The **dungeon** was dark, damp, and suffocating. The stench of **blood, rot, and despair** clung to the air like an unshakable curse.
At the very heart of this forsaken place, a man sat **chained to the stone walls**, his wrists and ankles bound by **thick iron shackles**, heavy with runes that suppressed any struggle.
His once **proud** and **confident** eyes were now **hollow**, devoid of any light.
**George Gilbert.**
A name once **revered** as a **genius**.
Now, a name **stained** with falsehood.
He had been thrown here for a **crime he did not commit.**
His mind replayed the events over and over.
**Everything had changed in mere days.**
From **a noble heir** to **a prisoner**, abandoned by those he once called **family**.
The cold chains **dug into his flesh**, but the pain was nothing compared to the **betrayal** that burned in his chest.
And now, standing before him, were **two figures** he once trusted more than anything.
**Frank Gilbert and his wife, Mili.**
His **own parents.**
They looked down at him with **disgust**, their faces twisted in expressions of **shame and revulsion**.
They did not speak.
They did not listen.
They simply **turned and left**—abandoning him, just like everyone else.
George could **only stare**, his breathing ragged.
His fingers curled into **tight fists**, nails digging into his palms as a wave of **rage and helplessness** consumed him.
**"They didn't even ask me once if I was guilty…"**
His own **family**, the people who had once showered him with **love and pride**, had discarded him **like trash.**
And he knew.
He knew **who was behind all of this.**
**Riya.**
That **deceptive snake.**
But no, it wasn't just her.
It was **his entire family's betrayal** that had truly shattered him.
As rage boiled inside him, the air in front of him **twisted** unnaturally.
A dark **void** cracked open in the cell.
The **temperature dropped.**
**Shadows slithered** across the walls.
And then—
A **man stepped out.**
Tall. **Draped in darkness.** His **black hair flowed like ink**, his eyes **as deep and empty as the abyss itself**.
George wanted to react.
But he had **no strength left.**
Yet still, he **forced his head up**, his breath shaky.
The man in black chuckled softly, his voice **smooth yet eerily cold**.
**"Hello, George."**
George swallowed, his throat dry. It took him everything just to whisper—
**"Who… are you?"**
The man smiled—a **ghost of a smirk**, dark and unreadable.
**"That doesn't matter."**** His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable weight.**
**"What matters is that my lord has sent me with a proposal."**
George's eyes narrowed.
**"Proposal?"**
The man's **void-like gaze** pierced into him.
**"My lord is willing to save not just your life… but also your dignity."**
George's breath hitched.
His **life? His dignity?**
His mind **raced**, but one name surfaced before he could even ask.
**"Who is your lord?"**
Mike's smirk widened, but his words were laced with something **deeper**.
**"Klaus Blake."**
Silence.
George's eyes widened, a flicker of disbelief crossing his face.
**Klaus Blake.**
A **once-in-a-millennium genius** from the **mighty Blake family**.
There was **no one in the kingdom who didn't know his name.**
But why…
Why would **someone like him** be interested in a **disgraced prisoner?**
Before he could ask, **Mike's voice cut through the air like a blade.**
**"Don't ask why."**
His tone was **absolute, final.**
**"My lord's thoughts are beyond your concern."**
George's fists clenched as **conflicted emotions** warred inside him.
He wasn't **a fool.**
Accepting this proposal would mean **everything would change**.
But then he thought about **his family's faces.**
The same family that had **abandoned him without hesitation.**
They had **never even tried to fight for him.**
They had **discarded him like a pawn**, just to **appease the Nelson family's anger.**
And yet, here was **a man who believed in him.**
A **man offering him salvation.**
And suddenly—
The choice was **clear.**
Because the truth was—
He **had no choice.**
His **trial** was approaching.
And he already knew **what the outcome would be.**
His voice was **steady** when he finally spoke.
**"…I'm ready."**
Mike's smirk returned, satisfied.
Without another word, he **turned and vanished**, dissolving into the shadows like he was never there.
But before he was completely gone, **his voice echoed through the air**—
**"Tomorrow… you will understand how right your decision was."**
---
### **Blake Manor**
The **night was silent**.
Inside his chambers, Klaus Blake stood by the **window**, his golden eyes glinting under the **pale moonlight**.
Then, suddenly—
A **system window popped up.**
---
**[System Notification: You have gained a protagonist subordinate.]**
**[The World's Will is now actively trying to uncover your existence.]**
**[You have gained 100 Darkness Points. You need 3,000 for the shop to open.]**
---
The **corner of Klaus's lips curled.**
And then, for the first time, the system itself spoke—not in its usual **mechanical tone**, but with something bordering on **amusement.**
**[System: Personally, I don't think you even need me, Host. You could destroy this world and bring chaos without my help.]**
Klaus's smile deepened.
**He knew that.**
But chaos was always more…
**Fun when it was planned.**
He turned away from the window, heading toward his bed.
He still had **recovering to do.**
Tomorrow, the pieces would **fall into place.**
And then—
The **world would start to burn.**