Lord of Deception

The city was in turmoil.

Smoke rose from the streets.

Protests raged outside the Valmerith Cathedral.

The Hero, the man once worshiped as the hand of the gods, now stood as a symbol of corruption and hypocrisy.

Even the Church's most loyal believers had started to whisper:

"Was he ever truly divine?"

"Did the gods ever favor him?"

The weight of their stares, their doubts, their betrayal—it all crashed upon the Hero like a suffocating tide.

He knelt in the cathedral, his bloodstained hands trembling.

High Priest Gregorin loomed over him, his once-kind face twisted in fury.

"You were supposed to restore faith," Gregorin hissed. "Instead, you've turned our people against us!"

The Hero's fists clenched. "I was only—"

"Silence!"

Gregorin's voice echoed through the cathedral halls, sharp and commanding.

"You do not speak. You listen."

The Hero had never seen Gregorin like this before.

The High Priest had always been his mentor, his guide, his closest confidant.

But now?

Now, Gregorin looked at him as if he were nothing.

"You have disgraced the gods," Gregorin continued. "The nobles are already whispering of stripping you of your title."

The Hero's eyes widened. Stripping him of his title?

No. That couldn't happen.

If he lost the Church's support—if he lost his status as the Hero—then what was he?

Just a man.

Just a pawn, cast aside.

Gregorin exhaled sharply. "You will leave the city at once. Until you cleanse your soul of this stain, you are no longer the Holy Blade of Eternia."

The words cut deeper than any sword.

The Hero had been exiled.

"He's been cast out."

Evelyne delivered the news with a smirk, watching Kael sip his wine in quiet satisfaction.

He set his glass down, his expression unreadable.

"Perfect."

Evelyne raised an eyebrow. "I expected a bigger reaction. This is everything you wanted, isn't it?"

Kael leaned forward, his fingers tapping against the polished wooden table.

"It's not enough to break the Hero's title. I need to break him."

Evelyne crossed her arms. "And how do you plan to do that?"

Kael's smirk returned.

"The Hero will seek refuge somewhere, someone to comfort him—"

His voice lowered.

"—and that someone will be her."

Evelyne's smirk faltered. "You mean… the Hero's lover?"

Kael nodded.

The Hero had lost his reputation. His status. His divine authority.

Now, it was time to take his heart.

The rain poured heavily outside the small cottage.

The Hero sat by the window, his armor stripped away, his sword resting against the wall.

For the first time in his life, he felt lost.

Useless.

Everything he had fought for, everything he had believed in, had been ripped from him.

And the worst part?

He wasn't sure if he had the will to fight anymore.

A gentle voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Come inside. You'll catch a cold."

The Hero turned, his eyes softening as he saw her.

The woman he had loved for years. The woman who had always stood beside him.

She smiled, offering him a warm towel.

"You're not alone," she whispered.

And for the first time in days, the Hero felt a flicker of hope.

He still had her.

But what he didn't know… was that her fate had already been sealed.

Evelyne ran a hand through her hair, watching Kael write a letter.

"A love letter?" she teased.

Kael chuckled, sealing the parchment with his personal insignia.

"Not quite. Just… the right words to plant the first seed of doubt in her mind."

He handed the letter to a messenger.

"Deliver this to her. Ensure she reads it in secret."

The messenger bowed and disappeared into the night.

Evelyne leaned against the desk, studying Kael's expression.

"You're playing a dangerous game," she murmured.

Kael smirked.

"The most dangerous ones," he said, "are the most rewarding."

And as the candlelight flickered, his eyes gleamed with dark amusement.

To be continued.....