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Arkaris was a city of constant motion, its streets never truly empty, even in the dead of night. The scent of burning oil lamps mixed with the metallic tang of arcane energy, creating an air thick with tension. It was a city where power was traded like currency, and Lucian Vale had learned to manipulate that system better than anyone.
Tonight, he was going to take his first true step toward dismantling the Circle of the Silent Hand.
His target? The Ledros Estate.
A towering monument to wealth, secrecy, and influence, the estate was not just a home—it was a fortress. Built on the foundation of power accumulated over centuries, it stood as one of the city's untouchables. But no place was truly untouchable. Not to Lucian.
Every stronghold had a weakness.
And tonight, he intended to find it.
---
The Approach
Perched atop the Western Market Clocktower, Lucian studied the estate below. It was nestled in the Upper District, surrounded by three-meter-high walls lined with glowing sigils.
His eyes, sharp and calculating, traced the patrol routes, noting the subtle lapses in timing.
Six exterior guards, each armed but complacent. They weren't expecting an attack tonight, too focused on their rotations.
Two archers stationed on the rooftop. Poor positioning—blind spots at the corners that could easily be exploited.
A rotating magical ward, triggering upon unrecognized entry but resetting every thirty seconds.
There it was—a gap. Small. But enough for him to slip in unnoticed.
He exhaled slowly, his mind calculating each step with cold precision. This wasn't just an infiltration. This was a declaration of war.
Lucian reached into his coat, his fingers brushing against a vial filled with Null Essence—a rare alchemical mixture that could mute magical presence for exactly twenty-seven seconds. More than enough time.
With a flick of his wrist, he crushed the vial. A cold wave washed over him, and the world seemed to dim. His presence faded into the void, leaving no trace.
Move.
---
The Breach
Lucian dropped from the clocktower, his body moving in fluid, practiced motion. He landed soundlessly within the shadows of the outer wall. Each step was deliberate, calculated. Not a single wasted motion.
Pressing his palm against the stone, he activated Knowledge Comprehension. The ancient enchantments on the estate whispered their secrets to him, unraveling like threads in a tapestry.
Fire-activated alarm runes lay dormant, but Lucian knew that one wrong move and the entire estate would be lit like a beacon.
He smiled to himself.
He was prepared.
From his coat pocket, Lucian pulled a small, rune-inscribed coin and slid it between the cracks in the wall. The moment it touched the stone, the enchantments flickered and briefly faltered, overridden by his own subtle manipulation.
A temporary blind spot—just enough for him to slip through.
Silent. Invisible. Unstoppable.
---
Inside the Estate
The inner courtyard was eerily quiet. A fountain stood at the center, its water shimmering with residual mana flow, creating ripples that seemed to hum with hidden power. Statues of past Ledros ancestors loomed, their stone faces locked in expressions of eternal authority, seemingly watching every movement.
Lucian stayed in the shadows, his eyes locked on the vault chamber ahead—his ultimate target. The heart of the estate. Where the Circle stored their most valuable assets: contracts, secrets, and information.
It was here that their power truly lay.
As Lucian moved, his mind raced with the implications of tonight's mission. The Circle of the Silent Hand had long dominated Arkaris, manipulating its politics, its businesses, its people. They saw themselves as untouchable, insulated by their wealth, influence, and the strength of their hidden contracts.
But Lucian knew better.
Their power had been built on a foundation of fear, secrecy, and the suffering of others. He would tear it all down, one piece at a time.
A guard stepped into view. He was a tall man, armored but with an air of complacency. His armor clinked softly as he shifted his weight, clearly unprepared for a confrontation.
Lucian's eyes narrowed.
He moved before the man could react, a flick of his wrist activating Memory Shroud. The guard's eyes glazed over, his thoughts drowned in a haze of confusion. To him, Lucian ceased to exist—nothing more than a whisper of the night.
Move.
---
The Vault
Lucian finally reached the vault—a massive door of wrought iron, adorned with glowing sigils and layers of protective enchantments.
His eyes scanned the complex defenses.
A life-sensing ward stood just beyond the door.
A blood-seal attuned to the Ledros bloodline.
A kinetic defense mechanism, designed to send intruders hurtling back with a violent force.
Lucian smirked.
These were meant to stop ordinary thieves, to keep out the average fool seeking to gain access to the family's most secret treasures. But Lucian Vale wasn't ordinary.
With a steady hand, he pressed his palm against the cold surface of the door. His mind activated Knowledge Comprehension, and in a split second, the intricate workings of the seals and traps rushed into his consciousness.
The structure of the seals. The exact formula behind their activation.
Lucian's mind danced through them, weaving between the traps and finding the weak points. He could almost hear the hum of the magic as it clicked into place, a system perfectly designed to stop someone like him.
But Lucian was not one to be stopped.
He breathed in, shifting his essence—not his form—but his very nature, syncing with the Ledros bloodline for a moment. The door's magic hesitated, its energy confused, caught in the subtle manipulation of Lucian's transformation.
With a soft click, the door opened.
Lucian stepped inside.
---
The Circle's Secrets
The vault was dimly lit, golden sconces casting an eerie glow across rows of documents, ledgers, and enchanted scrolls. The air was thick with the smell of aged parchment and the faint hum of magical energy, a power that seemed to reverberate through every corner.
Lucian moved quickly, his eyes scanning through the contracts of power. Each parchment was a silent promise, a binding deal that kept the Circle in control.
Then, his fingers froze.
He saw it—his name.
A parchment inscribed with ancient runes. Lucian's breath caught in his chest as he unfurled it.
It was a Binding Contract.
Not a death order. Worse.
A contract meant to enslave him.
The Circle hadn't intended to kill him—they wanted to own him, to bind him to their will for eternity.
A sharp, cold rage burned through his chest. They thought they could control him?
Lucian exhaled slowly, his fingers glowing with raw Creation Energy. The parchment dissolved in a burst of golden light, disintegrating into absolute nothingness.
Gone.
And with it—any hold they thought they had on him.
But he wasn't finished.
Lucian reached into his coat and pulled out a contract of his own, one crafted with a language older than the Circle itself. A trap.
He placed it carefully among the others. The moment anyone touched it, the contract would activate, and their skills, their knowledge, their power—everything they thought they had control over—would belong to him.
Lucian Vale wasn't just breaking the Circle's hold. He was turning their own weapons against them.
---
The Escape
Lucian moved through the estate like a ghost, long before the alarms blared. The guards stormed into the archive, but by then, he was already gone.
By the time they discovered their missing contract, Lucian was miles away, hidden in the shadows of Arkaris' labyrinthine streets.
By the time someone touched the new contract, it would be too late.
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Dawn Over Arkaris
As the first light of morning painted the sky, a storm brewed within the Ledros Estate.
Their master awoke to chaos.
Their most powerful contract—destroyed.
A new one, laced with Lucian's magic, waiting like a predator in disguise.
The Circle had played their first move.
Now, it was his turn.
Lucian Vale was no mere broker.
He was a force that would reshape the world.
And Arkaris?
Would never be the same again.
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End of Chapter 8