Chapter 100 Drave

• At long last, the gods have decided to look upon me. It’s almost poetic, as if, after years of disdain, they’ve chosen to intervene, offering me a golden opportunity. Asher’s arrival is that divine gift, a boon from the heavens aligning perfectly with my plans. My spies, silent and loyal, stationed in every strategic corner of the city, wasted no time informing me the moment he settled into the hotel.
• Bribing a few staff members was the easiest part. A promise of gold, a threatening glance, and their tongues were tied with a fervor that borders on comedic. They turned a blind eye and deaf ear as I tortured Asher. I did it purely for the pleasure of it and to confirm my suspicions about Caelum and Aria. Every scream, every ragged breath as his resistance crumbled before me, was a symphony I savored as though it were the most exquisite composition.
• It seems even my brother didn’t know the potential that lies within the twins—the power coursing through those two small creatures. I’ll give Asher credit: he endured my torture admirably. Few manage that. His screams rarely echoed in the room, his determination nearly unshakable. Nearly. Because, like any mortal being, he broke. Not consciously, I’m certain. It was a primal instinct—the desperate desire to cling to life—that made him reveal what I needed to know. A desperate act, not a weak one. But in the end, it doesn’t matter. The result is the same. Another piece has been removed from the board, and Caelum loses his advantage with every move I make.