Chapter 39 The Master of Games

Chapter 39 The Master of Games
Unknown POV
The Master of Games

They played right into my hands like little puppets on a string.

I watched from the shadows as the guards dragged the girl and the rebel away. The silver-haired bitch and the fiery fool. Their faces were a picture of despair. It was beautiful.

I allowed myself a small smile. Everything was going according to plan.

They thought they were so clever. The rogue heir, thinking she could get revenge. The angry boy, thinking he could burn it all down. And the prince, torn between his dick and his duty. They were all so predictable.

I was the one pulling the strings. I was the third player. The only one who knew the whole game.

I slipped away from the crowd, moving through secret passages they didn't know existed. I had been in this Academy longer than any of them. I knew every stone, every hidden door.

I went to my private room. It was not a student's room. It was a place of power. Maps covered the walls. Notes were pinned everywhere. Names. PlanOne
I looked at the biggest map. The one of the Academy. I put a red X over the girl's face. Selene Veyra. The Rogue Queen's daughter. She was finally where she belonged. In a cage.

Then I put a black X over Riven's face. The Kaelthorn boy. His mother was a nuisance. He was just like her. All fire and no brains.

And Cael... I put a blue question mark over his face. The Crown Prince. He was a useful tool. But tools can break. He was getting too soft. Too attached to the girl.

I had to fix that.

I sat at my desk and opened a small, black book. I wrote in it.

Phase one complete. The rogue and the rebel are captured. The evidence is back in our hands. The Prince remains loyal, but his resolve is weak. He must be tested further.

I closed the book. My work was not done. Not yet.

You see, I don't hate them. Hate is a weak emotion. I don't hate the rogue for wanting revenge. I don't hate the rebel for wanting to burn things. I don't even hate the prince for being weak.

I understand them. That's why it was so easy to manipulate them.

I needed the rogue to cause chaos. I needed the rebel to help her. And I needed the prince to betray them. It was the only way to get what I wanted.

Power.

The Council is full of old men. They are slow. Careful. They play the long game. But I am not like them. I want power now. Today.

The girl was the key. Her bloodline is special. Powerful. The Council wanted to experiment on it. To control it. But I have a better idea.

I will take that power for myself.

The lab experiments were a failure. The Council's scientists are fools. They don't understand what they are dealing with. But I do.

I have studied the old texts. I know the secrets of the rogue bloodline. The silver eyes. The connection to the moon. The hidden strength.

That power should be mine.

So I let the girl run around. I let her think she was uncovering secrets. I even helped her a little. I planted the note under her door. I know what you are. It was true. I did know.

I wanted her scared. A scared animal is easier to trap.

And the amulet? That was my masterpiece. I knew they would steal it. I knew the Headmaster would set a trap. I just helped things along.

I took the amulet from their hiding spot and put it in Joren's room. Poor, loyal Joren. He never saw it coming. His pain was necessary. It made the trap more believable.

And the prince... his betrayal was the final piece. I knew he would choose his duty. He is his father's son, after all. Weak. Predictable.

But his pain... his conflict... that was real. And it was useful. It made the girl's fall even harder. It broke her spirit.

A itsn spirit is easier to control.

Now, they are both in the cells. The rogue and the rebel. Tomorrow, the Council will decide their fate. They will talk about execution. But I have other plans.

I will volunteer to... question them. To extract information. The Council will allow it. They trust me.

They have no idea who I really am.

I will take the girl to my private lab. Not the one the Council uses. My lab. The one hidden deep underground. No one knows about it.

There, I will study her. I will take her power. I will make it mine.

And the rebel? He is a complication. He cares for her. That makes him dangerous. I will have to deal with him. Permanently.

But first, I need to make sure the prince stays in line. He saw too much tonight. He knows the girl had proof. He might start asking questions.

I need to give him a new problem to worry about.

I took out a piece of paper and wrote a short note. I used my left hand, so the writing would not be recognized.

Prince Cael,

Your father knows you hesitated. He knows you wanted to help the rogue. Your loyalty is in question. Prove yourself. Be the one to carry out the execution order tomorrow. Or you will be joining them in the cells.

—A Friend

I smiled. It wasn't a friendly smile.

I would have a servant deliver it to his room. He would be terrified. He would think it came from his father or the Headmaster.

He would fall in line. He would do his duty.

They all would.

Because in this game, I am the only player who matters. I am the master. And soon, I will be the king.

I looked at my reflection in the dark window. My eyes were cold. My face was calm.

No one suspected me. No one ever looks at the quiet one. The one who follows the rules. The one who is always in the background.

They never see the wolf until it bites.

And I am ready to bite.