That afternoon, I met with Ravenna in her workshop, if it could be even called that. She was surrounded by void-smoke when I entered, purple-black tendrils dancing around her fingers as she worked on a spell formation.
"Don't break my concentration," she said without looking up. "This is delicate."
I waited silently, watching her work. The void magic responded to her will like a living thing, coiling and uncoiling in complex patterns. After several minutes, the formation stabilized. She released it with a satisfied sigh.
"There. That should hold." She finally turned to me. "You wanted to see me?"
"The death-faking spell. How's it coming?"
She's someone I want to let join my inner circle but at the moment, I have my hand full. I'll still work with her though.
"Complete. I can trigger it remotely or you can activate it manually. Either way, it'll stop your heart, lower your body temperature, and create all the signs of death that a standard medical examination would detect."
"For how long?"
"Six hours safely. Eight if you're willing to risk some brain damage. Twelve if you want to be a vegetable."
"Six hours is plenty. I don't plan to stay 'dead' that long."
"Good. Because I've never tested this on a living person. You'll be the first."
"That's comforting."
She frowned slightly. "If it helps, I'm ninety-four percent certain it won't kill you."
"And the other six percent?"
"You die for real. But hey, at least you won't have to fake it."
I stared at her. She stared back, completely serious.
Then she snorted. "Your face. I'm joking. It's ninety-eight percent safe. Maybe ninety-seven."
"You're terrible at reassurance."
"I'm better at results than bedside manner." She handed me a small crystal. "This is the manual trigger. Crush it when you need to fake death. The spell will activate instantly. You'll have about three seconds before you lose consciousness."
"Three seconds. Got it."
☆☆▪︎▪︎☆☆
That evening, I gathered my inner circle for a final planning session. Damian, Marcus, Lucille. The people who knew the full plan.
"Tomorrow is the Spring Festival," I said without preamble. "The day I'm scheduled to die. Let's review everything one more time."
I laid out the plan on the table in every detail.
"Damian uses the fake poison. I 'die' publicly. Ravenna's spell makes it convincing. Marcus's wards detect any real poison in the area. Lucille's men watch for suspicious movement."
"What if the real assassin doesn't make a move?" Lucille asked.
"Then we've lost nothing except making Adrian think he won temporarily. But I don't think that'll happen. Whoever's behind this wants me dead. They won't pass up the opportunity."
"That too."
We reviewed everything again, the positioning and the backup plans, even the emergency protocols.
By the time we finished, everyone knew their role perfectly.
"Questions?" I asked.
Silence.
"Good. Then we're ready." I looked at each of them. "Thank you. All of you. For trusting me with this insane plan."
"We trust you," Damian said simply. "You've earned it."
The others nodded.
Something warm settled in my chest. These people, this strange collection of misfits and outcasts, had become something like allies.
"Same time tomorrow," I said. "Let's make some history."
As they filed out, Lucille lingered.
"Something on your mind?" I asked.
"Just wondering if you've considered what happens after."
"After the festival?"
"After you 'die.' You'll have revealed whoever's trying to kill you. You'll have tested loyalties, you'll have shaken up the entire power structure, it might even be some noble that's against you family and has nothing to do with the academy." She met my eyes. "What then?"
I smiled slowly. "Then the real game begins. Because once I come back from the dead? Everyone will know I'm not going away quietly."
"You're going to make quite an entrance."
"That's the plan."
After she left, I stood alone in the headquarters, looking out at the academy below, little and big lights glowing in the darkness, while tudents go about their evening routines, oblivious to the storm coming.
Tomorrow, everything changed.
Tomorrow, Hadeon Ravana would die.
And then... then I'd show them what a villain could really do.
[QUEST UPDATE: DEATH FLAG #4 - THE POISON PLOT]
[TIME REMAINING: Less than 24 hours]
[PREPARATION: COMPLETE]
[ALL PIECES IN POSITION]
[TEAM STATUS:]
Damian: Ready, 100% loyal
Marcus: Fake poison complete, wards active
Ravenna: Death-fake spell ready
Lucille: Men positioned
Helena: Standing by (doesn't know full plan, but available)
[SUCCESS PROBABILITY: 73%]
[VARIABLES: Multiple unknown factors]
[RECOMMENDATION: Trust your preparation]
[FINAL WARNING: No plan survives first contact with the enemy]
[BE READY TO IMPROVISE]
[GOOD LUCK...VILLAIN]
```
I looked at the system message and smiled.
Seventy-three percent odds.
I'd worked with worse.
"Let's be magnificent," I whispered to the night.
Tomorrow, we'd find out if magnificent was enough.
☆☆▪︎☆☆
Author's Note: Thank you for reading! Next chapter coming soon! Don't forget power stones and gifts!!