I was summoned before I even had a chance to change out of my training clothes.
Two guards flanked me without a word, their rifles slung a little too casually over their shoulders, as if to remind me that I wasn't untouchable. The hallway to the Supreme Leader's private wing stretched on endlessly, every step humming with thinly veiled tension.
When the doors opened, he was already waiting.
Lounging, of course. Draped in something expensive and blood-colored, wine glass in hand, eyes flicking lazily over me like I was late to a game I hadn't agreed to play.
"Well?" he asked, not bothering with pleasantries. "How are my beasts?"
I inclined my head, just enough to show respect but not enough to shrink. "Improving, sir. They're responsive, but not quite stable yet. I'd say another few weeks before they're combat-ready."
A lie. A smooth one.
I'd trained them already. They followed my scent like hounds, reacted to my voice like it was instinct. But if he knew that… if he knew how deeply they listened, how easily I could unleash them...
He swirled the wine, watching the liquid spin like blood in a chalice. "Hm. A pity. I thought you had more talent than that."
"Control takes time," I replied evenly. "Especially when they've been treated like trash until now."
He arched a brow. "Is that a complaint?"
"An observation," I said coolly. "They're more obedient with praise than pain. I assumed you wanted results, not carnage."
He smiled at that. Not warmth—never that. Just sharpness in his teeth, something glittering behind his eyes like he already suspected I was feeding him poison, but liked the taste of it anyway.
"I want weapons, Rhea. Not pets. Remember that."
I bowed my head again. "Of course."
He stared at me for a moment longer, the silence heavy between us, as if trying to decide whether he believed me—or whether it even mattered.
Then he laughed—boisterous and sharp—and waved me off like I was a particularly amusing dog. "Get back to work, darling. Let's hope your monsters are worth the cost of feeding them."
I turned on my heel and left before I said something Nyx would make me regret.
Behind me, the doors closed with a hiss.
And in my chest, the truth beat steady and silent: they were ready.
They were just waiting for my word.