The adrenaline that had carried me through the confrontation suddenly drained away, leaving me weak and trembling. The weight of what I had just witnessed, the sheer ruthlessness of Levi's actions, crashed down on me. My legs buckled, and I sank to my knees on the cold stone floor, my stomach churning with a sickening mix of fear and disbelief. The image of those powerful men, reduced to whimpering prisoners being dragged away, replayed in my mind. The air in the room, still thick with the residue of their terror, seemed to suffocate me. My hands trembled as I pressed them to my churning stomach.

The nausea overwhelmed me, and violent spasms wracked my body. Bile and the remnants of the evening's revelry erupted from me, staining the cold stone floor. Tears streamed down my face, mingling with the spatter on the floor, and ragged sobs tore from my chest. The reality of his ambition, his capacity for cold, calculated action, was a brutal awakening, shattering the fragile illusion of normalcy I had clung to. All I could do was kneel there, heaving and sobbing, overwhelmed by the horror of it all.

My voice was raw and broken, each word a painful gasp between wracking sobs. I finally managed to lift my tear-streaked face, my gaze, blurry with tears and disbelief, fixed on Levi. "Levi..." I choked out, my stomach still churning, the taste of bile bitter in my mouth. "Did you... did you kill the king?"

I needed to know the truth, no matter how horrifying it might be.

Levi’s expression softened slightly as he looked down at my tear-streaked face. He knelt beside me, his hand gently stroking my back. "Oh, Pulla," he murmured. "Such devoutness for poor souls. It's... endearing."

He sighed, his gaze drifting towards the now-empty doorway where the council had been dragged away. "Well… the King. He had leukemia, riddled with it, in fact. Severe gout that kept him bedridden more often than not. And," he added with a slight grimace, "a rather impressive string of sexually transmitted diseases, a testament to his… less than virtuous private life."

He looked back at me, his eyes holding a strange mix of weariness and amusement. "Killing him? Honestly, Raphael, it would have been a mercy he did not deserve. The man was suffering terribly. I was… anticipating his demise within the next six months. But," he shrugged, a wry smile touching his lips, "the universe, it seems, enjoys its little surprises."

My breath hitched, a wave of conflicting emotions washing over me. Relief that Levi hadn't directly caused the King's death warred with the lingering horror of his ruthlessness and the casual way he spoke of the King's suffering.

I leaned away from his touch, still feeling the tremors of the violent vomiting.

I asked, my voice still shaky, "But... you knew he was going to die soon? That's why you were prepared?"

Levi shifted closer, his voice low and even. "The death of the King had very little to do with my primary plans, Raphael," he explained, his gaze intent on my face. "I was simply intending to present a bill to the council – a bill to dissolve the nobility, gradually and legally. That was the purpose of my being here tonight. A bit of… firm encouragement, gentle persuasion of their antiquated minds."

He gave a small, almost rueful smile. "Before I even had the chance to begin my… negotiations, the King simply expired. A rather opportune moment. So, I adapted. I seized the opportunity to… expedite matters. To unleash the terror, as you might call it. And as you saw, it worked remarkably well."

I remained huddled, my arms wrapped tightly around my knees, my body still shuddering with the aftershocks of the violent vomiting. Levi's explanation about the king's death barely registered, lost in the overwhelming horror of what I had just witnessed.

He paused, his expression turning thoughtful. "However. There is still the matter of legality. Dissolving the nobility requires a certain… framework. Even with their compliance, there are procedures to follow."

Levi reached out, his touch gentle this time, resting his hand on my arm. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice softer. "You've had quite a shock."

He didn't wait for my response, turning his attention back to the situation at hand, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow. "The council's… enthusiastic cooperation, while effective in the short term, doesn't automatically erase centuries of legal precedent. There will be those who question the legitimacy of such a swift and forceful transition. The remaining lower nobility, those who weren't part of that inner circle of corruption… they will need to be convinced. Or perhaps… managed."

He stood up, his movements fluid and decisive. "Holden!" he called out, his voice regaining its usual commanding tone. The secretary appeared instantly in the doorway. "Have the council members secured in the holding cells. Ensure they are treated… humanely. For now. And send for Elias. I need him here immediately. We have laws to navigate."

