The storm was gone.
Morning sunlight crept through the shattered windows of the throne hall, tracing thin lines of gold across the stone floor. Dust hung in the air like mist, glimmering where the light touched it.
Kael sat upon the throne, motionless, eyes half-closed. The silence was heavy—neither peace nor calm, but the hush that followed ruin.
Fragments of memory drifted through his mind: banners aflame, the smell of iron, a woman's voice screaming his name as the sky split apart. Then nothing.
He drew a slow breath and opened his eyes.
"A ruler without loyalty," he murmured, "is already dead."
[Empire System Active]
[Current Loyalty Network: 413 Subjects]
[Empire Power: 2.1%]
[Title Effect — The Awakening Emperor: +5% Influence on Loyal Subjects]
The runes faded, leaving faint afterimages in the air.
The Empire Map
A soft chime followed.
[New Function Unlocked: Empire Map]
[Feature — Province Loyalty Overview]
Light gathered before him, shaping itself into a golden map. Once, it would have stretched from the northern seas to the burning south; now only a handful of provinces glowed. Most flickered weakly. One was already black.
Kael studied it in silence. "Frostreach," he said at last. "The north has already fallen."
[Warning: Loyalty Collapse in Frostreach — 0% Faith Remaining]
[System Suggestion: Re-establish Authority to Prevent Further Spread]
He rose slowly from the throne, cloak whispering against the steps. "Then the rebuilding begins at dawn."
The Commander Returns
The doors groaned open. A soldier knelt just inside the threshold, armor dented, face streaked with soot.
"Your Majesty," he said, voice hoarse. "Commander Serin holds the southern gates. The people whisper that you were reborn by divine light."
Kael's expression did not change. "Serin still lives?"
"Yes, sire. He never abandoned the capital."
Kael's gaze turned toward the light spilling through the ruined arches. "Bring him to me. And send word—those who still believe will not be forgotten."
[Faith Resonance +312 Subjects]
[Empire Power 2.1% → 4.8%]
A faint warmth pulsed through him. For an instant he saw the memory of a battlefield—the same commander shouting orders amid the storm of arrows.
Pieces were returning. Slowly.
The Whisper of Betrayal
Later, when the court assembled, Kael watched them file into the hall. Their robes dragged through dust and broken glass.
A glimmer of gold touched his vision. The system moved on its own.
[Loyalty Insight I — Passive Activated]
[Analyzing Targets…]
→ Advisor Eron: 92%
→ High Priestess Valea: 78%
→ Chamberlain Drehn: 21% — Betrayal Detected
Kael's tone was mild. "Chamberlain Drehn. Step forward."
The man hesitated, eyes darting from one noble to another. "Y-Your Majesty, surely—"
Kael lifted his hand. Golden light coiled around his fingers, spreading like a chain of fire until it circled Drehn's throat.
"There are no mistakes in loyalty," he said softly.
The light flared—and vanished. Drehn collapsed, unharmed yet empty-eyed, as if his will had been erased. The courtiers recoiled.
[Action Executed: Purge of Betrayal]
[Empire Power Restored: +0.3%]
Kael sat once more. "Let the record show," he said, voice carrying through the trembling hall, "loyalty is strength. Betrayal is death."
No one dared breathe.
The War Beyond the Walls
By dusk the city had quieted. Kael stood upon the balcony overlooking the capital. Fires smoldered between streets, and bells rang from half-broken towers.
A messenger arrived, knees scraping stone as he bowed.
"Sire—urgent word from the north! The Duke of Frostreach has declared himself emperor. He claims the throne is empty."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"Then he believes I am still dead."
He turned toward the fading light of the horizon, the air shimmering faintly with the pulse of his system.
"Let him keep his illusion," he said. "When I march north, even his dreams will kneel."
[Main Quest Unlocked: Reclaim Frostreach]
[Objective: Restore Loyalty in the Northern Provinces]
[Reward: Empire Power Expansion — Tier II Functions]
Thunder rumbled far in the distance, though the sky was clear.
Kael rested his hand on the balcony rail, eyes gleaming with cold fire.
"The empire isn't fallen," he whispered.
"It's awakening—through me."
The wind rose again, carrying the scent of rain and iron.