Defiance

Vell sat in what had once been the Guild Leader's ornate chair, though he had unceremoniously moved it from its elevated platform down to ground level. The remaining guild masters stood before him, their once-proud postures now tinged with a deep and unsettling uncertainty.

"Let us make this simple," he said, his eyes scanning the group. "The old system is dead. You can either help me build the new one, or you can join your former leader in retirement." His smile showed a hint of his sharpened teeth. "Permanent retirement."

A few of the masters shifted uncomfortably at that. The Guild Leader's utter defeat had shaken their entire worldview, but decades of hoarded power were not so easily forgotten.

"What exactly do you expect from us?" asked Chen, one of the older members. Unlike the others, his tone held a genuine curiosity rather than just fear or resentment.