The ruined estate was no longer silent.
Stone by stone, shadow by shadow, Selene was rebuilding Virellia.
Not as a home.
But as a stronghold.
Three Days Later — The New War Council
Five chairs. Four filled.
A masked rogue. A dismissed royal mage. A noble daughter exiled for sorcery. And Selene.
At the head.
"Lucien controls the capital," the mage said. "Kaelion holds the military, but he's isolated."
"And you," the sorceress murmured, "have the people."
Selene leaned forward. "Then we build the rest."
[System Alert: Faction Management Unlocked. You now lead a sovereign seat of power.]
Resource Generation: Active. Reputation: Climbing. Enemy Surveillance Detected.
A Letter From the Capital
It arrived that night.
Written in Kaelion's hand.
"Selene —
You said you wanted power.
You've taken it.
But if you keep walking this path…
You'll become exactly what they once accused you of being.
Come back before I'm forced to stand against you."
She read it once.
Then burned it.
[System Alert: Kaelion Affection Stable. Status: Withholding judgment. Next interaction will determine bond direction.]
Final Scene
She stood atop her tower at dusk.
Below her, soldiers trained in Virellian armor.
Her banner — a serpent in a ring of fire — rose against the wind.
For once, her heart was still.
She didn't belong to Kaelion's empire.
She didn't need Lucien's throne.
She would carve a new crown from the bones of their war.
And the world would kneel not to a queen reborn…
But to a queen they never saw coming.