Kael’s face remained expressionless, but the deep focus in his eyes showed Seraphina the magnitude of her ultimatum. She was not demanding a compromise; she was demanding his entire operational identity. The silence stretched, the power of The Obsidian Throne humming faintly beneath the marble floor, witnessing the declaration of independence.
“You understand the implications of that demand, Seraphina,” Kael finally stated, his voice low and devoid of anger, adopting the pedagogical tone of a strategist explaining inevitable consequences. “The Throne cannot be simply 'shuttered.' It is a necessary regulatory organ for the global shadow economy. If I retire it, a power vacuum is created instantly. Someone worse, someone with no moral con
