The city slept uneasily beneath a veil of mist and shadows. Valenport's narrow streets and crooked rooftops had always whispered secrets to those who listened. Tonight, they hummed with danger.
I kept to the rooftops, moving silently like a ghost. The cool night air bit through my leather armor, but the sting was nothing compared to the fire burning inside me. The stolen documents weighed heavily in my satchel — a treasure trove of secrets I still hadn't fully deciphered, but enough to know the Council's grip was choking the city tighter than ever.
Beside me, Saria moved with deadly grace, a shadow among shadows. Her presence was a balm and a blade — comforting, but sharp with tension.
"We're close," she whispered. "The Council meeting is held beneath the Old Cathedral. The corrupted priests use it as a cover. No one suspects a thing."
I nodded, focusing on the cold steel of my sword and the warm pulse of my Soul Resonance humming beneath my skin. Tonight wasn't just about gathering intel — it was about striking back. Sending a message to those who had betrayed me.
We slipped through a narrow vent hidden beneath ivy and stone, descending into the cathedral's damp, forgotten catacombs. The air was thick with the scent of mildew and old blood.
Deep below, a cavernous chamber glowed with torchlight. Figures in embroidered robes gathered around an ancient altar, voices low but filled with authority.
The Council.
Their faces were masked by silver and gold, symbols of power and corruption gleaming in the firelight.
I clenched my fists. Ten years ago, they had condemned me — stripped me of rank, honor, and life. Tonight, I would remind them who I was.
Saria pressed a finger to her lips, signaling silence.
"We need evidence," she hissed. "Proof they're behind the assassinations, the sabotage, the poisonings. Otherwise, we're just two shadows crying in the dark."
I nodded. Soul Resonance flickered at my fingertips, ready to ignite.
Just then, a sharp sound shattered the stillness — the clang of a dropped dagger. Heads snapped toward the entrance.
Our cover was blown.
I drew my sword, energy blade crackling to life as the first robed figure lunged forward. The air exploded with light and steel. I moved faster than thought — a blur of blue fire and shadow.
Saria was no less lethal, her daggers slicing through the air with precision.
The battle was chaos incarnate — whispers turned to screams, shadows twisted into deadly blades, and the altar's flickering flames cast long, dancing shapes across bloodstained stone.
But the real threat wasn't the robed Council members. From the shadows, the Silent Serpents emerged, their dark armor gleaming, eyes cold and merciless.
"You've overstepped, Kael," their leader snarled, stepping forward, twin blades dripping venom.
I tightened my grip on my sword, feeling the familiar surge of Soul Resonance flood my veins. This was no ordinary fight — this was a reckoning.
"Tonight, the past ends," I growled, voice low and filled with grim promise.
The Silent Serpents attacked in deadly unison, but I was no longer the broken man I'd been.
Energy surged, shadows bent to my will, and with every strike, I carved a path through the darkness.
Saria fought at my side, fierce and unyielding.
When the dust finally settled, the chamber lay silent but for the ragged breaths of survivors.
Among the fallen, I found a small, sealed vial — glowing faintly with a poisonous green light.
Proof.
Evidence.
A spark of hope in the suffocating darkness.
As we climbed back into the night air, the weight of the vial in my satchel felt like the promise of a new war.
The Council had hidden their venom well — but I would expose every last drop.
And I would make them pay.
System Update: Rank Progression
Current Rank: E+
Experience gained: +1500 XP
New Skill Unlocked: Shadow Bind — temporarily immobilize an enemy by wrapping shadows around them.
Next Rank: D- (Remaining XP: 700)
I glanced at Saria, determination burning in both our eyes.
"The fight is just beginning."
And this time, I wasn't running.