The villain was supposed to die in this chapter.
In every route of Throne of Ruin, Chapter 30 was the execution point. The narrative checkpoint where the arrogant young master met his scripted end — defeated in combat, humiliated in public, expelled or killed depending on the route, clearing the stage for the heroes to carry the story forward without the inconvenience of a villain who outlived his usefulness.
Chapter 30. The death chapter. The number that had been tattooed on my consciousness since the moment I'd opened my eyes in Cedric Valdrake's body and realized that the countdown was real.
I was still alive.
Not just alive — assembling.
The recruitment took four days.
Seraphina was first. Not because she was the easiest — because she was the one I trusted most to understand what I was asking without requiring the full context.
