Lord of Deception

The first move had been made. Varynth was his.

Now, Kael had to turn a forgotten kingdom into a weapon.

Kael stood atop the highest tower in the ruins of Varynth, overlooking the sprawling remnants of the lost city. The Abyssal Queen stood beside him, her gaze locked on the horizon. Below, Varian and his soldiers moved swiftly, preparing for war.

"This city is a graveyard," Kael muttered. "No resources, no trade, no reinforcements."

The Queen's smirk was unreadable. "That depends on what you consider a resource."

She raised her hand. The air trembled.

From the depths of the ruins, something stirred.

The shadows themselves shifted, taking form. A monstrous shape, half-real, half-nightmare, rose from the streets below. Its glowing eyes flickered with intelligence, but its body remained amorphous, a swirling mass of black mist and jagged bone.

Kael narrowed his gaze. "What is that?"

"A fragment of the Abyss," she said, lowering her hand. "A wraith born of Varynth's fall. They do not eat, do not sleep, and cannot be killed by mortal hands. In life, they were my subjects. In death, they serve my will."

Kael's lips curled into a slow, calculating smile. A tireless army that could terrorize the Divine Church without ever setting foot on a battlefield?

Interesting.

Evelyne tensed beside him. "Even with an army of shadows, we can't walk into the Divine Church and tear it down. They control the temples, the high priests, and the Archon's favor."

Kael turned to her. "We don't need to destroy them outright."

She hesitated. "Then what's the plan?"

Kael stepped forward, his gaze locked on the Queen. "We don't attack the Divine Church directly."

He turned back toward the city. "We make the world turn against them."

"The Church controls the faith of the people," Kael continued. "They survive not because they're strong, but because the masses believe they are necessary."

He gestured downward, where the wraiths roamed the ruins.

"What happens when people stop believing?"

Evelyne frowned. "You want to corrupt the faith."

"Not just corrupt it." Kael smirked. "Shatter it."

The Abyssal Queen watched him carefully. "How?"

Kael's mind whirred. Every memory of deception, every manipulation from his past life, every weakness in human nature—it all connected.

"We don't attack the Church," he said. "We create a crisis—one they can't solve."

Evelyne exhaled. "A heresy."

Kael nodded. "If people see that the gods they worship are powerless, if they lose faith in the Church's authority, their power collapses. The pillars that hold the heroes aloft will begin to crumble."

The Queen's lips curled into a smile. "And once the Church is weak, the Royal Alliance and Holy Order will follow."

Kael turned to Varian. "How many spies do we have in the cities?"

The armored general spoke for the first time. "Scattered, but loyal."

Kael's smirk widened.

"Good."

Kael laid out the first step.

"We will spread a prophecy. One that speaks of the gods' judgment—a punishment for their failure to protect the world."

Evelyne's brow furrowed. "And who delivers this prophecy?"

Kael's smirk deepened.

"The Church itself."

A few days later, in the city of Valmerith, an elder priest stood before the crowds at the Grand Cathedral. His face was pale, his voice shaking.

"A vision," he whispered. "A prophecy of ruin. The Archons turn their backs upon us. The Holy Order has angered the gods. A darkness shall rise, and the heroes... the heroes will fall!"

The people gasped.

The high priests rushed forward, trying to contain him, but the panic had already begun to spread.

Kael, watching from the shadows of an alley, allowed himself a small smile.

The first crack in the Divine Church's power had just been made.

And it was only the beginning.

To be continued....