Greyhaven had become silent.
Not from peace.
Not from defeat.
But from fear.
Aren moved through its streets with Lysa and Caelis.
No banners. No armies.
Only shadows and whispered orders.
Every merchant, soldier, and noble had learned caution.
The Shadow Army now patrolled openly, yet invisibly.
Citizens did not see them.
But they felt them.
The weight of control in every glance.
Every footstep.
Every shadow.
Rowan, confined to the palace, grew thinner.
Every plan he made failed before it could take shape.
Letters disappeared. Orders reversed. Allies vanished.
Even his closest advisors whispered to Aren's ears before delivering them to his.
Aren convened a council in the cathedral.
Maps, letters, and reports laid out like a web of the city's heartbeat.
"Greyhaven fears us," he said.
"Obeys us. But this is only the beginning."
Lysa's voice was soft but sharp.
"Do we expand beyond the city?"
Aren nodded slowly.
"The kingdom hears whispers before armies march. We take the north first. Then the trade routes. Then the crown itself."
Edric added, "If we move too soon, the people may resist."
"Too late," Aren replied. "They already follow us. Quietly. Out of fear… and hope that the Wolf protects them."
Outside, Greyhaven slept uneasily.
Its streets whispered secrets that Aren alone could hear.
The Silent Empire had begun.
And soon, every corner of the kingdom would bend to shadows, whispers, and the Wolf among kings.