The celebrated small wins

The capture of a Nine Dragons officer, the leaks exposing corruption, and the fractures forming within their enemies. The Nine Dragons reasserted their dominance, tightening their grip on the city, striking back harder than ever. The Old Dragons sought to reclaim their lost power, convinced they could still control the game.

But none of them saw the full picture. As the factions moved their pieces, a deeper truth began to surface—these battles were not their own. Every step, every decision, every clash had been subtly guided. Manipulated. Controlled. Somewhere, beyond their reach, an unseen force watched as the war unfolded exactly as planned. The factions thought they were fighting for power, for justice, for survival. They had never realized they were only playing someone else’s game.