I stepped out of Laura’s room, her silence still hanging in the air like a blade waiting to drop.
She hated .
Or at least, she thought she did.
But hate without reason? That wasn’t real hatred. It was just misplaced emotion, a desperate attempt to make sense of a world that had already crushed her.
I had no intention of convincing her otherwise.
Let them hate .
They’d either adapt... or break.
And if they broke, they weren’t worth keeping around.
—–
The castle halls were eerily silent as I made my way to the main chamber. It was too silent, as if the entire place had been abandoned.
That wouldn’t do.
I needed to see the state of my domain with my own eyes. As such, I dragged myself on the carriage and made my way to the town.
Stepping outside, I was t with a harsh, dry wind. The land stretched before in its miserable form—dusty roads, cracked buildings, and people walking like shadows of themselves.
The town was barely holding together.
Most of the buildings were old and worn, patched up with whatever material the people could scavenge. The streets were filled with hungry, wary eyes. Even the air felt heavy, weighed down by a sense of despair.
A place like this?
It could never thrive.
Not in its current state.
A change was needed. And if history had proven anything, it was that true change only ca through force.
I made my way toward the town square, ignoring the nervous glances thrown my way. Whispers followed in my wake—muffled conversations, wary eyes darting away whenever I t their gaze.
They feared .
Nice!!!
But fear alone wasn’t enough.
I stopped at the center of the square, my gaze sweeping over the gathered townspeople.
"You all look pathetic," I said flatly.
A ripple of shock went through the crowd. So stiffened, others flinched, but no one dared to speak.
Not yet.
"You bla for your failures. For the fall of this town. For the deaths of your own people."
Silence.
"Tell ," I continued, "who swung the blades? Who raised their fists? Who spilled the blood?"
A tense pause.
"...It was you."
A few people clenched their fists, their faces contorting with anger. But I wasn’t done.
"You expect to fix this?" I laughed, shaking my head. "Fix what, exactly? A town full of weaklings who killed their own out of greed?"
Soone in the crowd snapped.
"You—!" A man stepped forward, his face twisted in rage. "You made the offer! You promised power! You lied!"
I t his glare with a calm, almost bored look.
"You’re right," I said.
His anger faltered.
I stepped forward, closing the distance between.
"I promised power," I murmured. "And what did you do? You fought for it. You killed for it. You proved exactly what kind of people you are."
He took a step back, suddenly unsure.
I didn’t stop.
"You wanted strength? You wanted to rise above your friends and family?" My voice was calm, but the weight behind it made the air feel heavy.
"Then I will give it to you."
A hush fell over the square.
"I will rebuild this place. I will drag it from the dirt and make it stronger than it has ever been." My gaze swept over them. "But make no mistake—only the strong will rise."
I let the words settle, watching as realization dawned on their faces.
This wasn’t a request.
This was a decree.
And from this mont forward, the town would no longer be ruled by fear.
It would be ruled by order.
My order.
They were too shocked. Too afraid. But fear had a way of turning into sothing more.
And I had no doubt that soon, so would try to resist.
I welcod it.
Let them challenge .
Let them struggle.
Because in the end, they would either rise with ... or be crushed beneath .
This was no longer just about surviving.
It was about building my domain.
And I would do everything to see it done.
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