TBATE-REDEMPTION(Rewriting)

Chapter 23

Seris was now going to her mansion in Shez Clar. The night was cold, and the streets of the city were unusually quiet. As she entered her grand mansion and made her way to the office, her thoughts churned relentlessly. Agrona... he's dead. The figure that killed him... She sighed and shook her head. And he appointed me as the new High Sovereign. This is going to be problematic. Her footsteps echoed in the vast halls, but the noise barely registered to her in her distracted state. But just who was that person? He said he knows Arthur and Caera. Could it be true, or is he simply using me, lying to exploit their names?

Seris's brow furrowed as another wave of uncertainty hit her. Is Alacrya truly free now? Or is this the beginning of a new era... ruled by another tyrant?

Before she realized it, she was already at the door to her office. She sighed, shaking her head once again, then stretched her arms out, grabbing the door's brass handle and pushing it open. Stepping inside, she froze.

There, sitting casually on the sofa with one leg crossed over the other, was the figure—the same man who had killed Agrona. His face was still concealed by that strange mask, his body draped in shadow, but even without seeing his expression, his presence made her blood run cold.

Noticing Seris's presence, Sam stirred, shifting his gaze toward her. "Sorry for barging in without permission," he began, his voice calm and measured. "But I wanted to have a talk about the future of Alacrya... with its new High Sovereign."

Seris, still in shock, didn't respond right away. Her heart was racing, her mind swirling with a thousand questions. She blinked, trying to compose herself, and after a long moment of silence, she gave a small nod, stepping toward the sofa opposite Sam. Her hands moved almost mechanically as she pulled out two fine bottles of wine, uncorking them with practiced ease.

Just as she was about to pour into the second glass, meant for Sam, he raised a hand. "Don't bother," he said quietly. "I don't drink."

She hesitated for a moment before nodding again, pouring only her own glass. Since stepping into the room, she hadn't said a single word. The tension between them was palpable, heavy, suffocating.

Seeing her wariness, Sam sighed. Slowly, he reached up and removed his mask, revealing his face. Black threads briefly engulfed him before dissipating, revealing a strikingly handsome man with messy, lustrous black hair and dark, obsidian eyes. His features were otherworldly, almost ethereal.

Seris's breath caught in her throat, her mind struggling to reconcile the image of the man before her with the terrifying figure she had seen in Agrona's castle. He doesn't look like a monster... but then why do I feel this way?

"You don't need to be so wary," Sam said softly, his gaze meeting hers with surprising warmth. "I'm not your enemy. Nor do I plan to take control of Alacrya as a tyrant. Believe it or not, I'm a seeker of peace."

Seris let out a disbelieving scoff. "A seeker of peace? The man who just slaughtered nearly all of the Vritra in Agrona's castle? You expect me to believe that?"

He frowned, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. "What choice did I have? Agrona was becoming a thorn in my side. Without his elimination, I wouldn't have been able to achieve my goals. Disrupting peace is akin to declaring war on me."

Seris sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that night. She finally set her glass down, her gaze narrowing on him. "So... what do you want?"

She hesitated, realizing she still didn't know his name.

"Sam. Sam Frostbane," he introduced himself, noticing her hesitation. "And what I want is simple. I want you, as the new High Sovereign of Alacrya, to make a treaty with Dicathen. You know it as well as I do. This isn't the end. The Asuras won't sit still once they learn of Agrona's death. They'll try to erase every trace of the Vritra Clan... and that means they'll come for Alacrya."