Levi stopped mid-stride, his brow furrowing with concern as he felt my grip on his legs. He turned back to me instantly, his commanding demeanor melting away. "Raphael!" he exclaimed, his voice softening. He knelt down beside me again, his hands reaching for mine. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Levi," I gasped, my voice barely a whisper, my grip tightening on his legs. "I... I can't... I feel like I'm going to faint. Everything... it's too much. I'm not joking." The world was starting to spin, the edges of my vision darkening. The adrenaline had completely deserted me.

"Holden!" Levi's voice was sharp with urgency. "Call for a physician! Immediately!"

The last thing I registered was the frantic tone in his voice and the blur of Holden's stoic face turning sharply before the darkness completely enveloped me. My grip on Levi's legs loosened, and I succumbed to the overwhelming wave of terror and shock. The cold stone floor rushed up to meet me as the world faded to black.

…

I gasped, my eyes snapping open. The plush velvet of a drawing-room couch pressed against my back. The opulent surroundings – the gilded furniture, the heavy velvet drapes, the scent of expensive perfume in the air – slowly came into focus. My heart hammered in my chest, and a cold sweat slicked my skin. The vivid memory of the council chamber, the lords, Levi's terrifying power, and the overwhelming dread that had consumed me felt so real, so immediate, that for a moment, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was still there.

I sat bolt upright, my breath coming in ragged gasps, my hands clutching at the fabric of the couch as if to ground myself. The lingering phantom sensation of nausea made my stomach clench. It had been a dream. A horrifying dream. I looked around the drawing-room, half-expecting to see Levi, Holden, or even the spectral figures of the council.

A firm yet gentle hand took my arm, guiding me back against the soft cushions of the couch. "Easy there, Raphael," a calm voice said. A man in a crisp white coat leaned over me, his expression reassuring. "You fainted. It happens sometimes. But you're safe now."

He held a small light in front of my eyes, carefully observing my pupils. "Just checking your reflexes," he explained, moving the light from side to side. "Everything seems normal. How are you feeling?" His voice was soothing.

“I am… I am… So scared…”

"I understand," the doctor said gently. He placed a reassuring hand on my arm. "It's alright to feel scared. You had a bit of a shock. Your heart rate was elevated, and you were quite pale. Just try to take slow, deep breaths for me. In... and out..." He demonstrated, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly. "That's it. Let's try to get your system calmed down a little." He maintained a gentle pressure on my arm. "You're in a safe place now, Raphael. No one is going to hurt you here."

“Did I dream, was it real, what even happened?”

The doctor nodded slowly, his gaze soft and understanding. "You did faint, Raphael. That part was real. You were quite overwhelmed for a moment there." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "As for what you experienced before that... that's something only you can truly know. Sometimes, when we're under a lot of stress or feeling anxious, our minds can create very vivid and unsettling dreams. Did it feel like a dream to you?" He watched me patiently, waiting for me to untangle the reality from the lingering echoes of my subconscious.

“No, it was not a dream. It was a nightmare. Where is Levi? Where is he?”

The tremor in my voice and the raw fear in my eyes seemed to convince the doctor that this was more than just a simple fainting spell. He maintained his calm demeanor but his gaze softened with concern. "Alright, Raphael," he said gently. "A nightmare can feel incredibly real. It's your mind processing things while you're unconscious. Mr. Blake is here, in the palace. He was quite worried when you fainted. Let me just check your pulse again..." He gently took my wrist, his fingers pressing lightly against my skin. "He stepped out for a moment to speak with someone, but I assure you, he will be back shortly. You're safe here with me."

The doctor continued to monitor my pulse, his brow slightly furrowed. "Your heart rate is still a little elevated," he noted softly. "Try to focus on your breathing, Raphael. Slow, steady breaths." He waited a moment, allowing me to compose myself slightly. "Mr. Blake was just outside. I can have a guard fetch him for you right away, if that would make you feel better." He offered a reassuring smile, trying to project a sense of calm and control in the face of my obvious distress.

The moment Levi stepped back into the drawing-room, the edges of my vision began to swim. His presence, which should have been a comfort, instead triggered a fresh wave of panic. The image of him from my nightmare – the ruthless ruler, the orchestrator of terrifying power – was superimposed on the man standing in the doorway. My breath hitched in my throat, and the sounds of the room seemed to recede, replaced by a deafening rush in my ears. The doctor's reassuring voice faded into a distant murmur.

