Dawn crept over the imperial capital in soft bands of gold, washing over towers, market roofs, and temple spires. From the highest balcony of the palace, I watched the city awaken. Traders opened their stalls. Cultivators moved through the streets in flowing robes. Guards changed shifts. Everything looked orderly.
But beneath that calm, the threads were moving.
They always were.
Seraphina stood beside me, her silver‑blonde hair catching the sunlight, her emerald eyes sharp even in the morning haze. She had barely slept. Neither had I.
"You're smiling," she said quietly.
"I am?" I replied, without looking at her.
"Yes. That means you've already decided who suffers today."
A faint chuckle escaped me. "Perceptive as always."
She leaned closer, her shoulder brushing mine, possessive without being obvious. "Just don't forget… you promised today would be for us too."
"I never forget my promises."
Her lips curved slightly, pleased.
The capital was enormous, built in layered districts rising like steps toward the palace at its heart. Noble quarters, merchant rings, cultivation towers, slums, temples, sect embassies—every power in the world maintained a foothold here. And every foothold had a thread tied to it.
Today, I would begin pulling them.
But not with blood.
With influence.
We left the palace in simple cloaks, disguised as high‑ranking nobles instead of royalty. Seraphina stayed close, her arm occasionally slipping through mine, marking me in a way only she could.
Our first destination was the Azure Pavilion District, where many of Kael's remaining supporters operated quietly—information brokers, low‑rank cultivators, and resource traders who funneled him supplies.
I walked through the streets like I belonged there.
Because I did.
Every passerby who looked at me felt something shift in their heart. Respect. Fear. Curiosity. Desire. Fate bending around me like grass in the wind.
Seraphina noticed it, of course.
"They're staring again," she muttered.
"Jealous?"
"Yes."
"Good."
She huffed, but her fingers tightened around my sleeve.
We entered a small teahouse overlooking a canal. It was one of Kael's listening posts, though few knew it. Liara had already told me everything.
Inside, the air was thick with the scent of jasmine and quiet conversation.
We took a private booth.
Moments later, the owner approached—an older woman with sharp eyes and careful posture.
"Welcome, honored guests."
I smiled.
"You've been selling information to the wrong people."
Her breath hitched.
Seraphina leaned forward slightly, eyes glinting. "He doesn't like sharing."
The woman swallowed.
"I… I don't know what you mean."
I placed a silver coin on the table. It radiated a faint, almost imperceptible pressure—my power woven into metal.
"You do," I said softly. "And now you also know this. Kael's future is collapsing. Aligning with him will destroy you. Aligning with me…"
I slid the coin toward her.
"…will make you wealthy, safe, and very much alive."
Her gaze locked onto the coin. Her fate already bent.
"I… understand."
"Good."
When she left, Seraphina let out a small breath. "You didn't even threaten her."
"I didn't need to."
She studied me for a moment, then smiled slowly. "That's scarier."
By midday, three more of Kael's minor supporters had quietly switched sides. Supply routes altered. Messages misdirected. Small, invisible sabotage.
All without a single blade drawn.
We ended up at a quiet rooftop garden overlooking the river, hidden behind illusion arrays.
Seraphina sat beside me on a low stone bench, swinging her legs slightly.
"This was supposed to be our date," she reminded me.
"And it is."
"This felt like work."
"Then let me fix that."
I turned toward her and gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Her breath caught immediately.
"You're beautiful when you're annoyed," I murmured.
Her cheeks flushed. "You're doing that on purpose."
"Always."
She leaned closer, eyes searching mine, jealous, devoted, wanting. I let the moment linger before pressing a soft kiss to her lips—slow, teasing, intimate without being explicit.
Her hands clenched in my robe as if afraid I'd disappear.
"I don't like sharing you," she whispered.
"I don't belong to anyone else."
That was enough to make her smile.
As the sun dipped lower, we returned to the palace.
But far across the city, Kael was beginning to feel it.
Messages weren't arriving. Supporters weren't responding. Resources were delayed.
He didn't yet know why.
But the isolation had begun.
And at my side, Seraphina walked proudly, possessively, happily—unaware that soon, more would join her… and she would have to fight to remain my favorite.
The city bent.
The harem grew.
And Kael's world quietly started to fall apart.