Chapter 20. The Scheme of the Third Lord

  A shadow slipped between the columns, dissolving into the air as if it had never existed. The pawn of the Third Lord moved silently, leaving no traces. It belonged neither to light nor to darkness. It simply was.

  Crossing the boundary of worlds, created as a puppet, the pawn reached the throne of its master. The Dark Lord, ruler of the northern lands, sat in a hall of black obsidian, where no light could pierce the dense gloom.

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  “They have found the scroll, my lord,” a voice devoid of emotion echoed.

  The Dark Lord, Zephaar, slowly rose. He was different from the other Lords—not as reckless as Ovius, nor as overtly terrifying as Kalios. His power lay in his intellect, in his cunning, in a game where every word could be a weapon.

  “How interesting…” His lips curled into a slight smirk. “They seek a way to stop us, yet they have no idea they are opening new paths for me.”

  He leaned toward his servant.

  “You will do nothing. Let them continue their search. Let them learn more, let them dig deeper. The closer they get to the truth, the more entertaining it will be to watch their hopes crumble.”

  The puppet nodded before vanishing into the shadows.

  Zephaar reclined on his throne, his eyes gleaming with a predatory fire.

  “Let this be my spectacle. A play in which they will play their role

  s to the very end.”