Chapter Title: A Glimmer of Hope
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Staff POV – A Million Surprises
The staff had barely begun to absorb the weight of the Supreme's demands when something unexpected occurred—something that shifted the balance of their growing anxiety.
It started as a soft ping—a tone too subtle to be noticed at first. But as the seconds ticked by, the sound increased in frequency, filling the courtyard with an unmistakable rhythm. One by one, the staff members pulled their communication devices from their pockets, wrists, and belt loops.
Each device displayed the same message:
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"Credit Deposit Notification"
Amount: 1,000,000 Blackwood Credits
From: The Supreme Command
Message: A token of your value. A gesture of loyalty. May your efforts in the service of the Blackwood Empire be rewarded."
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For a moment, the courtyard fell into complete silence. Then, chaos erupted.
Marta blinked at her screen in disbelief. "One million? One million?!"
She felt dizzy. She had barely made enough to cover her rent this month, let alone purchase anything extravagant. And now… now her account had a balance that was higher than her entire life's worth.
She glanced at the others—eyes wide, mouths agape. The quietest ones were the first to express their shock, but even the most hardened palace veterans couldn't mask their surprise.
They all held up their devices, staring at the newly deposited sum with the same disbelief.
"I… I don't know what to say." Kofi, the palace engineer, mumbled. "This can't be real. It's too much."
But it was real. His device beeped again, confirming the transaction. One million Blackwood Credits.
Across the courtyard, Jasira, the former officer, looked at her device with a stoic face. But inside, her heart raced. This wasn't just a gift. This was a statement. Chris Blackwood wasn't just a ruler. He was a man who knew how to keep his people in check, how to remind them of their place.
Still…
She couldn't help but wonder if this was part of the test. Was the gift meant to soften them up? A little sweetness before the sting of the grand ball and the expectation that would follow?
But as she thought more about it, she realized one important thing: This gift wasn't a charity. It was an investment. Chris Blackwood had just paid them to be more than just his staff—he had just placed them into a higher class, made them stakeholders in his empire's ongoing growth.
Efe, the palace guard, stared at his screen with a furrowed brow. This was different. He wasn't used to gifts like this. He was used to being a tool—a weapon in the empire's arsenal. But this?
One million credits.
For a moment, he imagined what he could do with it. His mother's medical bills, the thought flashed in his mind, and with it came a deep sense of responsibility. But the gift also made him realize something else: The Supreme wanted more than just their service. He wanted their loyalty, their dedication in ways that reached far beyond what any of them had ever expected.
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As the initial wave of shock settled, the staff began to whisper among themselves, their voices growing louder with each passing second.
"What is this? What does it mean?" someone asked.
"How can he afford to give away so much?" another replied.
"This is… this is power," someone else muttered.
But one thing was clear: They had been given a chance to step into the fold, to prove they were worthy of the wealth and opportunities that the Blackwood Empire promised.
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Back at the front, Mica, the accountant, stood silent. The sound of the pings seemed distant to him, but the sudden flood of wealth hit him harder than anyone else.
What does this mean for me?
He couldn't help but wonder if this wasn't just a reward—but a message.
The Supreme... he thought, feeling a deep respect for the man. He knows exactly how to keep us in line. But he also gives us a chance to rise higher. The empire doesn't just demand loyalty. It rewards it in ways that go beyond anything we could have imagined.
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The invitation to the ball felt different now. It wasn't just a command. It was an opportunity. And with the million credits now sitting in their accounts, there was no longer any question of their worth. They were now tied to the Blackwood name in ways they couldn't have foreseen.
They had a choice: Either they rose to meet the Supreme's expectations, or they crumbled beneath them.
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Amara, the maid, held her phone tightly, her fingers shaking as she read the message again. She looked around at the other staff, her eyes wide with awe. What do I do with this? she wondered. Where do I even begin?
And yet, despite the uncertainty, despite the looming threat of having to meet the Supreme's expectations… she felt something stir inside her—a feeling that had always been too far out of reach.
Power.
The kind she had never imagined could belong to someone like her.
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With one final look at the glowing figures on their screens, the staff began to disperse, each person lost in their thoughts, trying to make sense of the new reality they now faced.
The ball, the gifts, the loyalty—it was all tied together, intricately designed to test their worth.
And as Jasira thought, They will be watching us. All of us.
But somehow, for the first time in their lives, it felt like they were no longer invisible.
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