Vellok's grip did not tighten, but it might as well have. The weight of his words alone was crushing.
"All living things want to survive. You want to survive. That instinct, that will to live—that's all the loyalty I require. I don't need vows or declarations. Just obedience. Just action."
There was a moment of silence, thick with tension. Then Vellok continued, his tone sharp and final:
"Kaelen's next moves, after what he's just pulled, will be reckless. Desperate. Watch him. Monitor every step he takes. Report everything. His ambitions must be measured… and if necessary, curtailed."
"The Empire cannot afford to falter now. If it fails to respond properly to Kaelen's provocations, we risk losing everything we've built."
And with that, the world around Rattan shifted. In the blink of an eye, he was no longer kneeling in that cold, vast chamber.
