Lord of Deception

The scent of burning parchment lingered in the war room. A single candle flickered atop the round table where maps lay unfurled, marked with the red ink of bloodshed. Kael sat at the head, his fingers tapping idly against the wooden surface. His forces had crushed Lucian's army, but the war was far from over.

Victory required patience. And patience was something Kael had mastered over two lifetimes.

Footsteps echoed beyond the chamber doors. He already knew who it was before they opened.

Selene.

She stepped inside, her silk gown flowing behind her, her golden hair reflecting the dim firelight. Yet, it wasn't her beauty that held Kael's attention—it was the look in her eyes.

Something had changed.

He leaned back in his chair, smirking. "Couldn't sleep?"

She hesitated, standing just within the doorway. "What have you done to me?"

Kael raised an eyebrow. "You'll have to be more specific."

Her fists clenched at her sides. "I swore myself to Lucian. I fought beside him, believed in him. But now… I feel nothing when I think of him. Nothing but—"

She stopped herself.

Kael stood, walking toward her, slow and deliberate. "But what?"

Selene's breathing quickened. "But doubt."

Kael circled her like a shadow. "And what do you feel when you think of me?"

She swallowed hard, looking away. He reached out, fingers brushing against her arm, and she flinched—but not in fear.

"Hatred," she whispered. "And something worse."

Kael smirked. Good.

"You were his light," he said, voice soft, almost hypnotic. "His unshakable pillar. Yet, here you are, standing in the dark… with me."

Selene closed her eyes, her nails digging into her palms. "You did this to me. Twisted my mind."

Kael tilted his head. "Did I?"

Silence.

Selene's resolve was breaking. Kael knew it. She knew it.

He leaned closer, whispering against her ear. "Tell me to stop, and I will."

Her lips parted, but no words came.

Kael smirked. He turned away, leaving her trembling in the dim glow of the candlelight. "Go back to him, then," he said. "If you still believe in him."

Selene stood frozen.

And for the first time, she didn't leave.

Lucian's Reckless Gamble

Elsewhere, Lucian stood before his generals, his armor dented, his face shadowed with exhaustion. The defeat had rattled them all, but the fire in Lucian's eyes had only grown fiercer.

"We strike at dawn," he declared.

General Markus frowned. "My lord, our forces are weakened. We need time—"

"We don't have time," Lucian interrupted. "Kael won't wait for us to recover. We must take the fight to him before he consolidates his victory."

The room was tense. Lucian had always been a careful leader, strategic in every move. But tonight, there was something dangerous in his gaze.

Desperation.

"Selene will rally the soldiers," Lucian continued. "She is the heart of this army."

Silence.

Then, Captain Roland cleared his throat. "My lord… Lady Selene has not been seen since the battle."

Lucian froze.

"What?"

The captain hesitated. "She… left camp last night. No word since."

Lucian's heart pounded. He refused to believe it. Selene would never abandon him. Never.

His hands curled into fists. "Find her. Now."

But deep down, a seed of fear took root in his mind.

What if she didn't want to be found?

Kael's Ultimate Move

The night was silent when Kael entered the chamber of mirrors. A place of forgotten magic. A place of revelations.

As he stepped inside, the reflective surfaces shimmered, shifting into fragmented visions of the future. Possibilities stretched out before him—some glorious, others bathed in ruin.

And in the center, one image burned brightest.

Selene. Kneeling before him.

A wicked grin curved his lips.

Everything was falling into place.

Tomorrow, Lucian would come for her.

And tomorrow, he would lose everything.

To be continued.....