The morning after Kael's training ended, the city of Velyra was calm—too calm.
From his balcony, Kael could see the smoke of the merchant quarter rising faintly in the distance. Merchants shouted over prices, guards walked their routes, and yet, beneath the noise, the air carried fear. The attack on his guildhall had shaken the entire city.
Everyone now whispered one name.
Kael.
He had survived what should've been a death sentence. To the Council, that made him dangerous. To the common people, that made him unstoppable.
---
Selene entered quietly, dressed in black leathers, her sword resting on her hip.
"They're moving," she said. "The Council's meeting tonight in the Crystal Hall. Heavy guard, twenty men at least."
Kael turned toward her, eyes gleaming faintly red.
"Perfect," he murmured. "That's exactly where I want them."
Aurelia stepped in behind Selene, worry on her face. "You can't just walk into their meeting. They'll be expecting something."
"I know," Kael said. "That's why I won't be walking."
His chains slithered out from under his coat like living shadows, clinking softly in the morning light.
---
Later that evening, the guildhall buzzed with quiet preparation.
Nyra sharpened her claws against the edge of a blade, grinning.
"Finally. We get to hunt instead of hide."
Serana knelt nearby, murmuring a quiet chant, her silver eyes glowing faintly. "The Serpent grants blessings to those who act without hesitation," she said, voice low. "Strike swiftly, and fear nothing."
Kael looked over them all. His women. His warriors. His family.
"This isn't just revenge," he said. "This is a message. They came for us in the dark—now we bring the dark to them."
He raised his hand, and the chains shimmered like molten steel.
"Tonight, the Council bleeds."
---
The Crystal Hall stood in the heart of the city—a towering structure of glass and marble where the wealthiest merchants gathered to rule. Light poured through its roof like liquid gold, and the walls shimmered with enchantments meant to keep intruders away.
But enchantments were useless against something that moved between shadows.
Kael's chains slithered through the alleyways, silent as smoke. The system's interface flickered in his mind.
[Mission Active: Break the Council.]
[Subtask: Infiltrate the Crystal Hall.]
[Reward: Reputation +200, Power Essence +500.]
He crouched behind a pillar, whispering into the dark. "Chain Dominion—Form Cloak."
The iron links melted into a mist that wrapped around him like a second skin. His presence faded until even the guards looked straight past him.
He moved fast. Through the gardens, past the marble steps, up the servant's passageway.
Every step brought back memories of the night his guild had been attacked—the screams, the blood, Aurelia's tears. His anger burned, steady and cold.
---
Inside the Crystal Hall, the Council's voices echoed.
"…we lost three caravans this week," one man said. "Our people are too afraid to leave the walls."
"It's that guildmaster," another hissed. "Kael. We should've finished him when we had the chance."
Councilor Veynar slammed his fist on the table. "Enough. We will finish him. Tonight we'll send word to the city guard—every soldier, every bounty hunter. I want his head before sunrise."
Kael smiled in the shadows. "You should've whispered softer."
He let his aura flare just enough for the chains to glint in the dim light.
The nearest guard turned, eyes widening. "Who's there—?"
Kael moved before the man could shout. A single chain shot out, silent as a whip, and wrapped around his throat. One pull—and silence.
The Councilmen froze.
"Kael?" Veynar whispered. "Impossible—he can't be here."
"Oh, I can," Kael said, stepping into the torchlight. His eyes glowed faintly crimson. "You sent blades into my home. Now I'm returning the favor."
---
Chaos erupted.
Guards drew swords, rushing toward him, but the chains were faster. They struck like lightning, cutting through steel, flinging armored men across the hall. Blood sprayed across the white marble, staining it crimson.
"Monster!" one of the merchants screamed.
Kael's voice was calm. "No. You made me this way."
Veynar staggered back, clutching a dagger. "Wait—listen! We can talk, Kael! I can give you—"
"Mercy?" Kael's smile was cold. "You had your chance."
He flicked his wrist, and a chain slammed Veynar into the wall.
But before Kael could finish him, a strange light filled the hall. Symbols glowed along the floor—runes of binding, old and complex.
Kael's eyes widened. "A trap."
The chains snapped back, sizzling. His power flickered, the air around him tightening like invisible hands.
From the shadows, a figure stepped forward—hooded, cloaked in black silk.
"We meet at last," the man said. "The system's chosen vessel."
Kael tensed. "You're not Council."
"No," the man said softly. "I am far older than they are. We've been watching you, Kael. The Serpent hungers for your strength."
The cult.
Kael could feel it—the same dark energy he had sensed when he first met Serana.
"What do you want?" he growled.
The figure smiled beneath the hood. "You've already given us what we want. Chaos. Fear. Lust. You spread it like fire. Soon, when your evolution is complete, the Serpent will rise through you."
Kael's chains flared despite the pressure of the runes. "Then I'll burn your god out of existence."
The hooded man only laughed. "You cannot burn what was born from desire itself."
He vanished in a swirl of black smoke, leaving only the faint hiss of a serpent's whisper in the air.
The runes faded, freeing Kael. He stood among the wreckage, breathing hard.
The Councilmen were gone—fled in terror. Only blood and silence remained.
---
By the time Kael returned to the guildhall, dawn was breaking. His women met him at the door—Selene armed, Nyra pacing, Aurelia trembling.
"What happened?" Aurelia asked.
Kael didn't answer at first. He looked out over the waking city, its rooftops catching the light.
"The Council's broken," he said quietly. "But something worse has started moving."
Selene frowned. "The cult?"
He nodded. "They were behind the runes. Behind everything."
Serana stepped forward slowly, her voice uncertain. "If the Serpent truly has taken notice of you… then this is only the beginning. They'll come for you soon. Or try to use you."
Kael turned to her, his expression unreadable. "Then let them come. I'll use them first."
---
That night, the system spoke again.
[Quest Complete: Break the Council.]
[Reward: +500 Power Essence.]
[New Main Quest: The Serpent Stirs.]
[Objective: Discover the Cult's True Purpose.]
Kael stood in the training hall once more, the chains coiling lazily around him like living shadows. The fire in his eyes hadn't dimmed—it had only grown.
He had taken his first strike.
Now the city knew his name, the Council feared it, and the cult whispered it in their prayers.
But somewhere deep in his soul, Kael felt it—the faint pulse of something ancient watching him. Something waiting.
He flexed his hand, and the chains rattled softly.
"Let them plot," he murmured. "I'll be ready."