Varros broke the law before breakfast.
He did it politely.
The writs were immaculate—handwritten copies, wax seals intact, citations drawn from obscure precedents that hadn't been invoked in decades. They were delivered simultaneously to three Watch precincts, two guild halls, and one very specific apartment block in the lower midcity.
Each order carried the same phrasing:
Emergency Relocation Pending Civic Stabilization
No trials.
No hearings.
No appeals.
Temporary, of course.
Varros smiled as he signed the last one.
"Temporary," he repeated fondly. "Such a forgiving word."
A messenger hesitated at the door. "My lord… some of these names aren't on the anomaly registry."
Varros waved a hand. "Collateral alignment. If fear is the illness, we treat the symptoms."
"And the Duchess?"
Varros chuckled. "Will be furious."
He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled. "Which means she'll finally have to choose."
---
The relocations began at dawn.
Watch patrols knocked softly at first. Then harder. People were given minutes to pack. Some were escorted. Some resisted. A few fled.
Rumors outpaced reality.
They're taking anyone who stood near him.
They're cleansing the districts.
The Duchess approved this.
The Duchess lost control.
Aiden saw the first family being escorted out from a bakery he recognized.
A mother clutching a child. A father shouting questions no one answered.
His chest locked.
"No," he whispered.
Seris grabbed his arm. "This isn't you."
"But it's because of me."
"It's because Varros wanted leverage," she snapped. "Don't let him rewrite that."
Liora stood frozen, fists clenched. "They're not even pretending anymore."
Inkaris' expression was unreadable. "He's crossed into unilateral action."
Aiden turned on him. "That means illegal, right?"
"Yes."
"Then stop him."
Inkaris met his gaze evenly. "If I intervene now, he wins."
Aiden stared. "People are being displaced."
"Yes," Inkaris said quietly. "That is why this works."
---
Aureline was already in motion when the reports reached her.
Her council chamber was full—too full. People spoke over one another, voices sharp with panic and accusation.
"You authorized this!"
"You've lost control!"
"The nobles are acting independently!"
"The Watch doesn't know who to obey!"
Aureline raised her hand.
Silence fell.
She read the writs without comment.
Then she stood.
"These orders were not issued by my authority," she said calmly.
A councilor scoffed. "They bear civic seals."
"They bear misused civic seals," Aureline corrected. "And those responsible will answer for it."
A man laughed bitterly. "Answer to whom? You?"
Aureline's gaze snapped to him.
"Yes."
The room chilled.
"You have two choices," she continued. "You can help me dismantle this abuse of power—or you can pretend this is necessary and watch the city burn politely."
A noble stood. "If you revoke the writs, you undermine civic authority."
Aureline turned toward him slowly. "If I don't, I abdicate it."
Silence.
This was the moment.
Aureline inhaled.
"I am suspending all emergency relocation powers effective immediately," she said. "Retroactive. Any Watch officer enforcing these orders is to stand down."
Gasps. Shouts.
"And," she added, voice sharp as glass, "I am invoking Sovereign Override."
The room erupted.
"That's drastic!"
"You'll fracture the council!"
"This will start a war!"
Aureline did not flinch.
"Then we will fight it with daylight," she said. "Not shadows."
---
Varros read the announcement while finishing his tea.
"Oh," he said softly.
The smile that followed was not pleasant.
"She chose legitimacy," he murmured. "How noble."
A servant shifted uneasily. "My lord… that exposes us."
Varros set the cup down with care.
"No," he corrected. "It exposes her."
He stood. "Initiate phase two."
---
The Watch fractured by noon.
Some officers obeyed the Duchess. Others clung to the writs. Arguments broke out in the streets. Orders were contradicted mid-action.
People noticed.
Panic didn't explode—it seeped.
Aiden watched it happen in real time.
"This is worse," he said hoarsely. "They don't know who to listen to."
Seris nodded grimly. "That's the point. Varros doesn't need to win. He just needs chaos."
Aiden clenched his fists. "I can't keep watching this."
Inkaris' voice was low. "If you act now, you legitimize his narrative."
Aiden snapped, "If I don't act, people suffer anyway!"
Silence.
Inkaris studied him.
"Then you must act carefully," he said. "Not loudly. Not symbolically."
Aiden's breath shook. "Tell me how."
Inkaris hesitated.
That alone terrified Seris.
---
Aureline stood alone in her office that night, staring at the city.
Her aide approached carefully. "Your Grace… several councilors have withdrawn support."
Aureline nodded. "Expected."
"And Varros is calling for an inquiry into your use of Sovereign Override."
Aureline smiled faintly. "Of course he is."
She straightened.
"Draft the response," she said. "I will defend my decision publicly."
The aide swallowed. "That will weaken your position."
"Yes," Aureline agreed. "But it will strengthen the city's."
She turned, eyes burning.
"I would rather lose power than rule a lie."
---
Aiden sat on the floor that night, wings faint and half-visible, pulled tight around himself.
"I didn't want this," he whispered.
Seris sat beside him, leaning her shoulder against his. "I know."
"But I'm part of it."
"Yes," she said gently. "And that means you can change how it ends."
He looked up. "Even if it costs her?"
Seris hesitated.
"Especially then," she said quietly.
---
Varros stood before his mirror once more, adjusting his coat.
"Illegal," he mused. "Yes. But legality is only a weapon if people believe in it."
He smiled at his reflection.
"And belief," he added softly, "is already cracking."
---
Above the city, Caelum watched with rapt attention.
"Oh, this is perfect," he whispered. "He's broken the rules. She's clung to them. And the boy…"
His smile widened.
"…is about to learn why both choices bleed."
The knife was fully visible now.
And the city, at last, understood it was being cut.
---