crown of self-interest

The tension in the air was palpable as Zaros strode through the grand halls of the Arcane Citadel. The echoes of his boots against the stone floor reverberated like the ticking of a clock, each step marking the inexorable march toward his final ascension. The rituals of the past had only been the prelude—preparation for what was to come.

His mind, now sharper and more precise than ever, raced with calculations and contingencies. He could feel the power of his new abilities surging within him, a well of energy that seemed endless. Illusions had always been a part of his repertoire, but now, they were so finely tuned that reality itself seemed malleable in his hands. Zaros had transcended the limitations of ordinary magic; he could now manipulate perception, time, and space with the ease of a master weaver crafting intricate patterns from the threads of the universe.

He stopped in front of a large iron door that led to the Citadel’s council chamber. Within were his closest allies and his most trusted subordinates—those who had stood by him during the long, arduous process of his rise to power. The ones who had proved themselves worthy of his vision.

Zaros’s hand lingered on the door for a moment. A sliver of his old self—the man who had risen from humble beginnings, who had once understood the warmth of companionship—tried to surface. But that part of him was gone now, consumed by the cold, relentless logic of a mind bent on absolute control. He had no use for sentimentality. Not anymore.

He pushed the door open.

Inside, the council chamber was dimly lit, the only illumination coming from the soft glow of enchanted orbs hanging from the ceiling. His subordinates, seated around a circular table, rose as he entered, their faces a mix of reverence and wariness. They had felt the shift in power. They knew that Zaros was no longer the man he had once been. His presence was overwhelming now—his aura, suffused with both arcane energy and an unnerving calm, commanded the room without the need for words.

There were five of them in total, each representing a different faction or force that Zaros had either co-opted or subdued in his ascent.

The first was the enigmatic figure from the Aetherborn, a mage whose mastery of raw aether had made them indispensable in Zaros’s rise. Their face, obscured by a silver mask, revealed nothing, but the tension in their posture betrayed an unease. They had witnessed Zaros’s ascension firsthand, and while they had pledged loyalty, there was always an edge of caution in their interactions. The Aetherborn had always been fiercely independent, their great houses vying for power amongst themselves. Zaros had shattered that structure, uniting them under his rule through sheer force of will and strategic manipulation.

Next was the representative of the Verdant Communion, a tall, lean figure with sharp, angular features. They had been one of the first to fall in line after witnessing Zaros’s manipulation of the natural world’s forces. For them, the balance of nature had always been paramount, but Zaros had proven that even nature could be bent to his will. They remained loyal, though Zaros sensed a lingering resentment beneath the surface—an awareness that their choice had been one of survival, not of true allegiance.

At the far end of the table sat two figures from the Iron Dominion, a civilization once known for its technological superiority. They had once been Zaros’s fiercest opponents, but after their defeat, they had no choice but to serve. Now, their leader, a cold and calculating technomancer, watched Zaros with steely eyes. He had been stripped of much of his former power, reduced to a mere shadow of what he once was, but his mind remained a formidable asset. Zaros had found use for him, knowing that even a broken enemy could be a valuable tool.

The last figure at the table was perhaps the most dangerous—the rogue sorcerer from the Twilight Consortium. Their loyalties were always shifting, their motivations as murky as the shadows they controlled. But Zaros had kept them close, understanding that unpredictability, when harnessed correctly, could be a powerful weapon. The sorcerer met his gaze with a smirk, as if they alone were immune to the gravity of the situation. Zaros allowed it, for now. They served a purpose, and that was enough.

Zaros stepped forward, his eyes sweeping across the room. The silence was thick, oppressive, and intentional. He wanted them to feel it—to understand the weight of what was about to happen.

“Tonight,” he began, his voice smooth, yet laced with an undertone of cold finality, “we stand on the edge of a new era. The ritual was but a step, a necessary one, in the pursuit of something far greater.”

He paused, letting his words sink in, watching as the various figures around the table shifted uneasily in their seats. They were all powerful in their own right, but here, in this room, before him, they were small. They knew it. He knew it.

“The balance of power has shifted,” Zaros continued, his gaze locking onto the Aetherborn representative. “The Great Houses of the Aetherborn have been united under a single banner for the first time in centuries. And yet, this is only the beginning.”

The Aetherborn mage inclined their head slightly, acknowledging the truth of his words. Zaros had dismantled their carefully maintained power structure, but it was with precision, not cruelty. He had shown them a future where their fragmented ambitions could be redirected toward something far grander—under his rule, of course.

Turning to the Verdant Communion’s representative, Zaros allowed a small smile to touch his lips. “The natural world bends, but it does not break. I have shown you this. The forces you once believed immutable have proven malleable. The question now is: how far are you willing to bend before you snap?”

The Verdant representative narrowed their eyes but remained silent. They knew better than to argue now, especially in this place, where Zaros’s power was absolute.

“And the Iron Dominion,” Zaros said, his gaze shifting to the technomancer. “Your machines, your technology—it is impressive, but it is not enough. You now see the value in combining it with magic, something you once believed unnecessary. This fusion will propel you forward, far beyond what you could have achieved alone.”

The technomancer gave a slight nod, though his face remained impassive. He was a man of logic, not emotion, and while he might hate Zaros for what had happened, he could not deny the truth of his words.

Finally, Zaros’s eyes fell on the Twilight Consortium’s rogue sorcerer. “And you,” he said, his voice lowering slightly, “your shadows have been useful. But be careful—those who dwell too long in the dark may find that the light is far less forgiving than they remember.”

The rogue sorcerer chuckled softly, seemingly unfazed, but Zaros could sense the flicker of uncertainty behind their mask of bravado.

“I have brought each of you here because you represent the future of this world,” Zaros continued, stepping closer to the table. “Together, we will reshape it. But make no mistake—there is no room for dissent. The path I have set us on is one of inevitability. You will follow, or you will fall.”

His words hung in the air like a heavy fog, suffocating any thoughts of rebellion. He had not needed to raise his voice, nor had he resorted to threats. The message was clear. They were bound to him now, by power, by necessity, by fate.

As he turned to leave, Zaros paused at the door, casting one final glance over his shoulder. “Prepare yourselves. The next phase is already in motion.”

With that, he left the chamber, his mind already turning to the next step in his plan. The ritual had been a success, but the real work was just beginning. His enemies were gathering, their movements predictable, their alliances fragile. He would break them, one by one, until there was nothing left to oppose him.

The world was his, whether it knew it yet or not.