Priyanshu poured the tea slowly, each drop echoing in the silence of the garden pavilion. The moon hung above like a cold observer, watching as two monsters in human skin conversed beneath its gaze.
Mistress Shaya held her cup delicately. "You're bold. Poisoning a guest?"
"I never said it was real poison," Priyanshu replied with a faint smirk. "But even if it were… you'd still drink it."
She met his gaze, calm and unflinching. "Touché."
They sipped simultaneously. Neither flinched. Neither coughed. The silence stretched like a blade drawn between them.
Then Shaya leaned forward. "You're dangerous. I like dangerous men. But danger without purpose is boring."
"And you want to be entertained?" he asked.
"I want power. Just like you. And I see in you something the Pavilion could never nurture before—a villain who dares to play righteous."
Priyanshu swirled the tea. "Flattery?"
"Observation."
[System Alert: Shadow Pavilion Alignment Path Discovered.]
- Unlocks secret underworld networks- Increases influence over assassination guilds- Opens 'Forbidden Trade Route' map
[Optional Quest]: Take Mistress Shaya into your faction or eliminate her.
He stared at her for a long moment.
"I'll make it simple," he said, voice soft and calculated. "Join me—not as an equal, but as someone who walks behind the curtain. I won't share my throne, but I'll give you the world's strings to pull."
Shaya blinked, then smiled slowly. "You speak like a conqueror."
"No," Priyanshu said, his eyes gleaming. "Conquerors fight on battlefields. I move the battlefield."
She chuckled. "I accept. But remember, if you betray me... I'll carve your soul into pieces and scatter them across hell."
"That's fair," he replied.
They sealed the pact with a drop of blood and a kiss—hers on his wrist, his on her forehead. It was symbolic, binding, and intimate.
[Mistress Shaya has joined your faction: Whispering Blades.]New Passive Perk: Poisoned Allure – All female faction members receive +15% charm and stealth in political or seduction missions.
Suddenly, a tremor passed through the ground.
Shaya stood. "We need to leave. That wasn't natural."
A deep rumble echoed from the horizon. Black smoke twisted into the sky from the palace direction.
Priyanshu narrowed his eyes. "That's the capital..."
[System Quest Update: Unknown entity has breached the royal treasury.]
Objective: Investigate. Prevent looting. Or take advantage of the chaos.
"Looks like someone's moving too soon," Priyanshu muttered.
Shaya smiled. "Shall we enjoy the chaos?"
"No," he replied, rising to his feet. "We'll orchestrate it."