Chapter 544
Vellok’s grip did not tighten, but it might as well have. The weight of his words alone was crushing.
"All living things want to survive. You want to survive. That instinct, that will to live—that’s all the loyalty I require. I don’t need vows or declarations. Just obedience. Just action."
There was a moment of silence, thick with tension. Then Vellok continued, his tone sharp and final:
"Kaelen’s next moves, after what he’s just pulled, will be reckless. Desperate. Watch him. Monitor every step he takes. Report everything. His ambitions must be measured... and if necessary, curtailed."
"The Empire cannot afford to falter now. If it fails to respond properly to Kaelen’s provocations, we risk losing everything we’ve built."
And with that, the world around Rattan shifted. In the blink of an eye, he was no longer kneeling in that cold, vast chamber.
He was back. Back in his office. But something was different. The space felt hollow, the air heavier than before. Vellok was gone—but his presence still lingered like a scent in the walls, a pressure behind the eyes.
Rattan exhaled slowly. He was alone... yet he knew that from this moment on, he would never truly be alone again.
He was under constant watch. Every breath, every move.
The game had changed and the stakes had never been higher.
Back in the Abyss, in the dark, towering hall of Zarvok, silence gripped the room. The three figures sat still, the weight of what had just been revealed pressing heavily on their minds. Zarvok had finished speaking, and though his voice had gone quiet, the implications of his words echoed in the air like a lingering storm.