Everything was turning into a dizzying, terrifying blur once more.

Levi reached for my hands, his touch usually a source of comfort, now sending a jolt of fear through me. The blurring intensified, the elegant room tilting precariously. I could hear Levi's voice, and the doctor's calm reassurances, but they seemed to come from a great distance. My grip on Levi's hands tightened involuntarily, my knuckles white. The terror of the nightmare was bleeding into reality, making it impossible to distinguish between the two.

I drifted in and out of consciousness, the world a hazy swirl of muffled voices and indistinct shapes. There was the cool touch of a cloth on my forehead, the faint scent of medicinal herbs, and the persistent murmur of Levi's voice close to my ear. Each time I surfaced, the terror lingered, a cold knot in my stomach that refused to dissipate.

Finally, I awoke more fully, my eyelids feeling heavy and my body weak. I was lying in our bedchamber. Levi sat beside the bed, his hand gently holding mine. The doctor was also there, his expression grave as he observed me.

I tried to lift myself up from the bed.

Levi's grip on my hand tightened gently, his eyes filled with concern. "Easy, pulla. Don't try to get up too quickly. You've had a bit of a rough time." He placed his other hand on my shoulder, offering a steadying pressure.

The doctor stepped forward. "You're still quite weak, Raphael. Your system went through a significant shock. Let's take it slowly." He offered me a small glass of water. "Just a few sips. It will help."

With Levi's support, I slowly pushed myself up against the pillows, my head still swimming slightly. I took a tentative sip of water.

As the initial dizziness subsided and the worst of the physical weakness passed, a chilling clarity began to dawn. The doctor's reassurances, the familiar comfort of our room – none of it could fully dispel the lingering terror.

Once the doctor had been dismissed, leaving us alone, the weight of that realization settled heavily upon me. I looked at Levi, truly looked at him, and saw not just the man I loved, but the force of nature I had witnessed in my vision – a man who could orchestrate the downfall of an entire social order with a snap of his fingers, a man who could reduce the powerful to whimpering, terrified wrecks.

It hadn't been a dream. The terror had been real. And now, I was alone in a room with the man who had unleashed it.

My voice was a choked whisper, laced with disbelief and a rising hysteria. "What the actual fuck, Levi? What the fuck..."

Tears welled in my eyes and spilled down my cheeks, hot and uncontrolled. The sobs started deep in my chest, wracking my body.

He tried to cup my face with his hand but I swatted it away.

“Please… Do not do that. What the fuck? I can not even use words…”

Levi recoiled slightly. He let his hand fall away, respecting my space. "I understand," he said softly, his voice tinged with a sadness that hadn't been there before. "You're right. Words... they seem inadequate right now." He didn't try to touch me again.

“I need some time away from you.”

A shadow crossed Levi's face, his eyes darkening with a hint of pain. He nodded slowly, his gaze unwavering but filled with a sadness. "I understand, Raphael. You need... space. Time to process this." He didn't try to argue, didn't try to dissuade me. He simply absorbed my words, the weight of them evident in the stillness of his body. "Where will you go?" he asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Who cares?”

A sharp intake of breath was Levi's only outward reaction. He remained silent for a long moment, his gaze fixed on me, searching. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and carefully controlled. "I do, Raphael. But if you need to go... then go. Just... tell me where." His gaze held mine, a silent plea for some small measure of trust.

“I do not need your protection. Please do not press further. I will leave in the morning.”

A muscle twitched in Levi's jaw, and a flicker of something unreadable – perhaps hurt, perhaps resignation – crossed his face. He nodded slowly, his gaze finally breaking away from mine. "Alright, Raphael," he said, his voice flat, the earlier vulnerability now masked by a wall of something colder. "I won't press you. If you need to leave, then leave in the morning." He stood up, his movements stiff and formal, creating a palpable distance between us. "I will have arrangements made for your departure."

…

Who do I even go? I had money to live in a hotel, yes. But I didn’t want to be alone… Someones who understands… Yeah, Julia.

The phone rang a few times before a warm, familiar voice answered. "Raphael? Is that you? What's wrong? You sound... off."

My voice was still shaky as I spoke into the receiver. "Julia... Can I crash at your place? Please. Just for a little while. I... I can't be alone right now."

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"Okay," she replied, her voice softening with concern. "Of course, you can. What's going on? You sound really upset." She paused for a moment, then gave me an address. "Come to this address. Don't worry about anything. Just get here safe."

