The Dark Warlock's Game

Chapter 35: The Rogue Altana

“Who’s there?” Ferah hissed, her sharp eyes fixed on the door handle.

A knock came again, a bit slower this time.

“Stay back,” Vardy commanded.

Ferah shot him a glance but obeyed, stepping aside with her weapon raised. Tracy grabbed her spear and Luther stood behind.

The door creaked open before Vardy could make the next move. A woman stepped inside, but she didn't seem scared.

She pushed back her hood, revealing herself.

“Relax,” the woman said smoothly, her tone laced with a smirk. “If I wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead.”

“Who the hell are you?” Ferah snapped, bringing out her sword.

The woman ignored her, glancing around the room as if assessing them. “You guys ain't welcoming are you? Well, my name is Selene and you must be Vardy?”

Vardy narrowed his eyes. “You’ve heard of me. You know me?”

Selene grinned. “Who hasn’t? The infamous Dud who’s got Dean sweating. Word travels fast in Haven.”

“What do you want?” Vardy demanded, his voice low and cold.

Selene’s gaze flicked to Ferah’s drawn blade, then to Tracy’s spear, and finally back to Vardy. “Relax. I’m not here to fight. I’m here to help.”

“Help?” Tracy scoffed, stepping forward. “Why would someone like you want to help us?”

Selene shrugged, leaning casually against the wall. “Because Dean’s a monster, and I don’t want to be his next meal.”

“Convenient,” Ferah muttered.

Selene’s smirk didn’t falter. “Call it self-preservation. I’ve been part of Dean’s network long enough to know how it works. And more importantly, how to tear it down.”

“You expect us to trust you?” Tracy asked, her voice filled with skepticism.

“No,” Selene said plainly. “But I don’t need your trust. I need your desperation, and lucky for me, you’ve got plenty of that.”

The room fell silent for a moment, tension thick in the air.

Vardy finally spoke. “Why now? Why come to us now, when Dean’s been a problem for so long?”

Selene’s expression shifted, her smirk fading slightly. “Because you’ve rattled him. He’s making mistakes. People are starting about it.”

Ferah’s grip tightened on her sword. “Sounds like a setup to me.”

“It’s not,” Selene said, “But you don’t have to take my word for it. I know his supply routes, his safe houses, his weaknesses. With my help, you could hit him where it hurts and bring him to his knees.”

“And what’s stopping us from taking you out right now?” Ferah asked, her eyes narrowing.

Selene chuckled, crossing her arms. “You could try. But if I die, so does everything I know about Dean. And you’ll be back to square one.”

“She’s playing us,” Tracy said, turning to Vardy. “You can’t seriously be considering this.”

Vardy stared at Selene, his expression unreadable.

“What do you get out of this?” he asked finally.

“Survival,” Selene replied without hesitation. “Dean doesn’t tolerate loose ends, and I’ve been one for far too long. Helping you means I get to live. Simple as that.”

“And if this is a trap?” Vardy pressed.

“Then kill me,” Selene said, meeting his gaze.

---

In Haven City, in a tavern, a group of men sat around a table, their faces grim.

“Selene’s gone rogue,” one of them said, his voice barely above a whisper.

The leader of the group, a tall man with a jagged scar across his jaw, leaned back in his chair. “She won’t get far. Dean’s got eyes everywhere.”

“And what about the Dud?” another man asked.

The leader smirked, swirling the drink in his hand. “Let her lead him straight to us. Makes things easier.”

“And if she’s not leading him into a trap?”

The leader’s smirk faded, replaced by a cold, calculating look. “Then we kill them both.”

---

Vardy paced the room, his mind racing. He hated the idea of trusting Selene, but her offer was too valuable to ignore.

“I don’t like this,” Tracy said, breaking the silence. “We don’t know anything about her.”

“We know enough,” Vardy replied, stopping to face her. “She knows Dean’s network. That’s all that matters.”

“And if she’s lying?” Ferah asked, her tone sharp.

“Then we deal with her,” Vardy said simply.

Selene smiled faintly. “Good to know where I stand.”

“You’re not standing anywhere yet,” Vardy said, his voice cold. “This doesn’t mean we trust you. It means we’re desperate enough to take the risk.”

