The night was dark, shrouding an isolated and heavily guarded manor.
Surrounded by a contingent of forty armed soldiers, the building stood in the middle of vast, meticulously maintained gardens. Inside the flickering candlelight, illuminated the rich tapestries and luxurious furnishings of a villa exuding grandeur. At the center of an opulent banquet hall a grand table adorned with the emblem of a serpent biting its tail brought together five sinister figures.
These five individuals perceived as nobles in public eyes, secretly formed the ruling council of Ouroboros a clandestine organization controlling the island kingdom of Ednia from the shadows. Their practices included assassinations, smuggling drug trafficking, human trade, extortion, illegal gambling, and counterfeiting—such were their primary activities.
Born during the royal succession crisis of the Ednia royal family, Ouroboros was an alliance united solely by their shared desire to amass more power and exponentially increase their wealth. This group was prepared to inflict the most ruthless punishments on those who dared betray or challenge them. Their operations exerted a significant weight on the kingdom's economy. Each of these leaders commanded a militia of 30 men, bringing their total forces to 150. The leaders pursued their individual interests within the group, combining their resources to achieve them.
A Meeting in the Shadows
Diarfor, a tall and stocky man with a gravelly voice, broke the silence:
— "The coalition has been defeated and Philippe is dead. This leaves room for closer scrutiny of our operations."
Noah a man with piercing eyes and clad in a pristine suit, intervened calmly:
— "Lisbeth is there any chance the royal family could trace this back to us?"
Lisbeth Thory an elegant woman with a cold demeanor, sat on the lap of Joseph Astorf, her lover and one of the council's influential members. Philippe's cousin, she had used him as a pawn to contact demons and achieve Ouroboros' goals. Lisbeth smiled, visibly satisfied with the turn of events.
— "No, my men found the estate consumed by flames. That fool had many enemies surely one of them take him out . We have been discreet, so the royal family remains ignorant of Ouroboros' existence" she replied in a detached tone tightening her embrace around Joseph, a mischievous smile on her lips.
Joseph Astorf 47 a bearded man with dark hair, charming yet ruthless, raised his glass of red wine, swirling it gently in his hand.
— "It is regrettable that our plan failed" he said in a measured tone. "This new monarch, Jonady seems determined to reform the kingdom and undermine our foundations. But no matter—we will continue to rule Ednia from the shadows."
Ethan, a taciturn man, observed the scene with an air of disgust. The ostentatious relationship between Lisbeth and Joseph seemed to repulse him, but he said nothing. After a tense silence, he finally spoke:
— "We should act cautiously. If this new monarch is as intelligent as his reforms suggest, he could become a far greater problem than the previous king."
Joseph smiled, ignoring Ethan's warning.
— "The solution is simple" he said, setting his glass down on the table. "We'll play on both sides. We'll incite a new war. If a neighboring nation defeats Ednia, we'll exploit the chaos to strengthen our grip.
And if Ednia triumphs we'll support their victory in a way that prepares for an uprising to overthrow the royal family, installing a monarch compliant to our interests. Either way, we will emerge victorious."
Lisbeth chuckled softly, almost applauding Joseph's idea. Diarfor and Noah exchanged a glance, silently approving the plan.
The members rose from their seats, each raising a glass of wine.
They stepped toward the engraved symbol on the table—the Ouroboros serpent—and declared in unison:
— "To Ouroboros."
Their toast echoed in the room, a vow of betrayal and manipulation. But within their eyes gleamed flames of mutual distrust, for each of them knew that this alliance was merely a temporary tool to achieve their individual ambitions.
Ouroboros was on the move.