The moon hung high over the capital, its pale glow casting long shadows across the rooftops. Seraphis moved like a phantom through the back alleys, her
footsteps silent
, her presence
erased from the world.
Tonight’s hunt had already begun.
Her
latest prey
?
Viscount Everett Calloway.
A noble deeply entrenched in the city’s
underworld
, running
smuggling rings, assassinations, and human trafficking
beneath the polished surface of high society.
A member of the
hidden Noble Council
, the shadowy elite who
ruled the capital from the darkness.
And she had
found him.
A Tortured Confession
The underground chamber
reeked of blood and fear.
Everett
screamed
, his once-pristine noble attire
soaked in crimson
, his
wrists bound
by enchanted chains that burned his flesh.
Seraphis stood over him,
unmoved
.
His face was
twisted in agony
, his mouth trembling as he
gasped for breath.
"You nobles never handle pain well," she mused, her
silver eyes gleaming
in the dim torchlight.
Everett coughed,
blood spilling from his lips.
"P-please… I’ll give you anything…" he wheezed.
Seraphis knelt beside him, her
dagger pressing against his cheek.
"You think I want your wealth?" she murmured.
Everett shuddered.
"W-what do you want…?"
Her lips curled into a slow,
chilling smile.
"Information."
She dragged the blade down,
carving a shallow line across his skin.
Everett
shrieked
, his body convulsing.
"I-I’ll talk!" he sobbed. "There’s a council! A secret council of nobles who control the capital’s underworld!"
Seraphis’s fingers tightened on the blade.
Bingo.
Everett’s
panicked eyes darted to her.
"They meet in the old district… inside a hidden chamber beneath the Grand Opera House!" he choked.
Seraphis leaned in.
"And their leader?"
Everett’s face twisted in terror.
"Lord V… he’s the one who—"
Seraphis
slit his throat.
Blood
gushed
from the open wound, his body
twitching
violently before going still.
She watched
dispassionately
, wiping her blade clean before setting to work.
She wasn’t done with him yet.
A Noble’s Body, A Butcher’s Work
Everett’s
head hit the floor first.
Then his
arms.
His
legs.
His
feet.
She carved him apart, piece by
piece
,
flesh and bone separated with surgical precision.
By the time she was done, his
dismembered remains
were neatly wrapped and stored inside her
spatial bag.
Then, she moved to the
next phase.
Infiltration.
The Silent Maid
The
Grand Opera House
was a place of elegance, beauty, and power.
But beneath its luxurious facade
lay rot.
Seraphis had entered through the
servants’ entrance
, her form
disguised by illusion magic.
She was now
Eliza, a simple maid
, her white hair turned a
mousy brown
, her assassin’s garb replaced with a
plain black dress and apron.
The council’s secret chamber
lay beneath the opera house
, deep within a hidden hall accessible only to those of
high rank.
But tonight, Seraphis had
an invitation.
And dinner.
A Feast for the Wicked
The chamber was grand—
golden chandeliers, velvet walls, and a circular table where five nobles sat in deep discussion.
These were
the rulers of the city’s underworld.
She
slipped in silently
, setting down the
silver trays
before them, the scent of the
freshly cooked meal
wafting through the air.
The nobles glanced at her but paid no mind.
They were used to being served.
One by one, the silver lids were lifted, revealing
succulent cuts of meat, expertly seasoned and plated.
A feast fit for royalty.
The nobles dug in without hesitation.
Seraphis
watched.
And
waited.
Until the first plate was clean.
Then she laughed.
A deep,
sickeningly amused laugh
that echoed off the chamber walls.
The nobles
froze.
One of them, a burly man with
a gold-rimmed monocle
, slammed his goblet on the table.
"Why the hell are you laughing, woman?"
Seraphis
grinned
, leaning forward, her silver eyes
blazing.
"You wouldn’t believe me if I told you," she purred.
The room fell
dead silent.
Seraphis tapped a
single finger
on the table.
"But since you insist…"
She gestured to the now-empty plates.
"You just ate Viscount Everett Calloway."
The silence shattered.
One noble
gagged
, pushing away from the table so violently his chair toppled over.
Another
vomited
, his face turning a sickly shade of
green.
Seraphis leaned back, enjoying the horror
etched onto their faces.
She placed her
elbows on the table
, resting her chin on her hands.
"Tell me," she said, voice laced with amusement.
"Where the hell is Lord V?"