Shadows in the Dark

Seraphine moved through the dimly lit corridors, her breath steady despite the weight of what she carried. The revelation of the lost heir had shifted everything. She could no longer act with the same calculated patience—too many forces were already in motion.

She adjusted the hood of her cloak, slipping unnoticed past the palace guards. Her meeting had to be done in secret. If Kaelith discovered her absence, it would raise too many questions she wasn't yet prepared to answer.

But the moment she stepped into the secluded chamber, she knew she was not alone.

A slow clap echoed from the shadows. "You always did have a knack for secrecy, Seraphine. But even the best spies leave a trail."

Her pulse quickened, and she turned sharply, her dagger already in hand. A figure emerged from the darkness, his piercing eyes glinting with amusement. He was dressed in noble attire, but there was an undeniable danger in the way he carried himself—confident, assured, and utterly unfazed by her presence.

"You," she whispered, her grip tightening. "Why are you here?"

The man took a measured step forward, his lips curling into a smirk. "Because you've just uncovered something that threatens the very foundation of this empire. And I cannot allow that to go unchecked."

Seraphine refused to back down. "You think you can stop me?"

He chuckled. "Stop you? No. But I can make things... complicated."

Tension crackled between them, a battle of wills neither was willing to lose.

Seraphine squared her shoulders. "Then I suppose the game has truly begun."

To be continued…