As the taxi pulled up to the address Julia had given me, I saw a sleek, modern high-rise.

Julia stood in the open doorway, her brow furrowed with worry as she took in my disheveled state. Her smile was absent, replaced by an expression of deep concern. "Doggy," she said softly, pulling me into a tight hug. "What happened? You look like you've seen a ghost."

I clung to her for a moment, drawing strength from her familiar presence. Pulling back slightly, my voice still thick with emotion, I asked, "Julia... Do you know?"

“Know what?”

“The king died. And Levi… just crushed the entire council…”

Julia's eyes widened, her initial concern deepening into shock. "The king... died? Isolde mentioned something vague, but... Levi crushed the council? What are you talking about, Raphael?" Her grip on my arms tightened, her gaze searching mine with disbelief. "Tell me everything."

Julia gently guided me to her plush sofa, her hand a steadying presence on my arm. She sat beside me, her expression a mixture of shock and intense concern. "Levi... fuck," she repeated softly, echoing my own disbelief. She listened intently as I recounted the horrifying events, her eyes widening with each detail.

She pulled me into another hug, holding me tightly. "Oh, doggy" she murmured. "You went through something awful." She pulled back slightly, her gaze searching mine. "Levi did this? He just... dissolved the entire council and imprisoned them?" The reality of the situation seemed to be sinking in, her shock mirroring my own. "Shit... shit is right, Raphael."

“I fainted in the council room once. Then I fainted again when I saw Levi in the drawing room.”

Julia's grip on my hand tightened, her eyes filled with concern. "Raphael, this isn't just shock. This is... trauma. What exactly did Levi say to you in the council room? What did you see?" She held my gaze, her voice gentle but firm, urging me to confront the horrifying memories that were clearly still haunting me.

“Julia… I can not even use words. You know what he did? He asked twice. Basically he asked the council to obey him. They didn’t. He snapped his fingers. Boxes, boxes, boxes of evidence, documents barged into the room. He said… If these documents fall into the hands of the people… The people would lynch nobles… Then he seized their assets and throw them in the cells of the palace…”

She shook her head slowly, as if trying to process the enormity of Levi's actions.

"The king just died... and now... there's no one else? No heirs? He just... ended it?"

“He told me that, like a month ago. Apparently he rendered the king sterile a decade ago. And the crown prince and princess are not related to the king. He planted them into the palace, to keep the peace for a while… Oh my God…”

Julia's face drained of color, her grip on my hand becoming almost painful. Her eyes were wide with a dawning, terrifying understanding.

Julia's sudden movement startled me. She shot up from the couch, her energy now frantic and agitated as she began to pace the length of her living room. Her steps were quick and uneven, her hands wringing together as she muttered to herself, her mind clearly racing to grasp the enormity of the situation.

"So he did it," she repeated, her voice a mixture of disbelief and a chilling awe. "He actually did it."

"He dissolved the nobility. Just like that. Centuries of power, gone. And the monarchy... ended. Just... gone. Raphael," she said, her voice barely a whisper. “That damn bastard. He finally fucking did it. Oh, yeah! Oh, God. Yes! Fucking finally. That fucking bastard he finally did it. Yes!”

“Julia? What the hell?”

"Oh, Raphael..." she said, her voice still a little breathless. She ran a hand through her hair, a look of almost dazed wonder in her eyes. "Ah... you can't even understand what I feel right now. All of these years that I was 'married' to Levi..." She made air quotes around the word "married." "...all of that spying, the information gathering, bankrupting those companies... all of it for Levi. Every secret I whispered in Levi’s ear, every document I subtly acquired... it was all for this."

A shudder ran through her, but it wasn't one of fear. It felt more like the release of years of pent-up tension. "Ah, yes," she breathed, a genuine smile finally breaking through. "It is over. Fucking finally... it is all over."

She took a deep breath, the relief in her eyes still palpable. "It was a difficult life, Raphael. Living a lie, constantly watching what I said, who I interacted with... But it was necessary. For this. For the chance to finally dismantle that corrupt system." She looked at me, her expression now earnest. “But now... now you understand why I'm not terrified. I've been waiting for this day for my entire life."

“Julia… I am happy for you. For you to be finally free from your family and everything… I truly am. But I am so fucking scared, Julia.”

