The fog was heavier than usual that night, pressing against windows and curling along cobblestones like a living thing. Grimwald felt watchful, its alleys narrowing, shadows stretching long and deliberate. Elias walked with the Codex beneath his arm, Shade slithering at his side, the crimson-edged shadow hovering near his shoulder.
The Codex's pages pulsed with heat, guiding him toward the Iron Canal's forgotten depths. The third awaits. Each shadow strengthens the chain. Each chain binds you tighter to destiny. Tonight, Elias, you are not the hunter alone. Others have smelled the scent of power.
Elias's grip tightened. His heart still bore the rhythm of the Ledger's whispers—Duskbinder, Duskbinder. It clung to him like a scar. He would not remain at that tier for long.
---
The Lure of the Third
The Codex's script shimmered across the page, letters re-arranging into jagged runes.
Name of the shadow: Whisperfang. Born from betrayal, forged in silence. Dwells beneath the canal, where water runs blackest.
Elias followed the pull, boots scraping wet stone. The stench of iron and algae coated the air. He reached the edge of a cracked archway where water seeped into a cavern beneath. Shade hissed, tendrils spreading like a warning. The crimson shadow pulsed, uneasy.
From below came the sound of chains dragged across stone.
A whisper curled into his ear, though no one stood near. You dare bind me? You who command only two?
Elias forced calm. "I dare."
The Codex vibrated, its pages fluttering violently. Beware. This shadow was not abandoned—it was cast out. It remembers betrayal and answers it with hunger.
---
Rival in the Dark
Before Elias could step into the cavern, movement cut across the fog. A figure emerged—lean, cloaked in violet, his hood shadowing a pale face marked with a tattoo of interlocking rings. Behind him trailed a shadow shaped like broken glass, its edges slicing the air.
"A Duskbinder," the man said smoothly. "Ledger whispers your name. Elias, the one who shamed the Choir. You walk into my territory."
Elias tensed. "I don't care for your territory."
The stranger smiled faintly. "You should. I am Kael, a Duskbinder of three. The third shadow you seek is already mine to claim."
Shade hissed violently, tendrils slapping against the stones. The crimson shadow arched its form like a blade. Elias's jaw clenched. "If the Ledger says you're stronger, then prove it."
Kael's eyes gleamed. "Gladly."
---
Clash of Duskbinders
The fight began with silence. Kael's shadow of glass splintered outward, shards cutting through fog, spinning around Elias like blades. Shade coiled, catching one with tendrils that hissed as they sliced. The crimson shadow darted forward, striking like a spear.
Kael raised his hand. A second shadow, fluid and serpentine, rose from beneath his cloak, wrapping around Elias's ankle. Its grip was cold, draining strength.
"You bind recklessly," Kael mocked. "Two shadows cannot match three."
Elias gritted his teeth. The Codex pulsed in his hands, urging. Command them. You are not their equal—you are their master. Bind them as chains, not allies.
"Shade!" Elias's voice cut through the fog. "Wrap and break!"
Tendrils lashed outward, snapping through the serpent's grip. The crimson shadow surged, piercing toward Kael's chest, forcing him back a step.
For a heartbeat, Elias saw doubt flicker in Kael's eyes.
---
The Betrayed Shadow
Then the cavern roared. From beneath the water, a figure rose—sleek, skeletal, jaws wide and dripping black mist. Its form wavered, shifting between beast and humanoid, its eyes pits of burning green. Chains dragged from its limbs, striking sparks against the stone.
Whisperfang.
Its voice slithered into Elias's skull. Two masters reach for me. Both unworthy. Both weak. Betrayal seeps from your veins. Which of you dares bleed deepest for me?
Kael snarled, throwing his shadows forward. "Mine!"
The skeletal shadow leapt, striking both crimson and glass with equal fury. Shade lashed but was flung back, sparks erupting. Elias staggered, chest tightening as the shadow's hunger pressed against him.
The Codex's runes burned. Offer it what it craves, Elias. Power bought with betrayal. A wound that binds.
Elias understood. Whisperfang would not bow to commands alone—it demanded proof. Sacrifice.
---
The Choice
Kael sliced his palm with a blade, blood dripping into the water. His shadows surged, brighter, fiercer. "See? I offer freely. Betrayal of flesh for power!"
Whisperfang hissed, chains rattling. A taste… but not enough.
Elias breathed hard, staring at his own shadows. Shade gazed up with something like trust. The crimson shadow trembled, edges flaring.
Betrayal.
The word twisted in his skull. He had to wound what trusted him most.
His hand shook, but he placed it on Shade's tendrils. With a whisper, he drove a sliver of the Codex's page into its form. Shade screamed—a soundless wail—as part of its essence was torn free.
Elias felt the loss immediately, his chest burning hollow. But Whisperfang shuddered, eyes flaring brighter.
Yes. That is betrayal. That is the taste I crave.
It lunged past Kael, chains snapping, shadows tearing free of the water to wrap around Elias.
The third shadow bowed.
---
Binding
The Codex's runes swirled violently, words etching themselves across Whisperfang's form. Elias gasped, blood dripping from his nose as the binding took hold.
Shadow three bound: Whisperfang, Betrayal's Fang.
Ability: Devour trust—strike truer against those who rely on you. Bite that severs loyalty. Chains that weaken bonds between allies.
Shade trembled, weakened but not destroyed. The crimson shadow pulsed, flickering with unease. Whisperfang slithered behind Elias, skeletal jaws gnashing softly, chains rattling like applause.
Kael's face twisted with fury. "You stole what was mine!"
"No," Elias rasped. His voice carried the weight of three shadows. "I claimed what betrayed you."
---
Aftermath
Kael's shadows faltered. He retreated into the fog, his parting words a hiss: "The Ledger will mark this. You will not survive the climb."
Elias staggered against the cavern wall, chest heaving. The Codex lay open in his trembling hand, words glowing faintly.
Three bound. The path steepens. But beware, Elias—the more shadows you claim, the more betrayal stains your soul. At a hundred, will you even know who you are?
Elias stared at his trembling hand, where Shade's tendrils brushed weakly against his fingers, loyal despite the wound.
"I'll decide that when I reach it," he whispered.
The fog outside shivered. Somewhere in Grimwald, whispers began again:
"The Duskbinder rises. Now three."
---