"Everyone wears a mask. I simply remembered mine has teeth."
A crimson moon hung above the spires of the Grand Academy, bathing the campus in an eerie sheen.
Tonight was the Masque of Thrones—an annual tradition where nobles and elite students mingled under veils of anonymity, diplomacy, and indulgent lies. Deals were struck in glances. Marriages proposed in waltzes. Rivalries ended in blood—accidental, of course.
Kael stood before a long, velvet-draped mirror, cloaking himself not only in the raven mask, but in an identity so refined, it could dance among princes.
Varnak's voice echoed from the shadows.
"You will be surrounded by enemies."
Kael fastened a lapel pin etched with the Blackpine sigil.
"Then I'll be right at home."
🎭 Grand Ballroom – Midnight
The ballroom was a world of gold and deception.
Hundreds of masked nobles floated across the marble floor, their laughter as sharp as daggers.
A string quartet played a requiem disguised as a waltz. The chandeliers glowed with captured moonlight. The air itself smelled of perfume and conspiracy.
Kael entered alone.
And the crowd parted.
His raven mask, his obsidian robes, his silent posture—he was a ghost among flames. A myth walking.
"That's him.""Raven Ashfall…""He broke the prince's wrist.""He made the inquisitor scream."
Whispers danced around him like wind around a blade.
[Reputation Gained: You are now a symbol of danger, defiance, and unpredictability.][Faction Interest: 3 nobles wish to recruit you. 2 seek to destroy you. 1 desires to unmask you.]
👑 The Royals
Standing near the imperial platform were three of the Crown's Children:
Princess Aeyla Vaelthorn – golden-haired, ice-eyed, and once Kael's betrothed… before she spat on him at his execution.
Prince Ronan Vaelthorn – charming, lazy, and cruel with words that killed more often than blades.
Lord Silas Dorne – not royal by blood, but the favored heir of the Chancellor. A kingmaker in waiting.
They all turned as Kael approached the drink table.
Aeyla's gaze lingered.
"Who are you?" she asked, voice wrapped in silk and frost.
Kael bowed slightly.
"A ghost. A guest. A game."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Your voice… it sounds familiar."
Kael tilted his head.
"Familiarity is just memory trying to lie."
Silas chuckled. "Poetic. Dangerous. I like him."
Ronan raised a glass.
"Here's to masked monsters. They keep things interesting."
[Princess Aeyla: Suspicion 20%. Attraction 5%. Uncertainty 75%.][Prince Ronan: Amused. No threat. Watching.][Silas Dorne: Curious. Seeks value. Dangerous intellect.]
🩸 The Assassination Game
At every Masque of Thrones, a secret "duel" was played—a harmless tradition of slipping a colored dagger into a rival's cloak to "symbolically slay" them. It was supposed to be fun.
Tonight, someone made it real.
A scream pierced the dance floor.
A noble girl fell. Blood poured from her back.
Panic surged.
Magic shields activated.
Kael didn't move.
[System Triggered Event: Court Assassin Detected.][Optional Quest: Expose the Assassin Before You're Framed.][Time Limit: 15 minutes.]
Kael's mind spun like a steel trap.
Who had motive?
Who had moved unnaturally?
He scanned the crowd—and saw it.
A noble boy in green velvet retreating toward the west balcony. His footsteps too precise. Too slow in panic.
Kael followed.
On the balcony, under moonlight—
"She wasn't supposed to die," the boy whispered, voice shaking.
Kael stepped into view.
"You aimed for me."
The boy turned, mask slipping.
"You—who are you? What are you—?"
Kael held up a black-gloved hand.
The boy's legs froze.
[Skill: Shadowbrand (Active). Paralyze: 2 seconds.]
"Remember this before you sleep," Kael whispered. "Next time, I won't let you wake up."
He placed the crimson dagger into the boy's belt and whispered into the air.
"Murderer. Here."
Guards arrived moments later.
The boy was dragged away, screaming.
The court exhaled.
[Reputation: Your influence spreads.][Princess Aeyla now suspects you less.][Silas Dorne intrigued.][Quest Completed: 50 VP Earned.]
Later, as Kael returned to the Tomb Gate, Varnak awaited him with news.
"The Empire believes you saved the girl. But one among the royals has seen through you."
Kael removed his mask.
His eyes burned like dying stars.
"Then let them come. The next dance will be war."