“The Mule's Domain”

With his identity revealed and the Second Foundation's location still unknown, the Mule retreats to his conquered territory — now styled as the Union of Worlds. Despite his setback, he rules a vast domain through emotional conversion, making him the most powerful individual in the galaxy.

The Second Foundation, operating from its hidden location, begins its counter-strategy. Preem Palver leads a subtle campaign of mental adjustment, targeting the edges of the Mule's emotional web. Their approach is slow, careful, and precisely calculated — the opposite of the Mule's brute-force methods.

Gaal Dornick, now a fully trained mentalic, works with the Second Foundation to understand the Mule's powers and find his weakness. She senses that beneath his formidable abilities, the Mule is deeply lonely — a genetic anomaly who can never connect with anyone genuinely.