I left the pavilion before Liara could process what had happened. Her amber eyes still shimmered with unease, and I could feel the pulse of her destiny quivering beneath my fingertips. Perfect. One thread weakened, one knot of Kael's story loosened.
Seraphina followed silently, as if reading my mind. I glanced back at her, and her emerald eyes betrayed the mix of concern and possessive attachment I had grown to expect. She had always been… predictable.
We moved through the gardens, the lotus ponds reflecting the early sunlight like molten gold. Each flower, each leaf, each stone — every detail was visible to me, every life a pattern of Qi and fate, some frayed, some taut.
A thread flickered far off in the outer market district. Another of Kael's supports.
I followed it, stepping over cobblestones, feeling the faint tug of destiny drawing me closer.
The source was a small training yard tucked behind a row of merchant shops. A young man practiced his sword forms alone. His movements were precise, but I could see the tremors in his energy — the hesitation that hadn't existed before.
I stepped closer.
"You're distracted," I said softly.
He froze, gray eyes wide. "Y-Your Highness?"
I smiled lazily. "Relax. I'm not here to punish you."
My fingers brushed the air near him, and I could feel the thread connecting him to Kael loosen under my touch.
[Fate Extraction: Partial]
His form faltered. Not permanently damaged — yet the uncertainty had begun. The hero's ally would be just a little less reliable. And the story would start to wobble.
I reappeared beside Seraphina on the balcony of the main palace, feeling the subtle ripple of the city reacting to my influence.
She finally spoke, her voice low. "You're… relentless."
I let my crimson eyes meet hers. "I prefer to call it… thorough."
Her breath hitched. I could sense her jealousy rising, her possessiveness over me sparking quietly. She wanted to be the center of my world. That thought… entertained me.
And that, more than the manipulation of fates or the theft of Kael's allies, was the kind of power that mattered most.
From somewhere far away, Kael felt it again — the subtle collapse of yet another supporting thread. His movements faltered, his mind questioned. He was beginning to realize that he was no longer the only one shaping destiny.
And he had no idea that the predator was already inside the story.
The city below stretched like a living tapestry, streets weaving through temples, training halls, and merchant districts. From the balcony of my palace, I could see every movement: children running to morning classes, cultivators circling each other in practice, and merchants haggling over rare herbs. Each thread of life pulsed, waiting to be pulled.
Seraphina was beside me, hands folded. Her expression was unreadable, though I felt the tension radiating from her. "You're going to take more than Kael's allies, aren't you?" she asked softly.
I smiled faintly, letting the words hang between us. "Of course. Why settle for crumbs when you can have the feast?"
She flinched at the metaphor, but her loyalty didn't waver. That was part of why I kept her close. Her presence anchored me, a warm tether to the world I was slowly reshaping.
The first target of the day had already been claimed — Riven Holt. Now it was time to expand, not recklessly, but meticulously. Fate threads were fragile, and I could destroy, manipulate, or redirect them with a single thought. But I preferred precision. Every thread removed would send Kael into subtle chaos, a hero unaware his world was tilting.
I moved through the city streets, invisible to most, my presence registered only by the few whose destinies intersected with mine. A small group of Heaven-aligned disciples approached, patrolling for any signs of disruption. I allowed them to pass, letting their confidence inflate. They didn't see the predator weaving through their midst.
A thread flared ahead, bright and insistent. One of Kael's minor supporters, a strategist who had been aiding his plans in secrecy. I followed it through narrow alleys, over tiled rooftops, and into a quiet courtyard behind a merchant guild.
The young man looked up as I stepped into view. Dark hair, sharp brown eyes, a faint scar across his jaw — he had fought for Kael's victories countless times without ever being seen. Now his thread shivered under my gaze.
"You're far from home," I said softly, sitting down on a low stone wall as though I were merely resting. "And yet, so devoted."
He swallowed, heart hammering. "Azrael… Third Prince… what do you want?"
I leaned forward slightly, crimson eyes locking onto his. "I want to see how much your loyalty truly means. Fate is fragile, you know. And devotion can be stolen, borrowed, or broken."
Back in the palace, Seraphina watched from above, her fingers curling around the balcony railing. She had never voiced it, but I could feel her thoughts, a mixture of concern and jealousy. She wanted to be my center, and watching me claim threads around the city only sharpened that possessiveness.
I extracted a small portion of the strategist's thread, just enough to create uncertainty in his mind, not destroy him outright. His movements faltered, his confidence cracked, and his calculations for Kael's upcoming plans were subtly destabilized. Perfect.
The city reacted quietly — a merchant misplacing a ledger, a guard hesitating mid-step, a cultivator faltering in training. None of them knew why, but the pattern was unmistakable. I had begun reshaping the capital itself.
That night, the palace gardens were bathed in silver moonlight. Seraphina and I walked among the lotus ponds. Lanterns reflected in the water, casting long, wavering shadows.
"You're changing the world," she murmured. "All without even trying."
I let out a lazy chuckle. "I'm not trying. I'm existing. And the world bends when I choose to step."
Her gaze lingered on me, heated and conflicted. I could feel her heart thudding in rhythm with my own thoughts. There was a dangerous intimacy between us, a yandere possessiveness simmering just beneath the surface. She wanted to be the only one tethered to me, even as I reached out for others.
I paused by a lotus pond, watching the ripples distort my reflection. "Each person I touch, each fate I claim… it's not cruelty. It's inevitability. Kael will learn that, eventually."
Her hand brushed mine — light, testing, almost playful. I caught it, holding it just a second longer than necessary. She inhaled sharply, not pulling away. I smiled, letting her know exactly who I belonged to.
Far across the city, threads continued to flicker, weakening Kael's support network. Each extraction, each subtle nudge of fate, brought him closer to isolation. And with every movement, my harem, my allies, and Seraphina remained close, watching, waiting, growing.
The hunt was just beginning.