It arrived just before midnight.
A black envelope.
No seal. No return.
Just his name etched in red ink: Damon Black.
He opened it alone, standing in the penthouse's command lounge as the lights of St. Monarch shimmered in the distance.
Inside, a card with a single phrase:
"The Circle sees you. Come dressed for the throne."
Midnight Council – Invitation Level: Unranked Disruptor
System Alert: Hidden Network Detected
Location: St. Monarch — "Midnight Council"
Access Type: Invitation Only
This underground society controls international deals, underground markets, political lobbying, and legacy contracts. Members include heirs to Fortune 100 empires, criminal syndicates, private militaries, and black site think tanks.
Warning: 3 of 5 current council members have expressed interest in you — romantically, politically, or strategically.
System Objective: Influence and Unseat. This school is your empire now.
Damon put the card in his coat pocket.
"I came to study," he said with a smirk. "Guess I'm staying to conquer."
Elsewhere – Vera Santiago's Dorm
She sat on a white velvet couch, legs crossed, watching an encrypted livestream of Damon's entrance into the social matrix.
A ring of fire wrapped around her iris — hidden augmentation.
She whispered, "He's more dangerous than Lucien. Because he doesn't care about the rules."
Her roommate, Lys Gray, a French-Russian legacy assassin-in-training, said, "So, you want him dead… or in your bed?"
Vera smiled like sin.
"Both."
Later That Night – The Council Room
Underground. Marble floors. Black fire flickering from torches that weren't wired to anything human.
The room sat in silence as Damon stepped through the arched entrance.
Lucien sat already. Upper level.
Vera reclined in a throne draped in dark velvet. Champagne untouched.
Damon didn't blink.
He walked to the center.
And sat down — in the throne left empty.
The room reacted like he had just slapped God.
Lucien stood. "That seat is reserved—"
Damon cut him off, voice calm, eyes heavy with command.
"Then I guess it was reserved for me."
[Check-In: Midnight Council – Forbidden Throne Claimed]
*Bonus Triggered: "Defiance Aura" — Those who once ignored you now fear you.
You now emit a passive pressure effect to those ranked above you.
New Skill: "Social Override" — In any high-pressure public situation, your voice becomes the center of gravity.*
After the Council – Private Garden
Vera was waiting.
Black gown. No guards. Just shadows and scent.
"You really don't care what this place thinks, do you?"
Damon stepped into the light. "This place will think what I tell it to."
She laughed — not mockery. Interest. Challenge. Heat.
"You'll burn every bridge, Damon."
He leaned in close. "Then I'll fly over the ashes."
Romance Progress: Vera Santiago – 88% Curious, 44% Dangerous, 27% Tempted
Affection Skill: "Power Attraction" — Those who dominate are drawn to you like predators to fire.
She brushed his collar.
"You're gonna be the end of me."
He smiled.
"No. I'll be the reason you never settle for less again."