The air in the Almar estate was still, the faint scent of smoke from the extinguished candles lingering in the room. Aran stood at the center, watching his prey—Tavros and Serena—finally recognize the depth of the trap they had walked into. The look on their faces, one of realization and betrayal, was exactly what he had anticipated.
For a long moment, the three of them stood in silence. Tavros' body was rigid with fury, his hand twitching toward the hilt of his sword. Serena, on the other hand, wore an expression that wavered between fear and disbelief. She had never expected to be outmaneuvered so completely.
"You…" Serena started, her voice low and venomous, "you planned this all along."
Aran chuckled softly, his tone mocking yet cool. "Planned? I wouldn't say that. It's more that I created the conditions. The rest was up to you."
Tavros' eyes flared with anger as he took a step forward. "I should have known! You've been manipulating everyone from the start. Do you think I'll let you get away with this?"
Aran's smile didn't waver. "Tavros, you're nothing but a brute. You were always going to be a tool in this game—one that could be discarded once it served its purpose. Now, you're obsolete."
With a sudden growl, Tavros drew his sword, the metal gleaming menacingly in the dim light. "I'll end this now."
But before Tavros could take another step, a dozen shadows emerged from the corners of the room—Aran's agents, clad in black, their movements quick and lethal. They surrounded Tavros in an instant, their blades drawn, the sharp edge of cold steel pressing against his throat before he could react.
Tavros froze, his muscles tense as he eyed the blades pointed at him. His fury boiled over, but even a man of his strength couldn't fight against this many trained assassins. He clenched his fists, glaring at Aran with seething hatred.
"You think this is over?" Tavros spat, his voice low and dangerous. "I'll have my revenge."
Aran's gaze darkened, and his voice dropped into a tone laced with cold authority. "You're done, Tavros. Your ambitions, your schemes, they all end here. You thought you could use Serena to take me down, and she thought she could outsmart you. But the truth is, neither of you were ever a threat."
Serena, who had been standing in shocked silence, finally found her voice. "What are you going to do to us?" she asked, her bravado gone, replaced with a creeping sense of dread.
Aran turned his attention to her, his smile returning but colder than before. "You, Serena, have a choice. You can walk away from this, alive and unharmed, if you swear to never cross me again."
She flinched at his words, sensing the danger behind them. "And Tavros?"
"Tavros," Aran said slowly, turning his gaze back to the towering man, "has outlived his usefulness."
Tavros tensed again, his rage bubbling over. "You coward," he growled. "You hide behind your pawns, but one day, you'll be the one with a blade to your throat."
Aran raised an eyebrow, seemingly amused by the outburst. "I don't need to hide, Tavros. The difference between us is that I see ten steps ahead, while you barely see what's in front of you."
Serena, sensing the danger, took a cautious step backward, her instincts telling her that Tavros' end was imminent. She had seen enough of Aran's ruthlessness to know that he wouldn't hesitate to make an example of anyone who crossed him.
"Take him away," Aran commanded with a casual wave of his hand. His agents responded immediately, forcing Tavros to his knees and binding his wrists with iron chains.
Tavros struggled against the bonds, his anger giving him strength, but it was futile. Aran's men were professionals, and they subdued him with practiced ease. As Tavros was dragged toward the door, he snarled over his shoulder at Aran.
"You'll regret this," he spat. "You may think you've won, but I'll haunt you from beyond the grave if I have to."
Aran watched him with an expression of mild indifference. "Perhaps. But for now, I'll sleep soundly."
With Tavros gone, Serena was left standing in the eerie silence of the room. She felt the weight of the situation pressing down on her, knowing she was at Aran's mercy. She had seen men like Tavros fall before, but witnessing Aran's cold efficiency was something else entirely. He wasn't just a schemer—he was a master manipulator, weaving together plans within plans.
"So," Serena said, her voice barely above a whisper. "What now? Do I get to live?"
Aran's eyes softened, just for a moment, but his expression remained calculating. "That depends on you. I could use someone like you, Serena. You're clever, ambitious, and you know how to play the game. But make no mistake, if you ever try to turn against me again, you won't get a second chance."
Serena swallowed hard, feeling the gravity of his words. She was no stranger to threats, but coming from Aran, they carried a terrifying weight. "I… I understand," she said quietly, nodding in submission.
Aran studied her for a moment, as if weighing her sincerity. Then, with a slight nod, he stepped back. "Good. Now go. We'll speak again soon."
Without another word, Serena turned and left the estate, her mind spinning with the events that had just unfolded. She had barely escaped with her life, and she knew it. Tavros had been a powerful ally, but in the end, his brute strength had been no match for Aran's cunning.
As she disappeared into the night, Aran remained where he stood, his mind already moving on to the next step of his plan. Tavros was gone, but there were others like him—men and women who would need to be dealt with if Aran was to cement his control over the underworld.
Ravenna, who had been silently observing from the shadows, stepped forward. "What now?" she asked, her voice cool and collected.
Aran didn't look at her, his eyes still fixed on the doorway through which Tavros and Serena had exited. "Now," he said, his voice soft but full of purpose, "we turn our attention to the real threat."
Ravenna raised an eyebrow. "And who might that be?"
Aran's lips curled into a dangerous smile. "The one who's been watching us all along. The one who thinks they're clever enough to play this game without being noticed. It's time to show them who's truly in control."
Ravenna nodded, a spark of excitement flickering in her eyes. "Let's get started."
And so, with Tavros out of the way and Serena now under his thumb, Aran moved to tighten his grip on the world he was steadily building. The game had only just begun, and he was already five moves ahead of everyone else.