The dawn spilled cold and gray across the ruined towers of Nyseros. Mist curled like spectral fingers around broken battlements and shattered statues, cloaking the city in a ghostly silence. Kaerys felt the weight of the night's threats still pressing against her like a shadow.
Her mind was sharp, every muscle taut as she strode through the rebel encampment, the whispers of spies and informants threading through the air. The war was no longer just open combat; it was a labyrinth of deception, where one wrong step could mean death.
The System Awakens
A sudden pulse surged through Kaerys's consciousness—a familiar awakening. The Arcain system flickered alive:
New Quest: Uncover the source of the assassins. Gain new allies in the city's underworld.
Her vision sharpened as the system overlaid maps, faces, and hidden passages beneath the city streets. She breathed deeply, letting the magic infuse her senses.
Into the Underworld
By nightfall, Kaerys slipped into the twisting warrens beneath Nyseros—a dark, labyrinthine underbelly where smugglers, thieves, and exiles whispered of power and survival. The scent of damp stone, smoke, and the distant clang of makeshift forges filled the air.
At the heart of this shadowed maze, she found herself before a carved door—marked with the sigil of the Black Coil, a notorious guild known for their spies and assassins.
The Price of Power
Inside, a council of cloaked figures greeted her with wary eyes. Their leader, a woman named Selene, stepped forward, her gaze sharp as a dagger.
"You seek to crush the Serpent's vipers," Selene said, voice like silk over steel. "But to do so, you must pay the price."
Kaerys nodded, hands steady. "Tell me what you need."
Selene's smile was slow, calculating. "Information. Protection. And your loyalty in the coming storm."
A Bond Forged in Darkness
The alliance was uneasy but necessary. Selene's spies would infiltrate the Serpent's ranks; in return, Kaerys would wield the Black Coil's deadly skills as her own.
Later, beneath the flickering torchlight, Kaerys trained in silent killing arts and shadow magic—her flames now a whisper as much as a roar. The boundaries between fire and shadow blurred, becoming one.
The Gathering Storm
Outside, the city braced for war. The Serpent's forces grew restless, rumors spreading of a secret weapon—an ancient dragon egg hidden deep within the ruins of old Valyria.
Kaerys clenched her fists. The next battle would decide more than power—it would shape the fate of dragons and men alike.
To be continued in Chapter 87 — Dragon Eggs and Deadly Games