The sun was just beginning to rise, painting the sky with soft shades of gold and orange. A gentle breeze moved across the land, brushing against the leaves like a whisper. For the first time in many days, everything felt… calm.
But Priyanshu Yadav stood on the balcony of his temporary residence, eyes sharp, his body still. This calm wasn't peace.
It was warning.
He could feel it deep in his bones—something was about to change.
Behind him, the members of his hidden group, the Dark Heaven Society, moved with silent efficiency. There was no need for orders anymore. Everyone had been trained, prepared, and mentally sharpened like blades. Each one of them was loyal not just because of fear—but because they had seen what Priyanshu could do.
And more importantly, what he was about to become.
"I want full surveillance on the northern district," he said quietly, not turning around.
From the shadows, a masked member nodded and disappeared.
Priyanshu had received a message last night. Short, but dangerous.
"The Dragon Society is watching. Be ready."
That was it. No name. No seal. But he knew who had sent it. The mysterious old man he'd once saved during his weakest days. A man with no identity, no past, but endless knowledge about the underworld. A man who whispered about coming wars before they ever started.
He trusted him.
And that meant trouble was truly coming.
—
Far away, in the central capital of the empire, the Dragon Society sat in silence. Twelve cloaked figures around a round black table.
"He's grown faster than expected," one of them muttered.
"Faster, and smarter. He's hiding something… something none of us have seen yet."
"Should we strike?"
"No. Not yet. Let him play the game. It'll make breaking him even more fun."
They laughed.
But beneath that laughter was fear. Priyanshu had become a storm. And storms couldn't be reasoned with.
—
Back in the city, Priyanshu had called a private meeting.
Only his core team was present: Tanya, Zarek, Anaya, and the newly joined Reaper—a silent assassin with no past but unmatched skill.
Tanya looked worried. "They're making moves on the merchant guild. If they control trade, we'll be cut off."
Priyanshu leaned back in his chair, tapping the table slowly.
"Let them."
Everyone stared.
He smiled coldly. "Let them feel victory. And then… we cut off their hands while they celebrate."
Zarek chuckled. "That's evil."
"No," Priyanshu said, his eyes gleaming. "That's smart. Evil is a tool. I use it. I don't become it."
Anaya nodded. "Then what's the plan?"
"We let the Dragon Society think they're winning. We feed them half-truths. Let them buy off the smaller guilds, spread rumors, gain confidence."
"And then?" Reaper asked for the first time, his voice barely a whisper.
Priyanshu leaned forward, his tone colder than ice.
"We destroy them. From the inside."
—
That night, the plan began.
Priyanshu sent agents dressed as commoners, merchants, even beggars—into every street, every alley, and every tavern. Fake information flowed like wine. Some were told that Priyanshu's base was in the eastern cliffs. Others heard he was working with rival kingdoms. A few "leaked" maps, showing troop positions that didn't exist.
Within 24 hours, the Dragon Society acted.
They moved a squad to the eastern cliffs.
They sent assassins to meet phantom allies.
They wasted resources, time, and trust.
All while Priyanshu watched from the shadows, smiling.
He had learned something in his journey so far.
A true villain doesn't just kill. He lets his enemies destroy themselves.
—
Back at headquarters, Tanya sat beside Priyanshu on the rooftop.
"Do you ever think about the past?" she asked softly.
He didn't reply at first.
Then, "Yes. But I don't miss it."
She looked at him. "Even the good moments?"
He shook his head. "Those moments were built on lies. Friends who weren't real. Family who sold me. Love that faded when I had nothing."
Silence stretched.
"But…" he added, "it made me who I am now. And that? I will never regret."
Tanya smiled, leaning slightly closer. "You're becoming something bigger than all of them."
"I'm not becoming," he corrected, eyes fixed on the horizon. "I already am."
—
The next morning, the explosion rocked the outer wall of the enemy's base.
It wasn't from Priyanshu's side.
It was an inside job.
A guild that had been secretly loyal to Priyanshu for months now. Bought not with gold—but with promises of freedom and future power.
The Dragon Society didn't know who to suspect anymore.
And that was exactly how Priyanshu wanted it.
Confusion was his weapon. And trust? That was his battlefield.
—
In a hidden room, deep underground, Priyanshu sat with an ancient book open before him. It wasn't magical. But it held secrets.
Secrets about the Rare Bloodlines of the empire.
He traced a symbol on one of the pages. His own bloodline. Long forgotten. Feared once, then buried.
But now?
He was awakening it.
One step at a time.
Soon, the empire would know what it meant to fear the man they tried to destroy.
Priyanshu Yadav wasn't just a villain anymore.
He was the architect of their downfall.
And this?
This was just the beginning.