Magdahlia stood at the head of the table, her posture perfect, as she addressed the knights one last time.
"We all know our roles. There is no room for failure. We strike tonight, when the Cultural Exchange Festival reaches its peak. The Atopia family will be eliminated. Lucas will be removed from the Grand Master position, and no one will stand in our way."
She paused, her eyes scanning the room, locking eyes with each knight.
"We will take what is rightfully ours. Starsbough will be ours. Our future is now."
With that, Magdahlia gave the signal. The knights rose, ready for the final phase of their mission. Each captain knew their assignment, and every knight under their command was prepared to execute the plan with precision.
The coup had begun.
The Cultural Exchange Festival was in full swing, the streets alive with music, laughter, and celebration. The air was thick with the joy of the people, but beneath the surface, a darker agenda unfolded. Magdahlia, the Stars Knights, and her loyal captains moved swiftly, their plan in motion, with every detail executed to perfection.
As the night deepened, the Atopia family was systematically taken out, one by one, across the city. Some were at the festival, surrounded by the vibrancy of the crowd, while others were at their estates. Regardless of their locations, Magdahlia's knights carried out the executions with the precision of a scalpel. There was no room for mistakes. There were no stray emotions or unnecessary violence—just clean, cold, calculated strikes.
The Atopia patriarchs, matriarchs, and even their younglings—none were spared. Magdahlia's vision of strength and control was made clear: not even the innocent could be allowed to live. The young, the old, the powerful, and the vulnerable—each member of the Atopia family fell without mercy. The Atopia children were taken as quietly as the elders, a brutal reminder of Magdahlia's resolve and the ruthless method she employed to secure her dominance.
Resistance was brief. Some members tried to fight back, but it was hopeless. The knights loyal to Magdahlia had been strategically placed and were well-prepared to eliminate any threat. Those who attempted to resist were silenced quickly. The streets, though crowded with festival-goers, saw no interruption as the Atopia family was erased from the fabric of Starsbough.
The meticulous nature of this operation spoke volumes of Magdahlia's cunning. There was no panic, no chaos—just the quiet and efficient execution of a plan years in the making.
With the majority of the Atopia family eliminated and the city now fully under Magdahlia's control, the final step in the coup was to confront Lucas Caussade. Magdahlia, Merida, and the loyal captains gathered at Lucas's office, ready to end the charade. The Atopia family was gone, their power and influence obliterated, and now, Lucas—the last obstacle—remained.
As they entered the Grand Master's office, the smell of alcohol hung heavy in the air. Lucas was slouched behind his desk, clearly drunk, his eyes bloodshot, his posture broken. The once-proud leader of the Stars Knights was now a shadow of his former self, overcome by grief and the weight of his failures.
Magdahlia stood at the front, flanked by Merida and the other captains. There was no hesitation in her demeanor; she had already won, and now she was here to claim what was hers.
Lucas looked up at them, his expression a mixture of weariness and resignation. He had known this moment would come. He had seen the signs, and in his heart, he knew that the end of his reign was near.
"I've been expecting this," Lucas muttered, his voice hoarse. "I've known for years. I've known what you all would eventually do."
Magdahlia's eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a cold smile.
"You knew?" she asked, her voice smooth, controlled.
Lucas nodded, his gaze steady despite his drunken state.
"Yes. I saw the signs. I knew you were waiting for your chance, and I knew you'd take it. But... I still wanted to hear it from you. Why?"
Magdahlia motioned for Merida to speak first. Merida, with a cold and measured voice, did not hesitate.
"Lucas," Merida began, "You were too weak to remain Grand Master. Your failure to act when Starsbough was threatened has proven that. You no longer had the strength or will to stand against those who would harm the city. You couldn't protect your people, and you couldn't protect your family."
Merida's words cut through the silence like a blade, and Lucas flinched slightly, but he didn't look away.
Magdahlia stepped forward, her voice laced with sharp clarity.
