PACT OF SHADOWS

The tavern fell deathly silent as Riven's dark presence enveloped the room. The stench of blood and sweat mingled with the suffocating pressure of his aura. It wasn't a mere force of will—it was the weight of a thousand unspoken promises, the culmination of betrayal, pain, and the hunger for vengeance.

Kael's smirk remained, but his eyes flickered with a hint of calculation. There was something about Riven now—something different. No longer the noble knight he had once known, but a shadow given flesh, a king in the making.

"Let me guess," Kael said, swirling his wine. "You want me to fight for you. The prince of shadows needs a soldier, after all. What makes you think I'll bend to your will, little prince?"

Riven's crimson eyes flashed, the darkness around him deepening. "You've already bent to your own desires, Kael. The question is, how far are you willing to fall to get what you want?"

Kael's smirk faltered ever so slightly. He had known Riven once—had even respected him—but now… now Riven was something far more dangerous than the boy who had once pledged loyalty to Valcrest's ideals. The abyss had claimed him, and Kael wasn't sure if that was a curse or a blessing.

Riven leaned forward, his voice low but unyielding. "I can give you power—true power. Not the petty schemes of noble houses or the hollow promises of kings. I can give you an empire built on the blood of your enemies. I can give you the strength to crush anyone who dares to stand against you."

The air in the room thickened, the shadows dancing at Riven's feet as if they were alive, hungry. Kael's eyes narrowed. He had seen power before, had tasted it on his own terms. But what Riven was offering... it was different. It was the abyss itself.

"And what do you want in return, prince?" Kael asked, his voice colder than the wine in his glass.

Riven's smile was a slow, calculating thing. "Your loyalty," he said, the words a sharp edge. "And your soldiers. The Veil Syndicate is mine to command now. If you want your place in the new world I'm building, you'll fight for it."

Kael stared at him for a long moment, then slowly placed his glass down on the table. "You're a dangerous man now, Riven Aldric. But I'm not a fool. I know the taste of power... and I can't resist the offer you've made."

Riven's grin grew sharper, almost predatory. "Good. Because I don't have time for games, Kael. I'm coming for Valcrest. And I'm going to burn it to the ground."

The flicker of a smile tugged at the corner of Kael's lips, and for the first time in years, he felt the stirrings of excitement. A kingdom was about to fall—and it would fall under Riven's command.

"Then we have a deal," Kael said, his voice low and dark. "For now."

As Riven stood, his abyssal presence filled the room, commanding not just the shadows but the very hearts of those who would follow him. He was no longer the man who had once fought for honor. He was something far greater.

The prince of shadows had found his first ally in the Veil Syndicate. And now, with Kael by his side, the road to Valcrest was clear.

Riven turned toward the door, his every step a declaration of war. The world would burn—and he would reign over its ashes.