Julia's expression softened, her earlier exhilaration fading as she truly registered the depth of my fear. She stepped closer and took my hands in hers again, her touch now filled with a genuine warmth and understanding.

"Oh, doggy," she said softly. "I know. I can only imagine what you must be feeling. For me, this was a liberation, something I've worked towards for so long. But for you... this is a sudden, terrifying upheaval. The man you love... he's revealed a side of himself, a power, that you never knew existed."

She squeezed my hands gently. "It's okay to be scared, Raphael. What happened tonight was monumental, and you were right in the middle of it. But you're not alone. I'm here. And whatever happens next, we'll face it together." Her words, filled with genuine care and solidarity, were a small beacon of comfort in the overwhelming darkness of my fear.

“You know. I sometimes thought he was just bluffing or boasting for no reason, or exaggerating. What a fucking idiot I am.”

A sad smile touched Julia's lips, and she squeezed my hands again. "It's easy to dismiss things, especially when you love someone. You see the best in them, you want to believe in the person you know. His pronouncements... they probably sounded grand, theatrical, even a little ridiculous at times. A way for him to feel powerful without actually doing anything."

She shook her head gently. "But Levi... he's not one for empty words. He plans, he executes. He's meticulous and patient. You saw a glimpse of that tonight. It's terrifying, yes, but it's also... him. The real him, perhaps, the one he kept hidden until the moment was right."

“Before that, I need some time away from Levi. I need to feel normal. Yeah. Normal.”

Julia nodded slowly, her gaze filled with understanding. "My offer still stands, Raphael. Always. If you ever decide you need to leave, I can arrange everything. You have the means. But I understand. Right now, you need... normalcy. A break from all of this."

She squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Take all the time you need here. There's no rush. We can just... be. Watch silly movies, eat bad food, talk about anything but kings and fallen nobles. Whatever makes you feel a little less like the world has turned upside down."

...

...

A week passed in a blur of anxiety and restless nights at Julia's penthouse. The initial shock had subsided into a persistent unease, a gnawing fear that clung to me like a shadow. News of Levi's consolidation of power continued to filter through. The old council members remained imprisoned, their fates uncertain, and the whispers of a new ruling structure under Levi's control grew louder.

At the film set, the atmosphere had shifted. The earlier shock had given way to a cautious normalcy, but there was an undeniable undercurrent of tension. People were polite, but conversations often died down when I approached. Maya and Finn remained steadfast in their support, checking in on me regularly, offering distractions, and patiently listening whenever I needed to talk.

I hadn't spoken to Levi. He hadn't tried to contact me directly, though I knew, with a chilling certainty, that he knew where I was.

The forced camaraderie of the bar felt strange. Laughter felt a little too loud, conversations a little too forced.

The alcohol did little to ease the knot of anxiety in my stomach. Instead, it amplified the swirling thoughts, the terrifying images of the council chamber flashing behind my eyelids. Each casual joke, each clinking glass, served as a reminder of the life I had once known, a life that now felt irrevocably tainted.

As the night wore on and the drinks flowed, the conversations became looser. I braced myself, knowing that eventually, the unspoken questions, the curiosity about my connection to the man who had so dramatically reshaped their world, would surface.

A few drinks in, Gareth, the usually boisterous sound guy, clapped me on the shoulder, his smile a little too wide. "So, Raphael," he slurred slightly, his eyes a bit too bright. "Bit of a shake-up back at the palace, eh? Heard your fella's been busy." He chuckled, and a few others nearby snickered nervously. The elephant in the room had finally lumbered into the conversation.

“Yeah. He’s been busy, designing a revolution.” I said while trying to hide the tremors on my hands.

A nervous ripple went through the small group gathered around us. Gareth's smile faltered, and the nervous snickers died down. My bluntness seemed to have taken them by surprise.

"A... revolution?" Gareth repeated slowly, his brow furrowing. Several other crew members exchanged uneasy glances.

I took a shaky sip of my drink, trying to steady my hands beneath the table. "Yeah," I confirmed, my voice flat. "That's... one way to put it. He decided the old system wasn't working anymore. So... he changed it."

“What do you mean by that? A revolution?” Gareth asked.

“Ah… Why don’t you see for yourself?” I gestured towards the TV.

A hush fell over the small group as all eyes turned towards the television screen mounted above the bar.