Infinite Authority

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

— Margaret Mead

———

Name: Kaelen Leone

Level: 1

Class: [Lord of Stolen Tales]

Authority: ∞

Strength: C-500

Dexterity: C-500

Agility: C-500

Endurance: C-451

Magic: F-160

Skills:

[Narrative Appraisal]

[Skill Plunder]

[Master of Disguise] (1/3)

[Silent Step]

[Thread of Fate]

The parchment slipped from her fingers, fluttering to the floor like a fallen leaf. When she looked up at me again, her red eyes held something close to religious awe.

"Infinite Authority," she whispered. "You broke the System itself."

"I prefer to think of it as creative problem-solving." I retrieved the fallen document and placed it back on the desk. "The Rune of Diminishment was the key. Instead of hiding my power, I used it to create a mathematical impossibility. The System couldn't handle the contradiction and gave me everything rather than nothing."

She rose slowly, her movements careful and controlled. "What does this mean for us? For our plans?"

"It means the real work can finally begin." I moved to the window, gazing out at the darkened estate grounds. "I've spent weeks building a single asset—you. Now it's time to expand our operation."

From my jacket pocket, I withdrew a folded piece of parchment and handed it to her. She unfolded it, revealing a list of names written in my careful script.

"Students at the Academy," I explained. "The 'extras.' The ones whose tragedies are meant to fuel the protagonist's growth. Every name on that list represents someone the story has marked for disposal."

Her eyes scanned the names, her expression growing more intent with each line. "You want to save them."

"I want to recruit them." I took the list back, running my finger down the carefully researched names. "Each of these individuals possesses skills or knowledge that could prove valuable. More importantly, each of them is destined to die in meaningless ways that serve no purpose beyond making Leo feel sad for a few chapters."

"A recruitment drive." Understanding lit up her features. "You're building an army of the discarded."

"I'm building a family of the forgotten." I folded the list and tucked it back into my pocket. "The Twilight Society was always meant to be more than just the two of us, Lyra. It was meant to be a haven for those the story has abandoned."

She moved closer, close enough that I could smell the faint scent of soap and steel that always clung to her. "What would you have me do, Master?"

"The same thing you've always done. Be my eyes and ears. But now your scope expands beyond this estate." I gestured toward the window and the darkness beyond. "The Academy is full of students who believe themselves powerless, worthless, destined for nothing but supporting roles in other people's stories. Find them. Watch them. Learn their patterns, their fears, their desires."

"And when I've learned these things?"

"You report back to me, and we decide which ones are worthy of salvation." I reached for her hand, noting how her pulse quickened under my touch. "Not everyone can be saved, Lyra. Some people are content with their assigned roles. But those who yearn for something more, those who rage against the dying of their light... those are the ones we want."

She nodded slowly, her red eyes reflecting the candlelight like twin flames. "Where should I begin?"

I pulled the list out again and pointed to the first name. "Rhys Blackwood. Marcus's younger brother. Talented with earth magic but overshadowed by his older sibling's political ambitions. In the original timeline, he dies in three weeks during a 'training accident' that's actually orchestrated by a rival family trying to hurt House Blackwood's succession plans."

"And you want me to prevent this?"

"I want you to recruit him before it happens." I moved to my desk and withdrew a small leather pouch, the contents clinking softly as I handed it to her. "These are Academy tokens—currency for the student marketplace. Use them to establish yourself as a reliable source of information and services. Become indispensable to the people you're watching."

She tucked the pouch into her apron pocket with the same care she'd shown when hiding her knives. "How long do I have?"

"Classes begin soon. You'll have access and the ability to move freely through most of the Academy grounds." I paused, considering the implications of what I was asking. "This won't be like the estate, Lyra. The Academy is full of people with real power, real skills, real ambitions. You'll need to be more careful than you've ever been."

"I understand." She straightened, and I could see the predator emerging beneath her submissive exterior. "What about you, Master? What role will you play?"

"The same one I've always played. The pathetic third son who barely qualified for admission." I gestured toward my fake status sheet. "Thanks to [Master of Disguise], I can maintain that facade indefinitely. Let them think I'm harmless while I work behind the scenes."

"And the real power?"

"Stays hidden until I need it." I moved back to the window, looking out at the horizon where the Academy's towers were just visible in the moonlight. "The beautiful thing about being underestimated, Lyra, is that no one expects you to be capable of anything significant. They'll dismiss my presence, ignore my movements, assume I'm too incompetent to be a threat."

"While you're actually building a network of the disenfranchised."

"While I'm actually rewriting the story itself." I turned back to her, noting how the candlelight cast dramatic shadows across her sharp features. "Every person we save from their scripted fate is a victory against the narrative that wants to consume us all. Every alliance we forge is another crack in the foundation of a system that treats people like disposable plot devices."

She was quiet for a long moment, absorbing the magnitude of what I was proposing. When she finally spoke, her voice carried a note of something that might have been hunger.

"Our congregation is about to grow."

"Indeed it is." I reached for her hand again, squeezing gently. "The Twilight Society is no longer just a concept, Lyra. It's a recruitment drive. And you, my dear, are my head of acquisitions."

Her smile in response was sharp enough to cut glass. "I won't disappoint you, Master."

"I know you won't." I released her hand and moved toward the bed, suddenly feeling the weight of the day's events. "Now go. Rest while you can. Tomorrow we begin the real work."

She moved toward the window but paused at the sill, looking back at me with those burning red eyes. "Master? What happens when the protagonist realizes what we're doing? When Leo von Valerius discovers that his supporting cast is being systematically recruited by someone he considers beneath notice?"

I considered the question, thinking about the golden threads of fate I'd seen connecting Leo to his destined companions. About the way those threads had looked frayed and uncertain when they touched me.

"Then we'll discover whether a protagonist can have a story without a supporting cast to give it meaning." I blew out the candle, plunging the room into darkness. "Sleep well, Lyra. We have souls to save."

Her soft laughter drifted back from the window as she disappeared into the night, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the weight of infinite Authority. The Academy awaited, full of extras and supporting characters who had no idea their stories were about to change.

The real narrative—the one I would write—was finally ready to begin.