The Verdant Nexus pulsed with its usual rhythm, the beating heart of Selene’s domain. It had become something greater than a mere stronghold—it was a throne, an empire woven together by absolute control.
And now, it was time to expand again.
Selene stood before the Fae Circle, her presence radiating purpose. The battle with Blackwell had been a lesson, but it had not been a loss.
She never lost.
She simply adjusted.
She activated the summon.
---
《System Alert: The Fae Circle Has Been Activated》
《Summoning Two Fae Lords》
《Summoning Tier 1 and Tier 3 Fae Lords…》
---
The first to emerge was smaller than most Fae Lords. Quick. Agile. Light.
His form was covered in sleek fur, his eyes gleamed with mischievous cunning, and his presence was restless, never still.
His voice was swift and sharp, playful yet edged with danger.
“I am the Fae Lord of Foxes.”
A Tier 1 Fae Lord.
“My domain is deception, speed, and the calling of the wild.”
“I command the Hollowfang Pack, the Ember Tail Runners, and the Whispering Kits.”
His fox-like summons materialized behind him—small, cunning creatures with shifting, smoke-like tails.
They were not warriors.
They were tricksters. Scouts. Shadows in the underbrush.
Selene regarded him. “You will serve in my court.”
The Fae Lord of Foxes grinned, his many tails flicking.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way, my Queen.”
---
Then the circle pulsed again.
And the second figure emerged.
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They did not have a single form.
For a moment, they were a towering, cloaked figure.
Then a winged beast.
Then a human with hollow eyes.
And finally, something in between.
When they spoke, their voice was a blend of all things, shifting between tones, depths, and echoes.
“I am the Fae Lord of Mirrors.”
A Tier 3 Fae Lord.
“I command the Reflected Ones, the Shattered Doppelgangers, and the Echoed Beasts.”
“My domain is shape. Identity. The masks we wear and the truths we steal.”
---
Selene’s expression remained steady.
A shapeshifter.
A fae that could not only change form but claim the memories of those they transformed into.
Their summoned forces were lesser imitations, capable of limited shifts.
But the Fae Lord of Mirrors himself?
He could become anyone.
Her lips curved slightly.
“You will serve in my court.”
The shifting form before her rippled, their outline flickering like water.
“And so I do.”
---
Selene turned from the circle.
The game was already shifting.
She had begun weaving the next move.
The previous battle had shown her the truth.
Blackwell’s forces could be broken.
Not by brute force.
Not by overwhelming might.
But by removing the foundation of their strength.
She had Oaths.
She had Mirrors.
She had Foxes.
And soon, Blackwell’s own soldiers would be made to doubt.
---
While Selene was preparing her infiltration, two of her vassals had begun working on their own schemes.
Duskwind and Fenric.
They had not spoken since the meeting in which Lily had overheard their intentions.
But their plotting had not stopped.
Fenric leaned forward in his private quarters, his voice low and sharp.
“We can’t just spread rumors,” he muttered. “That won’t work. She’s too strong.”
Duskwind smiled faintly. Always the one to assume he was in control.
“We don’t need to bring her down all at once,” Duskwind murmured. “We only need to make her rule… unstable.”
Fenric scowled. “How?”
Duskwind tapped a piece of parchment spread between them.
“We exploit the human lords.”
Fenric frowned. “She’s already outmaneuvered them. We just came from the Hundred Lords Summit.”
“Exactly,” Duskwind said. “She outmaneuvered all of us. And now, all of the other lords are realizing that their armies are growing stronger, but their control over them is slipping.”
Fenric exhaled slowly. “You want to use that against her.”
Duskwind nodded. “Selene has convinced them that she is untouchable.”
He leaned forward.
“We will make them question that.”
---
Fenric still looked uncertain.
“She has an empire, Duskwind.”
Duskwind smirked.
“She has an empire made of Fae.”
Fenric hesitated.
Duskwind continued, pressing forward.
“They don’t think like humans. They don’t care about ambition, about growth. They just serve.”
He spread his hands.
“That means they lack initiative.”
Fenric’s expression was less certain now.
“She’s a strategist, Duskwind. You think she won’t see through this?”
Duskwind smiled.
“She doesn’t have to believe it. Others do.”
He gestured toward the map.
“If we can make the other lords believe that her control is slipping…”
Fenric exhaled. “They’ll act.”
Duskwind nodded.
Fenric hesitated. “You’re assuming they’re stupid enough to attack her.”
Duskwind chuckled.
“They don’t have to attack her directly,” he murmured. “They only have to resist her expansion. And once her influence is contained…”
He leaned back.
“…Then we find our moment.”
---
Their plotting continued.
They believed their plans would shape the future.
They did not realize that the walls still had ears.
That the Fae whispered their secrets to their Queen.
That their rebellion was fruitless before it even began.
And while they schemed, Selene was already preparing her next move.
She would not attack Blackwell’s city again.
Not with armies.
Not with force.
She would send Mirrors.
She would send Foxes.
And Ironveil would collapse from within.
