…"
Her lips curved slightly.
"…then we will make sure it falls properly."
A slow, satisfied smile spread across my face.
Good.
I turned slightly, shadows already beginning to gather once more as my mind accelerated into planning.
Armies to raise.
Forces to build.
Strategies to refine.
Merlin had power.
Arthur had a kingdom.
But I…
I was about to build a war.
And when I returned to Camelot…
It wouldn't be as a challenger.
It would be as something far worse.