A week has already passed since then-

Deep beneath the royal palace of Nacirfa, in a hidden room, King Stephanus Thorne was sitting at the head of the table, a tall, sharp-featured man in his late fifties with silver-streaked black hair and piercing gray eyes.

His expression was cold as he listened to the reports.

To his right, Minister Elandor, the head of intelligence, was sitting with a grim look on his face.

There are two more ministers beside him.

King Stephanus spoke with a slight frown "He really killed 20 of those bandits by himself?"

Minister Elandor turned to him "I already told you not to mess with the Goddess’ companion."

Turning to him, Stephanus replied "As rumors stated, he seems to be a skilled warrior."

"But no need to worry, I already sent 200 of my powerful men along with Drakin. They can definitely capture him when he is alone."

"Also there is Minister Kaarthus inside Eurasania’s castle who is helping us."

Elandor’s gaze quivered "Your Majesty, please listen to me. Our kingdom can’t endure the wrath of the Goddess. It is better not to provoke her."

"I have personally seen what she can do... I witnessed her slaying those monsters once."

King Stephanus’s gray eyes narrowed "And yet she has a weakness now."

"This man. If we capture him, we can force her to do our bidding. With her power under our control, Nacirfa will no longer be a mere buffer state. We will become the dominant force on this continent."

Minister Lirath spoke up, "The plan is ambitious, Your Majesty. But if we fail... the Goddess will not show mercy. What would she do if we actually captured him?"

King Stephanus slammed his hand on the table, "Drakin is one of our strongest. Two hundred elite warriors. They will succeed where the last group failed."

The ministers exchanged glances and stayed silent.

Before anyone could respond, the heavy stone door to the chamber burst open.

A soldier, still wearing blood-splattered armor and breathing heavily, rushed inside and dropped to one knee before the king.

His hands trembled slightly as he bowed his head.

"Your Majesty! They have captured him!"

A stunned silence fell over the room.

King Stephanus stood up abruptly, his throne-like chair scraping loudly against the stone floor.

"What?!"

The soldier kept his head lowered, "Lord Drakin’s force succeeded. They ambushed him while he was alone near the northern border. He fought fiercely, but they overwhelmed him with numbers. He is alive... though heavily injured."

King Stephanus’s lips slowly curved into a triumphant, almost manic smile.

He slammed his hand on the table again, this time in victory "Finally! Where is he now?"

The soldier swallowed hard before replying "They are transporting him to the underground prison as we speak, Your Majesty. Lord Drakin ordered the highest security measures."

The king let out an exhilarated laugh and turned to his ministers, "You see? I told you! The Goddess’s precious companion is finally in our hands."

"With him as leverage, Rheanne will have no choice but to obey us."

Minister Elandor looked visibly shaken. His hands clenched into fists on the table as he stared at the King.

"Your Majesty... please reconsider. Capturing him is one thing. Keeping him alive and using him against the Goddess is another. If she finds out-"

"She will find out." King Stephanus cut him off sharply.

"And when she does, she will come begging. The Goddess may be powerful, but even she has a heart. She will not risk her precious companion’s life."

He turned back to the soldier.

"Double the guards at the prison. No one is to approach him without my direct order. And send a message to our agent in Eurasania, tell them the plan is in motion."

The soldier bowed deeply "As you command, Your Majesty."

As the soldier hurried out of the chamber, King Stephanus sat back down, his fingers drumming excitedly on the table.

Minister Lirath spoke cautiously "Your Majesty... if the Goddess discovers we have him, she may not negotiate. She may simply destroy our kingdom in rage."

King Stephanus’s smile never wavered "No, she is a kind-hearted woman. She won’t kill civilians."

"As for us, she won’t kill us as long as we threaten to kill her companion."

"One hair on my head is harmed... and her precious companion dies slowly and painfully. She will bend. They always do when their weakness is exposed."

"The future itself is now within our grasp."

---

The heavy iron gates opened as King Stephanus led the way down the spiraling stone staircase.

Behind the king, ministers and a squad of elite royal guards flanked them.

King Stephanus’s eyes burned with anticipation.

They reached the lowest level, and at the end of the corridor there was a reinforced door guarded by ten heavily armed soldiers.

Drakin, a tall man with a scarred face bowed deeply as the king approached.

"Your Majesty. The prisoner is secured. The chains are holding. He has not woken up yet."

King Stephanus nodded once "Open it."

The guards unlocked the massive door with a series of heavy clanks.

The stone slab slid aside with a low rumble, revealing a dark, circular cell.

In the center of the cell, Brandon was chained to a pillar with iron chains.

He hung limply in the chains with his head lowered.

King Stephanus stepped into the cell, and the ministers and Drakin followed cautiously, keeping a safe distance.

The King stopped a few steps away and looked at Brandon "So this is the famous Goddess’s Shadow,"

"He fought like a demon, Your Majesty. He killed nearly forty of my men before we could subdue him."

King Stephanus released Brandon’s chin, letting his head fall forward again.

"Good. That means he is valuable."

He turned to his ministers, "Prepare the interrogation chamber. We begin as soon as he wakes. We will extract everything he knows about the Goddess’s weaknesses and about the towers. Then we will send her the first message... a finger, perhaps. To show we are serious."

At that moment, Brandon raised his gaze and muttered "Oh... you are finally here, you took some sweet time."

Stephanus let out a scoff "You woke up huh."

Brandon’s gaze flickered to him "I am not fucking talking to you, you idiot. I am talking to my ’saviour’, right Rheanne?"

Huh?

Stephanus was confused, but then he turned his head, and his eyes shrank in horror.

Rheanne stood silently in the shadows just inside the cell door.

Her long white hair flowed behind her, and her eyes were ice-cold, devoid of any mercy.