“Fair enough,” Selene said, pushing off the wall. “But if you want my help, we don’t have time to waste. Dean’s already got people looking for you.”

“How do you know that?” Luthor asked, his voice trembling slightly.

“Because I was one of them,” Selene said, her gaze locking onto Vardy. “Until I decided I’d rather be on the winning side.”

Vardy studied her for a long moment before nodding. “Alright. You’re in. But if you betray us…”

“You’ll kill me. I got it,” Selene interrupted, her smirk returning.

Ferah scowled but said nothing, while Tracy’s frown deepened.

“We leave at first light,” Vardy said, leaving no room for argument.

Selene leaned against the wall, her dark cloak blending with the room. Her eyes darting around before it landed on Vardy.

“You have no idea what you’re up against,” she said, her tone low and deliberate.

Vardy didn’t flinch. “I’ve faced plenty already. Dean’s just another name on the list.”

Selene’s lips curled into a faint smirk, though her eyes held no humor. “Is that what you think? That Dean is just another power-hungry monster? Because I won't call him a man.”

“If you have something to say, say it,” Ferah snapped, her patience clearly wearing thin.

Selene’s gaze shifted to Ferah, “Dean isn’t just some petty warlord. He’s different. And if you underestimate him, you’ll all end up dead.”

“Let her talk,” Vardy said, his voice calm but firm.

Selene pushed off the wall. “You’ve seen his network, his reach. That’s not just fear and muscle. It’s something else. Something... darker.”

“Darker than this?” Vardy asked.

Selene’s eyes flicked to the staff. “What you have is a tool. A weapon. What Dean has is something entirely different. Something alive.”

Tracy frowned, crossing her arms. “Alive? What does that even mean?”

Selene hesitated, as if weighing how much to reveal. 

“Dean doesn’t just control people. He consumes them. Their loyalty isn’t born from fear, it’s forced. He... takes something from them, binds them to him. Once he’s done, they’re not the same.”

Ferah scoffed. “You’re saying he brainwashes people?”

“It’s not just their minds,” Selene said, her voice tightening. “It’s their very essence. Their power, their will, their souls. Whatever makes them who they are, Dean twists it, warps it, until they’re nothing but extensions of him.”

“That’s impossible,” Luthor muttered, his face pale.

Selene’s eyes locked onto his. “Is it? In a world where Duds can control the dead and Altanas can destroy entire armies, is that really so hard to believe?”

The room fell silent.

“How do you know this?” Vardy asked finally.

Selene’s smirk returned. “Because I’ve seen it. I’ve watched people go to him, desperate for power or protection, and come out... hollow. Their eyes change first. Then their voices.”

Tracy took a step forward, her spear still in hand. “If that’s true, why didn’t it happen to you?”

Selene hesitated again. “Because I ran before he could finish. I saw what he was doing and got out. Barely.”

“And we’re supposed to believe that?” Ferah asked, her tone skeptical.

Selene’s gaze hardened. “Believe what you want. I’m still standing here, aren’t I? If I’d stayed, I’d be one of his puppets. Or worse.”

“What’s worse than that?” Luthor whispered.

Selene’s expression darkened. “You don’t want to know.”

---

Across Haven City, in a dimly lit chamber filled with maps and documents, a man knelt before a large wooden table. 

Dean stood at the far end of the table, his hands clasped behind his back. 

“Selene has made contact,” the man said, his voice trembling.

Dean didn’t turn. “And?”

“She’s with the Dud,” the man continued. “It seems she’s offering her... assistance.”

Dean let out a low chuckle, the sound sending a chill through the air. “Of course she is. Selene always did have a knack for survival.”

“What should we do?” the man asked, his head bowed.

Dean turned slowly, his piercing gaze locking onto the man. “Let her play her little game. It won’t matter in the end.”

“And the Dud?”

“He’ll come to me. They always do.” Dean smirked.

---

Back in the hideout, Selene had taken a seat at the edge of the table, their  wary eyes fixed on her.

“You said Dean takes something from people,” Vardy said, breaking the silence. “How?”

Selene shook her head. “I don’t know the details. No one does. But it’s tied to his power, the thing makes him different.”

“Magic?” Tracy asked.

“More than that,” Selene said. “It’s like... corruption. It spreads through everything. It’s why his power keeps growing. The more he takes, the stronger he becomes.”