Part 5: Names on the Black List
The vault burned like dry wood soaked in blood.
They left it behind—through the servant's tunnel, through the quiet wine cellar, through the side gate that Siora bricked shut with vines the moment they were clear.
Veilguard didn't even flinch.
No sirens. No alarms. Just another secret smothered before it could scream.
Back at the inn, Yuji sat at the table, soaked in sweat and memory.
Sacha tossed a satchel onto the floor. "Got the files."
Sylvia locked the door. Amelia sealed the windows with shadowthread. Siora unpacked the scrolls with quiet fingers.
One in particular was marked with obsidian wax.
Yuji cracked it open.
Inside was a list.
Dozens of names.
Some struck through. Some circled.
At the top:
TARGETS – ESSENTIAL FOR SACRIFICE, PHASE I.
He read the first few.
Then stopped.
His own name was there.
Not "Kael." His real name. The one Priapus spoke when he first arrived.
Below it:
SYLVIA – Snow Wolf Hybrid, bonded.
SIORA – Druid-Witch halfblood. Valuable for dual-source extractions.
Amelia – [REDACTED]
He looked up.
"They know."
Siora's face was pale. "They knew before you stepped through Ironhorn's gate."
Sylvia's jaw locked. "How?"
Amelia's voice was quiet. "Because your power doesn't ripple—it blooms. And the Lich King watches for anything that still grows."
Yuji held the list up to the lantern.
Names continued down the page.
Many were crossed out.
Dead. Taken. Used.
Sacha stepped closer. "What's Phase II?"
Yuji lowered the parchment.
"Doesn't matter."
His voice was calm. Focused.
"Because we're going to burn Phase I to ash."