The Shadow King Ascends
Just as the final echoes of silence had settled after the last declaration, a pulse of cold, arcane energy rippled through the chamber. The candle flames flickered violently. The air grew heavy, filled with the scent of ash, iron, and something far older.
Then—
A seventeenth portal tore itself open.
No one spoke. None of the assembled villains appeared surprised. And yet, a few leaned forward ever so slightly, intrigued by this unexpected development.
From the swirling void stepped a figure cloaked in flowing red and black, a silver crown resting upon his head, his eyes glowing with malevolent green and crimson magic.
King Sombra had arrived.
Hooves striking the obsidian floor with regal weight, he scanned the room with a cold smirk, his voice a rich and prideful baritone.
"A gathering of villains, and you dared begin without me?"
The moment he entered, a seventeenth chair manifested—ornate, shadow-forged, and lined with jagged crystal, pulsing with dark energy.
He took his seat at the table slowly, never breaking eye contact with the others. Some raised an eyebrow. Others smiled knowingly. No one objected.
The notebook, still open and quivering with magic, turned to a new page. The quill rose once more.
Without prompting, King Sombra spoke, and the quill transcribed his words with eerie precision.
King Sombra – The Tyrant of Shadows
"Fear is the purest weapon. Not fire. Not steel. Not wealth. But terror—the kind that slithers into the soul and chains it forever. I am King Sombra, ruler of the Crystal Empire, the architect of slavery, of domination, of eternal despair. I do not manipulate—I conquer minds. I do not ask—I command. This guide will teach how to rule not through alliances or illusions—but through undeniable, soul-deep submission. You will not be loved. You will not be liked. You will be obeyed."
As the last word appeared on the page, the notebook shimmered again, and the quill returned to stillness.
The voice, now deeper than before, echoed through the chamber once more:
"The circle is complete. Seventeen... has become eighteen. The final seat has been claimed. The pillars of villainy now stand in full strength. Let the true lessons begin."
A hush fell over the room. Even among such powerful beings, something had shifted. The presence of King Sombra had completed the council—and deep within the shadows of the chamber, the first true lesson of villainy stirred to life.