ACROSS ALL OF ITALY: LAZIO AND TREVI DISTRICT IN ROME, LOMBARDY IN MILAN, CAMPANIA IN NAPLES,VENETO IN VENICE, MARCHE IN ANCONA, TUSCANY IN FLORENCE,VERONA IN LITTLE ROME AND UMBRIA IN PERUGIA.
Two weeks had passed since that fateful gathering of the Eros Empire, a meeting so thick with tension it still lingered in the halls and whispers of its factions. And yet, the silence that followed was deafening.
Archon Xandros had not uttered a single word since then. Not a decree. Not an update. Not even a warning. For an empire carved from whispers and dominance, his silence was not calm. It was chaos disguised.
Everyone was anxious about that the test is all about,Archon had been silent since that fateful day.Rumors crept like vines through the marble walls of every district.
The Web of Desire, the Siren's Lair, the Honey Trap... each of them had turned frantic in their own corners of the empire. The weight of an undefined test pressed heavily on every exec's shoulders, a fog of anxiety settling over every chamber, every meeting, every breath.
---
LOMBARDY DISTRICT, MILAN IN ITALY, PIAZZA CASTELLO MILANO ESTATE. THE WEB OF DESIRE'S DOMAIN.
Uranta Downs' Web of Desire was in full overdrive. Whispers of discontent filtered through the petals of her estate. Her exec, Greta, was loyal... sweet, even ...but Uranta didn't trust sweetness,she didn't even give a fuck about it. Not when the Empire required teeth.
She trained Greta with determination masked as grace. But behind her smiles was paranoia. Greta was soft. Greta was loyal. Greta would die for her. But Greta... might not win. And losing wasn't an option. Not now.
"You know what's at stake here Greta..." Uranta's cold voice sounded and Greta shivered slightly.
She has been training for the past two weeks and Uranta have no intention on giving her a day of rest.
Uranta doubts that Greta will pass the test but it won't hurt trying riii?
"Go and administer those new bloods, anyone that makes mistake in today's training,make sure you kill them." Uranta's spoke icily.
" M...ma?" Greta shivered.
Uranta chuckled darkly. " Today's training is learning how to spell the blood of the innocent..."
---
MARCHE DISTRICT,ANCONA IN ITALY, TORRE DA BORA ESTATE. THE SIREN'S LAIR DOMAIN.
Elsewhere in the Siren's Lair, chaos had a perfume. Lilith, radiant and ruthless, had turned her chambers into strategy halls. She didn't eat with her concubines anymore. She dined with maps, studied psychological warfare, tested her execu with riddles that made her weep.
No one heard her laugh in those two weeks. Not once.
"I wear a mask but play no role..." She began.
Goldie looked like she was about to cry again,why riddles of all things, even though Archon was to give a test,will it be a riddle?
"...what am I?" Lilith asked dangerously.
Goldie panicked because she didn't even pay attention to the ridicule,she looked at Lilith fearfully who just slapped the book on the table in complete anger.
"Useless..." She yelled.
"Fucking useless."
---
VERONA DISTRICT; CITY OF LITTLE ROOM IN ITALY, ARBIZZANO DI NEGRAR ESTATE. THE HONEY TRAP DOMAIN.
In the Honey Trap, Honeywell was pacing... always pacing. She trusts Kolly no doubt but can Kolly pass the test. The plan with Uranta had shown promise, but promise meant nothing without performance.
And Honeywell? She was desperate. She won't allow her queen to go down from her rank just like that,she won't, she'll make sure such thing doesn't happen at all.
"Honey..." Kolly called out...
They were best friends back at the Web Of Desire, that's why Kolly followed her when she created her own fraternity and that's also why she has the right to call her by her name anytime they're alone.
"Trust me,I won't fail you and Queen Mother, I'll pass that damn test."
Honeywell turned and looked at Kolly who was staying at the edge of the doorframe. "I trust you Kol... I'm just...Archon is a beast,I feel like everything won't turn out as planned." She stated her worries.
"Well..." Kolly smiled "... I'm sure Queen Mother will have many plans up her sleeves."
---
The whole empire could feel it ... the looming test. The nameless challenge. The throne that had no crown but demanded blood...maybe...no one has any idea on what the plan will be except Archon fucking Xandros.
All the whole clans were nervous and anxious including the gigolo's clan because they're wondering if Uranta will remain has the Queen or they'll be demoted.
Except one.
Only one clan were unbothered.
The Velvet Vipers were calm.
Still.
Deadly.
---
VENETO DISTRICT, VENICE IN ITALY,CASTELLO TERRAZZA ESTATE. THE VELVET VIPER'S DOMAIN.
Shante Jarret had not moved an inch from her usual rhythm. Aphrodite's Lair echoed with laughter, sensual music, soft commands, and quiet power. The only woman who dared to still sip red wine on her balcony while the rest of the Empire trained with bruised knuckles.
Vivian, her king pin .. the third-ranked general of the Empire... hadn't even checked in. Not once. She didn't need to. Shante had never failed her.
Vivian knew. If anyone would pull a dagger from her thigh mid-dance and win a war with a wink, it was Shante.
So while the rest panicked, Vivian kept calm. Because Shante was born for war in silk.
"Te, tell me sincerely..." Julian spoke softly, looking straight into her eyes.
"Do you want to win the test?"
"No."
Shante said without blinking.
"No?!" Julian screamed out in complete shock.
Shante looked at her with eyes that says 'If you dare damage my eardrum, I'll pluck yours out'
Julian calmed herself down,not even minding Shante's threat, it's impossible anyways. She looked at Shante with narrowed eyes.
"Are you lying to me?"
Shante rolled her eyes in annoyance. "If you pass the test, they'll give you one stupid mission,and did I tell you I am ready to have sex or get entangled with one stupid boy."
Shante hissed and Julian looked at her unbelievably. "But if you fail the test,then Madam Viv will be demoted to the fifth rank."
"Well, I'm sure Uranta will want to keep her position so she won't be demoted...and if Uranta fails to keep her position and Madam Viv gets demoted, it's not our business...we don't do rankings in The Umbra Collective so..."
Julian stared at her with wide eyes and dropped jaw.
Shante just shrugged.
Madam Viv puts all her hope in Shante,she knows that she won't fail but seems like Madam Te has other plans.
---
The tension across the Empire thickened with each day. With no official word, with no instructions from Archon, the absence became a stage of panic, speculation, and psychological warfare.
And yet, Archon remained silent.
The calm before a storm. Or the silence before an execution.
But everyone knew... when Archon finally spoke, someone's fate would be sealed.