Sebastian’s POV
I stood at the mouth of my grand chamber, watching the final lamplight flicker as dusk settled over the realm. The air was heavy with expectancy and the faint tang of incense. Each breath I drew tasted of iron and blood rose, the two scents mingling in my lungs like the promise of victory. Behind me, the long table gleamed with maps and parchments, a blueprint for my conquest. Before me, the vast gates of my fortress yawned open, revealing rows of shadow-wolves assembled on the courtyard’s flagstones. Their black armor, etched with silver runes, shimmered beneath the lantern light.
My heart thrummed with power as I stepped forward, cloak swirling like a ripple of night. The scent of my minions, this legion of darkness washed over me in waves: leather, steel, earth. I felt
