The flickering candle cast twisting shadows along the damp stone walls of the hidden chamber, the weak flame struggling to push back the overwhelming darkness.
It was a room built for secrecy—far removed from the bustling corridors of the palace, hidden behind layers of twisting passageways that only a select few knew existed.
Here, deep within the underbelly of the empire, the seeds of treason were being sown.
A hooded man sat at a wooden table, his fingers tapping lightly against the surface, the rhythmic sound filling the silence.
Before him stood a soldier, clad in dark armor, his posture rigid and disciplined.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Then—
"How did it go?" the hooded man asked.
The soldier exhaled slowly, a cruel smirk forming on his lips.
"Perfectly."
The hooded man's fingers stopped tapping.
"The poison?"
The soldier nodded once, his expression gleaming with satisfaction.
