Three Days Before the Winter Solstice Banquet.
The Grand Ballroom of the Frostfall Estate was a cavern of polished marble and mirrors. It was empty, save for a grand piano playing itself via magic enchantment and two figures standing in the center of the floor.
"Stop moving like a stiff board," Seraphina commanded, tapping Kael's shoulder with a folding fan. "You are going to represent House Frostfall in front of the world's elite. If you step on a Duke's toe, I will have to freeze him to save your dignity."
Kael sighed, adjusting the collar of his new, ridiculously expensive midnight-blue tuxedo.
"I fight monsters, Seraphina. I don't dance."
"At the banquet, the monsters wear silk and smile," she countered sharply. "Dancing is just combat with rhythm. Now, put your hand on my waist."
Kael stepped closer.
Seraphina was wearing a practice dress, but she still looked breathtaking. The withdrawal symptoms had stabilized thanks to Kael's daily "treatments." She looked healthier, her skin less pale, her eyes vibrant.
He placed his hand on her waist. She flinched slightly, a reflex she still hadn't fully conquered, but then leaned into his touch.
"Guide me," she whispered. "Left foot back. Count to three."
She began to move.
Seraphina expected him to stumble. She expected to spend the next three hours teaching him the basics of the "Imperial Waltz." She was prepared to be patient.
But Kael didn't stumble.
[Skill Active: Royal Etiquette & Ballroom Dancing (Rank D)]
[Correction: Posture adjusted. Rhythm synchronized.]
As Seraphina stepped back, Kael followed instantly, his movement fluid and precise. He didn't look at his feet. He looked directly into her eyes.
"One, two, three," Kael murmured.
He spun her.
It wasn't a clumsy spin. It was perfect. He controlled her momentum with the same casual strength he used to swing his Chain-Blade.
Seraphina gasped as the world blurred. When she stopped, she was dipped low, her back supported firmly by his arm, their faces inches apart.
The piano music swelled.
"You..." Seraphina blinked, her cheeks flushing pink. "You said you didn't dance."
Kael pulled her back up, seamlessly transitioning into the next step.
"I'm a fast learner," he smirked.
They moved across the floor. To an observer, they looked like a single entity. The Ice Empress, graceful and sharp, and her Shadow, dark and supporting.
[Passive Effect: Mana Skin]
As they danced, Kael subtly activated his aura. He wasn't just dancing; he was recycling the minor stress buildup in her core. Every time their bodies pressed together during a turn, he pulled a little bit of the Draconic Essence out.
For Seraphina, it was intoxicating. The dance wasn't just physical; it was a relief. The cold fire in her chest cooled down with every step he took.
She stopped leading. She surrendered control to him completely.
She rested her forehead against his chin as they swayed.
"Everyone will be watching us," she whispered, her voice uncharacteristically small. "The Guild Leaders. The politicians. They are all waiting for me to break. They are waiting for the 'Mad Dragon' to emerge."
"Let them watch," Kael said, his voice a low rumble in his chest.
He spun her one last time, ending the dance with a flourish. He held her hand high, his other arm wrapped securely around her waist.
"If they look closely," Kael said, staring at her lips. "They won't see a dragon. They'll just see the man who owns the leash."
Seraphina's breath hitched. The air between them crackled with tension—not mana, but something else.
She leaned in. He leaned in.
CLACK. CLACK. CLACK.
The sound of applause shattered the moment.
They broke apart instantly.
Alfred stood at the entrance of the ballroom, clapping politely. His expression was deadpan, but his eyes held a glimmer of amusement.
"Impeccable form, sir," Alfred said. "Although I must interrupt. A package has arrived. It was flagged by the security scanners."
Kael's demeanor shifted instantly. The dancer vanished; the Cleaner returned.
"From who?"
"Unknown sender," Alfred said, holding out a silver tray. On it sat a black envelope sealed with red wax.
Kael walked over and took it. He didn't open it. He used [Mana Sense].
Inside the envelope, there was no paper. Just a single, condensed rune of Audio Magic. And it reeked of the same corrupt mana he had felt in the industrial district.
"Get back," Kael ordered Seraphina.
He walked to the balcony and tore the seal.
A voice hissed from the envelope, distorted and mocking.
"Tick tock, Empress. The shell is cracking. We have prepared your birthday present. When the clock strikes midnight at the Solstice... the whole world will see your true face."
PHOOOM.
The envelope burst into green flames and disintegrated into ash.
Silence fell over the balcony.
Seraphina stood in the doorway, her face pale. She had heard it.
"They are going to trigger it," she whispered. "At the banquet. In front of the cameras. In front of the World Council."
If she transformed there, the Guilds would have no choice. They would label her a Monster Calamity. Every S-Rank hunter in the world would be forced to kill her on live television.
It was the perfect assassination. Not by murder, but by turning her into the villain.
Kael brushed the ash from his hands. His eyes glowed violet.
"Alfred," Kael said calmly.
"Sir?"
"Does the estate have a stockpile of mana crystals? High grade?"
"We have the emergency reserves in the vault. About fifty million credits worth."
"Bring them all to my room."
Seraphina stepped forward. "Kael? What are you planning?"
Kael turned to her. He didn't look worried. He looked like he was about to go to work.
"They want a show at midnight?" Kael adjusted his cufflinks. "Fine. I'll give them a show."
He looked at the city skyline.
"But I need to prepare. I need to reach Level 3 before the banquet."
"Level 3?" Seraphina asked, confused. "You mean Rank C?"
"Something like that," Kael lied. He couldn't explain the System Shop.
At Level 3, the Shop unlocked [Artifact Creation].
If the Cult planned to force her transformation using a frequency or a spell... Kael needed to build a jammer. Or better yet, a trap.
"Go to sleep, Seraphina," Kael said gently. "Get your beauty rest. You have a party to attend."
"And you?"
Kael walked past her, heading toward his room where the crystals would be waiting.
"I'm going to pull an all-nighter."
[Current System Points: 6,050]
[Points Needed for Level 3: 10,000]
He had fifty million credits worth of crystals coming.
"System," Kael thought. "Prepare for Mass Recycling."
[Acknowledged. Warning: Host may suffer Mana Intoxication.]
"I don't care," Kael grinned savagely. "Let's feast."