Chapter 3

Noah—no, Ravenn—sat in the grand yet suffocatingly silent dining hall, the flickering chandeliers above casting elongated shadows across the polished marble floors. The six men seated around him feasted with a deliberate elegance that unsettled him. They were too quiet. Too watchful.

His fingers curled around the silver goblet before him, and he took a careful sip, ignoring the heavy weight of their stares. [Why the hell are they staring at me like that? I swear, if they could hear my thoughts—]

Lucian Devereux’s lips quirked slightly, his golden eyes glinting with amusement. “You seem troubled, Valtheron.”

Ravenn forced an easy smirk. “Is it a crime to enjoy a peaceful meal?”

“Peaceful?” Caius Everhart’s voice was a low purr as he swirled the wine in his glass. “Your very existence incites war, yet you desire peace?”

Ravenn clenched his jaw. This was exactly what he expected—accusations, taunts, and the ever-present danger of slipping up. But he couldn’t let them see any weakness. [Play the villain, Ravenn. Play the part.]

He opened his mouth to deliver some cutting remark when a sudden crack of lightning struck outside the towering windows. Pain lanced through his body, sending a violent tremor down his spine. He gasped, hands slamming onto the table as the system’s cruel punishment seared through him.

System Alert: Stay in character. Villains do not wish for peace.

The men around him tensed—though for different reasons. Lucian shot up from his seat, while Damien Aldric’s icy gaze narrowed dangerously. Soren Valkir, ever the keen observer, tapped his fingers against the hilt of his sword.

“Ravenn?” Ezra Sinclair’s voice was too smooth, too knowing.

Noah gritted his teeth, his breath heavy. “Tch. This cursed body is always too sensitive to the elements.”

Veyron Nacht chuckled darkly, the shadows around him shifting as he leaned forward. “You’re a terrible liar, Valtheron.”

The air in the room shifted, a silent, unspoken understanding passing between the six. Noah felt it, the realization tightening like an invisible noose around his throat.

[They knew.]

[They had to.]

[And yet… they said nothing.]

Instead, Lucian took his seat again, his voice lighter than it should be. “It’s quite entertaining, actually. Watching you.”

Noah’s heart pounded. [What the hell is going on?]

He had been prepared for hatred, for torture—anything but this unbearable, obsessive scrutiny.

And worse? He had no idea why.

Before he could piece together their intentions, an ominous chime echoed through the air. A brilliant, translucent screen materialized in front of him, glowing with an eerie red hue. His blood ran cold.

System Alert: New Mission Issued.

Mission: Assassinate King Aldric Valtheron and seize the throne. Time Remaining: 25 hours. Failure Penalty: Immediate Death.

Noah's breath hitched. [What?!] His mind spun in panic. Kill the king—his father? That wasn’t just insane—it was suicide.

He barely had time to process the horror of the command when he noticed the reactions of the six men around him. Their gazes were locked onto the floating system screen, their expressions twisted with shock and something dangerously close to fear.

“You…” Damien’s voice was laced with disbelief, his eyes dark with an emotion Noah had never seen before. “What is that?”

Ezra stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the marble floor. “This—this is not magic.”

Soren’s hand gripped the hilt of his sword, his body tense as though preparing for a battle. “That thing… It’s dangerous.”

Caius’s expression was unreadable, but his fingers were curled into a tight fist. “How is something like this even possible?”

Noah felt every muscle in his body lock up. The system screen was visible to them?! [No, no, no. This shouldn’t be happening. Why can they see it?]

Veyron’s crimson eyes gleamed with a mix of fascination and apprehension. “Ravenn… Just what the hell are you?”

Noah had no answers. Only a death sentence ticking down, and six powerful men who were now looking at him as though he was the most dangerous thing in the room.

[This just got so much worse.]

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