"You allowed other countries to control Starsbough. You sat idle while corruption ran rampant through our government. You let the Atopia family continue to pull the strings behind the scenes, even as they bled this city dry. You knew about the corruption, yet you did nothing, Lucas. You were complicit."
The words struck home, and Lucas's hand tightened around his glass of alcohol, but he didn't respond. The guilt of his inaction and his failure to protect his city hung heavy in the room.
Next, Kapten Jules Arthur, the longest-serving knight and one of Lucas's old friends, stepped forward. The weight of years of loyalty to Lucas, now shattered, showed on his face.
"I've served you for years, Lucas," Jules Arthur began, his voice shaking slightly but filled with resolve. "I thought—hoped—that the spark inside you would return. After the Balrog Empire incident in 2937, I saw how you changed. You were never the same. You slowly lost yourself, and I was blind to it. For years, I believed that the leader I once respected would come back, but that man is long gone."
Lucas's eyes softened, a mixture of regret and sorrow crossing his face.
"Jules, I—"
But Jules shook his head, cutting him off.
"No, Lucas. It's too late. We've waited long enough. Your time has passed."
Magdahlia stood at the head of the room, her eyes never leaving Lucas. Her next words were deliberate, cutting through the heavy silence.
"You had your chance, Lucas. You could have rebuilt Starsbough. You could have fought back, but you chose to remain weak, passive, and afraid. And now, your reign ends."
Lucas's hand fell from his glass as he looked at each of them—his former allies, his trusted knights—and for the first time, he saw the truth in their eyes. His time was over. He had been blind to the strength and ambition of those around him, and now, it was too late.
With one final look, Lucas sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping in defeat.
"I've failed you all," he whispered. "I know. But I still wanted to protect this city. I still thought I could save it."
But there would be no salvation for him. Not now. Magdahlia had already won.
In the Grand Master's office, the air was thick with tension, heavy with the weight of the decision Magdahlia had made. Lucas Caussade, once the revered leader of the Stars Knights, sat slumped in his chair, his once-proud figure now diminished by grief and defeat. His loyalty to his city and the very knights who had served under him had led him to this moment—weak, broken, and accepting of his fate.
Magdahlia, ever calm, approached him. Her expression was unreadable as she unsheathed her blade, the cold steel glinting under the dim light of the office. There would be no mercy. She had already made her decision, and Lucas was no longer of use to her or the future of Starsbough.
Without a word, she placed her blade at his neck. Lucas, drained and defeated, didn't resist. He had never wanted to hurt the knights or his friends, those he had cherished for so long. He had fought his own battles, but this—this was a fight he could not win.
"Do it," Lucas whispered, his voice barely a breath. "I've failed you all. Do what you must."
In one swift motion, Magdahlia ended it. Lucas Caussade, once a great leader, now lay still. He had accepted his fate, as the weight of his own inaction and the betrayal of those he trusted weighed heavily on his heart.
Jules Arthur, standing nearby, shook his head, the sadness of the moment lingering in his eyes.
"How far he has fallen," he murmured, almost to himself. "This is not the Lucas we knew. Had he been the man he once was, even all of us together would not have been enough to stand against him."
Magdahlia didn't respond. She simply wiped her blade clean, cold and efficient, her mind already shifting to the next task.
Later that night, Magdahlia and Merida sat in the Grand Master's office, exhausted but resolute. They had removed the biggest threat, but there was still work to be done.
"The rest of the targets are still in play," Magdahlia said, her voice steady as she looked over the maps once again. "It's time to wrap this up. We can't afford to leave any loose ends. I want the rest of the Atopia family and the remaining threats dealt with before dawn."
Merida, leaning against the wall, nodded in agreement. "I'll make sure the other captains handle the clean-up. There's no turning back now."
Magdahlia stood, her gaze hardening. "Good. And make sure Aurelie is handled. She's a wildcard. She may not be involved in politics yet, but we know she could pose a threat to the stability of Starsbough if left alive."
Merida's eyes darkened as she looked at Magdahlia, understanding the gravity of her words. "I'll take care of it."