Returning to the room where the meeting had taken place, Keyrin looked at the calmly seated Trey and couldn't hold back a heavy sigh. Everything had gone exactly as they had planned, but that only meant the beginning of a new problem.
"Everything went according to plan, Trey, but are you sure you can defeat both of them in a duel?" Keyrin asked, looking at him questioningly.
"Yes, but I'll have to reveal my talent for magic. After that, there will be no turning back." Trey nodded to her, still gazing out the window.
"After that, not only elves but representatives of other races will begin hunting you. You're not ready yet." Keyrin shook her head.
She had seen Trey's memories, and because of that, she understood better than most who lurked in the shadows of this world. Compared to them, he was still no more than dust that could be wiped away with a single motion.
"You're right, but the truly powerful won't take interest in me because of my talent for dark magic," Trey replied, finally turning to face her.
"Of course. A mage with an affinity for darkness could never possibly attract anyone's attention," Keyrin said with obvious sarcasm, watching as Trey walked over to the sofa, sat down, and closed his eyes.
"You don't fully understand. Everyone thinks I'm a half-elf." He began explaining why he was confident his power wouldn't provoke the reaction Keyrin feared.
"That's true. Everyone sees you as a half-elf with some unknown magical talent, which is exactly why the matriarch sent her daughter to find out your true power and affinity." Keyrin nodded in agreement and sat beside him on the sofa.
"We're only seeing part of the picture. As for the dark elves... something tells me the matriarch didn't send Cassandra to me right away without reason," Trey said thoughtfully, staring at the place where the two princesses had been sitting only moments ago.
"What do you mean?" Keyrin asked in surprise, not understanding where he was going with this.
"The matriarch could have sent anyone. She could have challenged me through any representative of her people and waited until I fully revealed myself. Only after that would she have sent the princess." Trey spoke while recalling his conversation with the two sisters.
Keyrin frowned as she considered his words.
"But instead, she sent Cassandra first, as if she was already certain of her victory. As if she doesn't even consider the possibility that Cassandra might lose," she continued, following his line of thought.
Trey shook his head slightly.
"I may be wrong, but I think it's the exact opposite. How well do you know the power structure of the dark elves?"
Hearing the question, Keyrin looked at him in surprise before falling into thought, sorting through everything she knew about their race.
"They have a rather strange system of authority, especially compared to the light elves." Keyrin turned toward Trey and let out a quiet sigh, preparing to explain.
"Tell me everything you know. It's important for our next move," Trey nodded.
Leaning one arm against the edge of the sofa, Keyrin began explaining the structure of dark elf rule.
"The dark elves have two circles of power: the outer and the inner. The outer circle consists of weak dark elves, those who failed to display anything remarkable either to the matriarch or to the race as a whole. In essence, they're just a large mass that exists as the foundation of their society."
After a short pause, Keyrin continued.
"The inner circle is the complete opposite. It includes all of the dark elves' talents: the strongest mages, sword masters, assassins, strategists, and those who have proven their worth. Everything that represents the strength and future of their race is concentrated there."
Trey listened silently, gradually piecing the picture together in his mind.
"But above the inner circle, there's someone else." Keyrin frowned slightly. "Almost nothing is known about them. Even among elven nobility, information is extremely scarce. It's as if that part of their structure is intentionally hidden."
Her voice grew quieter.
"The only thing I know is that even the inner circle is not the peak of their authority. There are those above them who stand closest to the matriarch... or perhaps exist entirely outside the normal hierarchy of command."
Trey slowly opened his eyes.
Now his suspicion was beginning to take on a much clearer shape.
"If the outer circle decides to revolt, what happens to the inner circle?" he suddenly asked.
That question made Keyrin's expression visibly change.
"The inner circle begins suppressing the outer one with its own forces, without troubling the matriarch," she answered, still not understanding where he was leading this.
"Good. And how is it decided who exactly suppresses the uprising? Through a vote? An order from above? Or is there another mechanism?" Trey turned his head toward Keyrin, waiting for an answer.
But she only shrugged.
"I don't know."
Trey fell silent for a moment, then closed his eyes again, as if finally arranging all the pieces of the mosaic into a single image.
