A City in Paranoia
The nobility had fallen into chaos.
Duke Valmore—disgraced.
Lord Cavendish—ruined.
Elias Dorne—vanished.
It was as if an invisible force was reshaping the kingdom, erasing the powerful one by one.
The nobles whispered in fear. Who would be next? Who was behind this?
There was no face. No name.
Just a phantom.
And Lucien?
He was watching. Always watching.
A Meeting in the Dark
Lucien stood in an abandoned chapel, its stained-glass windows cracked and broken. Before him knelt three figures—his most trusted spies.
"Status report."
One of them, a man cloaked in black, spoke.
"My lord, the nobles are beginning to form factions. Some suspect foul play, but none have any evidence."
Lucien smirked. "Of course they don't. A well-played move is one that leaves only questions, never answers."
A second spy stepped forward.
"There is… an anomaly."
Lucien's eyes narrowed. "Explain."
"A woman. A ghost within the underground. No one knows her true name, but she is known as 'Mirage.'"
Lucien remained silent, listening.
"She does not lead, nor does she serve. She moves between power structures, influencing without being seen."
Lucien's lips curled into an intrigued smile.
"A woman who moves unseen? A mirror to myself?"
The spy hesitated.
"My lord… we believe she may already be watching you."
The air grew still.
For the first time in a long time, Lucien felt something stir within him.
Not fear.
Amusement.
"So the game finally has a worthy opponent."
Seraphina's Observations
Seraphina sat in her study, her mind racing.
Lucien's influence was spreading like wildfire. But this Mirage… was something new.
A rival? A threat?
Or something else entirely?
She tapped her fingers against the table, her thoughts clouded.
Lucien was always several steps ahead.
But for the first time—he was acknowledging another player.
She wasn't sure if that excited her.
Or terrified her.
The First Encounter
Lucien walked through the quiet streets at midnight, the city's filth hidden beneath a thin layer of silence.
And then—
A whisper. A presence.
He stopped.
A soft, melodic voice floated from the shadows.
"You've been watching the city. But have you ever wondered if the city is watching you?"
Lucien turned, eyes sharp as daggers.
A woman emerged, draped in black, her face obscured by a delicate silver mask.
Mirage.
Lucien smiled.
"A fascinating choice of words. But tell me, Mirage—do you believe you are the hunter, or the hunted?"
A pause.
Then, a chuckle.
"Does it matter? In the end, all that remains is the one who stands above the rest."
Lucien's heart raced—not in fear, but in excitement.
He had finally found a game worth playing.
But she did not yet know—
Lucien never played a game unless he had already won.
End of Chapter 18