Lord of Deception

The Imperial Palace stood as a monolith against the night, its golden towers gleaming beneath the celestial sky. Yet, within its opulent halls, whispers of fear had begun to stir.

The Emperor had ascended. His display of divine power had shattered any lingering doubts about his transformation. Lightning had answered his call. Flesh had turned to ash at his decree.

But power was never absolute.

And Kael Arden was about to prove it.

In the heart of the palace, within her private chambers, Empress Seraphina sat alone.

The room was dark, save for the flickering light of a single candle. Its glow cast shifting shadows across her delicate features—features that concealed a mind sharper than any blade.

The events of the past week had only confirmed what she had long suspected.

Her husband was no longer human.

She traced her fingers along the rim of her wine goblet, her thoughts running in dangerous directions. A man who became a god… what did that make his wife?

A puppet? A relic of his mortal past?

Her lips curled slightly. She was neither.

A soft knock at the door.

She did not flinch.

"Enter."

The door opened, and a figure stepped inside. His presence carried no urgency, no desperation. He walked as if he already owned the very air around him.

Kael Arden.

Seraphina observed him, her sharp gaze flickering with interest. He had come to her willingly.

That meant he was ready.

Kael, ever composed, took a seat across from her without waiting for permission. "The Emperor is no longer bound by mortal rules," he said, his tone smooth, measured. "Which means the Empire is no longer his concern."

Seraphina took a slow sip of her wine. "And yet, I remain his Empress."

Kael's smirk was subtle. "For how long?"

Silence.

Then, Seraphina exhaled a soft laugh. "You assume I am ready to betray him."

Kael leaned forward slightly. "You're too intelligent to remain loyal to a god who has no use for a queen."

His words were a dagger wrapped in silk. She did not react—not outwardly.

But Kael had already read her.

She had no loyalty to Castiel. Only to power.

And that was something Kael could offer.

Seraphina placed her goblet down. "You are asking me to choose between a god and a man."

Kael's smirk deepened. "No, Empress. I am asking you to choose between a god… and the one who will decide if he remains one."

That caught her attention.

She studied him, searching for deception. There was none.

Kael Arden was no reckless rebel. He did not move without certainty.

Which meant… he had already seen the cracks in Castiel's newfound divinity.

Seraphina sat back, contemplating. "You would have me stand against the divine."

Kael's voice was smooth, certain. "No. I would have you stand with the one who will rewrite divinity itself."

For the first time in days, Seraphina felt something stir within her.

Hope?

No.

Excitement.

Far above the palace, within the Emperor's private sanctum, the air trembled with power.

Emperor Castiel stood before a grand mirror, his reflection flickering between the man he once was and the being he had become.

His golden eyes narrowed.

He had felt something—a disturbance in the divine order.

Something… was shifting.

His lips pressed into a thin line.

Kael Arden.

The name came unbidden to his thoughts, yet he did not dismiss it. The Duke had been too quiet. Too composed.

And now, Seraphina moved as well.

The game was no longer just about an Empire.

It was about the very nature of power itself.

Castiel turned away from the mirror. His voice, though soft, carried through the chamber.

"Summon Lucian."

The time had come for his sword to be tested.

To Be Continued...