"So, we don't know what exactly triggers the suppression. But we'll work from what I've managed to gather. Maybe I'm wrong somewhere, but I'm more confident in the overall picture than I am that the red moon will rise tomorrow," he said calmly.
Keyrin tensed, listening closely.
"Right now, the capital of the dark elves is most likely already in unrest. Someone who learned information about me decided to provoke an uprising. And that person may be supported by both those close to the matriarch and members of the inner circle."
As he spoke, Trey's thoughts became increasingly clear even to himself.
"It's possible the leaders of the rebellion are already drawing closer and closer to the matriarch herself. The number of her supporters and loyal elves is shrinking, and she no longer knows who truly remains faithful to her and who is merely waiting for the right moment to stab her in the back."
Keyrin's face gradually became more serious.
"By sending Cassandra, she solves two problems at once. The first is me, as a potential instigator or symbol of a future rebellion. The second is Cassandra herself."
Trey leaned forward slightly.
"If I win the duel, Cassandra becomes mine. The princess gains a lawful husband, and some of the traitors around her will inevitably reveal themselves by calling for my elimination."
He paused briefly.
"The other portion will either return under the matriarch's banner or temporarily go quiet, waiting for a chance to strike whichever side begins losing—whether it's the rebellion or the matriarch herself."
As Trey laid out his assumptions, he noticed Keyrin's face changing with each of his words.
By the end of his explanation, not a trace of her former calm remained in her eyes.
"But that still doesn't explain why it had to be you instead of someone else. She could have married Cassandra off in a far more ordinary way, not through a duel." Keyrin shook her head, still finding the matriarch's decision far too strange.
"The duel is a test. Not just for me, but for those around her as well," Trey replied calmly. "If I'm truly connected to the uprising, then during the duel, someone among the matriarch's inner circle will definitely reveal themselves. But if I have nothing to do with the rebellion and still defeat Cassandra, she simply accepts the result and withdraws."
Continuing his reasoning, Trey looked at Keyrin.
At first, she clearly didn't understand where he was going, but then everything abruptly clicked into place in her mind. Covering her slightly open mouth with one hand in shock, Keyrin stared at him.
"You're saying that if you really are the inspiration behind the rebellion, then during your victory over Cassandra, one of the matriarch's supporters might try to attack her or provoke a conflict, directly tying you to the uprising?"
She spoke faster and faster as she herself grasped the scale of what was happening.
"But if you have nothing to do with it, then by gaining the princess and not turning her against the matriarch, you shatter the expectations of those who were already inspired by your appearance. Many will begin doubting themselves and either return to the matriarch's side or take a wait-and-see position, giving her more room to maneuver and more time to strengthen her authority."
Keyrin looked at Trey with eyes full of genuine astonishment.
She clearly couldn't believe what she had just said herself.
"Exactly." Trey gave a short nod. "This is the matriarch's gamble. There is no third option. I may be wrong about some details concerning the rebellion itself, but the overall logic looks exactly like this."
Rising from the sofa, he headed toward the training room.
Another advantage of elite stufon status was having access to a private training area available only to him.
Keyrin silently watched as Trey walked away, trying to process everything she had just heard. She grew curious about what he intended to do, considering there were no more than a few hours left before the duel.
Getting up from the sofa, she followed after him.
When Trey opened the door, a spacious training room appeared before them, large enough for several people to train at once.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Trey walked to the center of the room and stopped.
Keyrin remained by the door, silently watching him before closing it behind her.
Closing his eyes, Trey summoned the four tormentors.
This time, they were without their bloody weapons—he had no intention of spilling blood for now.
After ordering them to stand in a line, Trey slowly circled around them, carefully studying the familiar figures.
"What are you planning to do with them?" Keyrin's quiet voice broke the silence.
Being in the same room as the tormentors and seeing them this closely for the first time, she felt goosebumps crawl across her skin while her palms began sweating unpleasantly.
She recognized the sensation immediately.
Fear.
And that frightened her more than anything else.
Keyrin had never expected to experience something like this from a single technique alone.
"I plan to strengthen them enough that no one will ever want to challenge me again," Trey replied calmly, continuing to observe the figures before him.
Without blood, the tormentors could not assume their complete form.
Right now, they looked like nothing more than unfinished shells of the power hidden within them.