[Kingdom Points: 20]
[Debt Remaining: 999 Years]
Kael followed the crimson-coated man into a narrow corridor lined with flickering torches. The air was damp, carrying a faint scent of oil and wet stone. Every footstep echoed like a countdown.
For a long while, the man said nothing. The silence stretched thin, like a wire ready to snap.
"Lord Veyren Halcross," he said at last. "Debt Enforcer of the Eastern Marches. My job is to ensure you don't do anything… reckless."
"And if I do?" Kael asked.
"You lose points. Lose enough, and you lose everything."
They emerged onto a balcony overlooking the city. Rain streaked the grey sky. Below, crooked rooftops sagged under years of neglect, streets slick with water. People huddled in doorways, faces pale, eyes empty.
A faint shimmer flared in Kael's vision.
[Side Quest: Aid a Beggar] — Reward: +1 KP | Cost: -1 Silver Coin]
A ragged man stood in the square, coughing hard enough to double over. His shoulders shook, but when he raised his head, Kael caught a glimpse of tired, pleading eyes.
If this system is real…
"Give him a coin," Veyren said lazily, leaning on the railing as though this were a game.
Kael patted his tunic. Only one coin. Dull. Cold.
He tossed it down.
[-1 Silver Coin | +1 KP]
The shimmer updated.
[Kingdom Points: 21]
The beggar's lips curled into the ghost of a smile, then he crumpled to the wet stone. Still.
Kael's chest tightened. "What—"
Veyren's smirk was thin as a knife. "Ah. Poor timing. He was marked for collection."
[-2 KP: Violation of Enforcer Territory]
[Kingdom Points: 19]
Rain washed over Kael's face, but it couldn't mask the cold crawling up his spine.
To be continued…