Doubt crept into the hearts of the citizens. The Empire's image once unshakable now stood on trembling ground. And through it all, Kaelen watched with quiet satisfaction. His battle wasn't only fought with sword or magic it was fought in minds, in perception, in belief.
And in that battle, the first cracks in the Empire's armor had begun to show.
Once the Ratfolk entered the spotlight, public opinion began to shift in an unexpected direction. Once dismissed as scavengers, they were now seen in a new light as resilient, loyal, and fiercely united on the battlefield. The leaked videos of Ratfolk fighting alongside ogres stirred something in the people: empathy, curiosity, and most dangerous of all, doubt. Doubt in the Empire's narrative. Doubt in its intentions. Doubt in its truth.
The Empire, always watchful, acted swiftly.
