dimir walked out into his outdoor garden, nestled deep in the heart of his vast estate. The sun had already sunk into the horizon but its light still painted the sky in a beautiful mosaic of colors. A smudge of gold here, a hint of purple there and a carpet of orange covering it all.


    The moon was already hiding in the sky like the patient dog, waiting for the fattest bone to arrive. It stared down as dimir stared at the meticulously kept hedges and flowers that he had personally cultivated over the years. He took a moment to appreciate the serenity of it all before slipping on his sturdy apron and gloves, both worn from frequent use but reliable nheless.


    This was his sanctuary, the one ce where the noise of the city and the chaos of the vampire world seemed to fade into the background.


    He bent down, carefully pruning a vine that had grown too wild, its reaching tendrils threatening to overwhelm a nearby rose bush. As he worked, his thoughts began to settle, the steady rhythm of gardening helping him process everything that was unfolding around him.


    Everybody else was scrambling, fighting for territory, for influence, for survival. Yuri''s sudden ousting had sent ripples through the vampire hierarchy of the city, and those ripples were quickly bing waves.


    He knew that some of his Subjects have grown emboldened by the news, poking into his matters to confirm their suspicions. If they poke around for long enough, they''d find what they were looking for. But stopping them would mean admitting to cracks in the foundation of his strength.


    He had no time to waste but he had no intention of diving into the chaos just yet. Let the actually important people weaken each other. Let them bleed the city dry. He would wait. Patiently, methodically, until the time was right. And when it was, he would strike with the only thing that would matter when the dust settled.


    His strength.


    The sound of footsteps crunching on the gravel path broke his concentration. He didn''t need to turn around to know who it was. He knew that vitality. He had in fact, expected this visit.


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    Solomon.


    dimir straightened up slowly, his gloved hands still lightly holding a pair of gardening shears. He looked out over the garden, his back to the approaching vampire, as he continued to snip away at the overgrown vines.


    "Beautiful evening, isn''t it?" Solomon greeted cheerfully, his tone casual but carrying the unmistakable smugness of someone who knew he had the upper hand. He stopped a few paces behind dimir, hands sped in front of him like a businessman entering negotiations. dimir was reminded of why he hated the man.


    "Have you heard what happened in Southside?" Solomon''s voice was filled with thinly veiled amusement, as though he was sharing some juicy piece of gossip.


    dimir didn''t turn to face him immediately. Instead, he trimmed onest vine and ced the shears down beside him on the grass. "Hard to miss when a Countess gets ousted by her own husbands." He replied evenly, standing up straight and finally turning to face Solomon.


    Solomon''s smile widened, but dimir could see the predatory gleam in his eyes. "Ah, yes. Quite the spectacle, wasn''t it? These things have a way of unraveling quickly. But you know that already." Solomon''s gaze swept over the garden, but it was clear his interest wasn''t in the flowers or hedges. "What with your own… troubles."


    dimir didn''t miss the inflection in Solomon''s words. Did he know? It didn''t matter. "I wonder though, were you involved in that mess?" He asked the man, studying him carefully.


    Solomon''s lips curled into a giant smile, his eyes not quite hiding his glee. "Aren''t we all involved, dimir?" He deflected smoothly, his face sending a message but his tone dripping with casual dismissal. "After all, this city is a web, and each of us tugs at its strings in one way or another. The spider''s out and so, the flies will y."


    dimir nodded as he came to a conclusion. Solomon had been involved somehow.


    He finally abandoned his gardening entirely, removing his gloves and apron with deliberate slowness before tossing them onto a nearby bench. He straightened his shirt and turned fully to face Solomon, his mask of indifference slipping just enough to show that he was no longer in the mood for pleasantries.


    "Let''s dispense with the theatrics, shall we? What is it you want, Solomon?"


    Solomon''s smile didn''t waver, but his eyes sharpened. "I''m curious, that''s all. You''ve been… remarkably uninvolved in this little war of ours. I have to wonder why." His tone was light, but the challenge in his words was unmistakable.


    dimir crossed his arms, keeping his expression nk. "The answer is simple. I''m not interested in the same things you are, Solomon. Greed is not amon attribute in all vampires just because it''s your most… striking feature."


    "Bullshit." Solomon said with augh, stepping closer. "You''re one of the most strategic minds in this city. You''re telling me you don''t care about all this? About the power that''s just sitting there, ripe for the taking? I don''t believe that for a second."


    dimir said nothing, staring at Solomon. Whatever the man wanted to pick up from his silence, he should. He couldn''t tell if he was fishing for information or he already knew.


    Solomon''s smile faltered for the briefest moment before returning, this time with an edge of cruelty. "Besides," he shrugged, "I''ve heard a rumor. It seems to me that you''re not as strong in some ces as you''ve led people to believe."


    dimir''s eyes narrowed, his posture remaining calm but his jaw tightening slightly. That bastard. Solomon already knows.


    "Let me guess," he said, his voice smooth but cold. "The Necromancer ratted me out."


    Solomon shrugged, his grin widening. "He does like to talk. But that''s not important. What''s important is that we''re all ying a game here, dimir. And you''re not as invisible in this game as you think."


    dimir studied Solomon for a moment, the silence between them growing heavier. Finally, he sighed, the weariness in his voice unmistakable. "What do you want, Solomon?"


    Solomon''s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "I want you to stay out of Southside. Don''t interfere. Let the chips fall where they may."


    dimir raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "And if I don''t?"


    "Then some… damaging information might find its way to your Subjects." Solomon replied smoothly, the threat hanging in the air like a noose.


    dimir said nothing, merely watching Solomon with the cold, calcting gaze that had earned him his reputation.


    After a long, tense pause, Solomon seemed satisfied that his message had been received. He gave a mock bow. "A pleasure, as always." He said, before turning and walking back down the gravel path.


    dimir stood still, watching as Solomon''s figure disappeared into the fading light of the garden. Once he was out of sight, dimir''s lips curled into a sneer. Fool, he thought.


    Solomon was ying a short-term game, looking for easy victories and immediate gains. But dimir knew better. He had always known that the only thing that truly mattered in the end was strength. Not alliances, not deals. Just strength.


    And Solomon, for all his posturing, didn''t have enough of it.


    dimir turned back to his garden, letting out a slow breath as his hands flexed at his sides.


    His mind drifted to Yuri. She had managed to escape the coup.


    What Solomon didn''t know was that she was better left alive. She was the key to the kind of power that made things possible.


    He had been looking for ways to bring her to his side but now, he didn''t need to do that anymore.


    She''de to him of her own ord when the time was right.


    And when that happens, he''d be able to bind her to himself with any chain he wanted.


    He smiled to himself, the quiet satisfaction of a n falling into ce settling over him like a warm nket.


    Solomon was a fool. Let him think he had won today. Let him y his games in Southside, scrambling for scraps of power. In the end, none of it would matter.


    Because when the time was right, dimir would im Yuri. And with her by his side, no one, not even Itachi, could stand against them.


    Together, they would rule both Southside and Westside as one, maybe even First City itself, and their reign would be unchallenged.


    All he had to do now was wait.