The capital's nights were no longer tranquil. The once-vibrant city now shuddered under the weight of an invisible threat. Patrols stomped through the cobbled streets, their torches flickering as they searched for shadows they couldn't catch.
Kael watched from a rooftop, cloaked in darkness. Below, guards questioned a merchant, their voices sharp and demanding. The merchant's trembling hands betrayed his fear, though Kael knew the man had no answers to give.
The dagger's sigil was working better than Marcus had anticipated. Fear wasn't just spreading—it was consuming. It dulled the guards' focus, turning their suspicion inward toward one another. Kael had seen three squadrons bicker over jurisdiction just this evening, their tempers flaring into brief skirmishes. The kingdom's defenders were cracking under pressure.
Kael smirked to himself as he moved away from the scene, silent and swift. Marcus's plan was unfolding beautifully. But Kael wasn't one to grow complacent. He had his own role to play, and it required precision.
---
In the royal court, the tension had reached a boiling point. The council chamber was filled with raised voices and accusatory glares.
"We need answers!" one councilman barked, slamming his hand on the table. "We've fortified the city, increased patrols, yet we're no closer to finding this assassin!"
"And what of the sigil?" another demanded. "Has anyone deciphered its meaning? Could it be a foreign power? A rebellion?"
The king sat at the head of the table, his expression unreadable. He had said little since the councilman's murder, observing the chaos within his own court with a quiet intensity.
Finally, he raised his hand, and the room fell silent.
"This assassin wants us to act in fear," the king said, his voice steady but cold. "They want us to turn on each other, to waste our strength chasing shadows. We will not give them that satisfaction."
The king's calm demeanor did little to soothe the council. Their fear was too great, their trust too fractured.
---
Far from the noble district, in the underbelly of the city, Kael met with Lyra in a dilapidated warehouse. The moonlight streamed through broken windows, casting jagged shadows across the room.
"You've done well," Lyra said, her tone approving. "The council's in chaos, the guards are overworked, and the nobles are too paranoid to act. Marcus is pleased."
Kael leaned against a wooden beam, his arms crossed. "What's next?"
Lyra stepped closer, her gaze piercing. "We keep pressing. Fear isn't enough on its own—it needs fuel. There's a shipment arriving tomorrow at the western gate. Gold, supplies, weapons. The king's reinforcements. We're going to take it."
Kael arched an eyebrow. "A direct attack? Won't that expose us?"
"Not if it's done right," Lyra replied with a smirk. "And I know you'll handle it. Besides, chaos thrives on spectacle. Imagine the message it will send when the people see the kingdom's own resources taken right under their noses."
Kael considered her words, then nodded. "I'll take care of it."
---
The next night, Kael stood atop the western gate, the city sprawling beneath him. The convoy approached in the distance, its wagons flanked by heavily armed guards.
Kael's team—handpicked by Lyra—waited in the shadows below, their weapons ready. They were a motley group of thieves and mercenaries, bound together by Marcus's promises and Kael's quiet authority.
As the convoy drew closer, Kael raised a hand, signaling his team. They moved with practiced precision, disabling the guards on the outskirts before they could raise an alarm.
Kael dropped silently from the gate, landing in the midst of the confusion. He moved like a specter, striking with lethal efficiency. Within moments, the guards were overwhelmed, and the convoy was theirs.
As the team secured the wagons, Kael stepped forward and carved the sigil into the side of the largest cart.
"Let them find this," he said, his voice cold. "Let them know we were here."
---
By dawn, the kingdom would wake to another message written in fear. And Kael, hidden once more among the capital's shadows, would be ready for the next move.