Rain fell softly in the lower districts of Arkhaven.
Water flowed between narrow streets tangled with power cables and flickering neon lights.
In this city, night was rarely truly dark.
Yet it was also rarely safe.
Kael Ardent walked alone through the back alley behind the night market.
His coat was soaked from the rain, yet his steps remained calm.
On his back hung an old leather satchel that looked heavy.
Some people worked as merchants.
Some as laborers.
Kael worked as something far more unstable.
An artifact scavenger.
Men like him searched for strange objects from the ruins of the old city buried beneath Arkhaven.
Sometimes they found items that could be sold for high prices.
Sometimes they found things that made them never return.
Kael was among the lucky ones.
So far.
He stopped before a small shop with a wooden signboard nearly crumbling.
The writing upon it was barely legible:
Antiquities & Curiosities
He knocked on the door three times.
Several seconds later, the door opened slightly.
A pair of old eyes peered at him through the gap.
"If you've come again with something that tries to kill me," the old man grumbled, "I will close this shop."
"If it weren't dangerous," Kael replied flatly, "no one would want to buy it."
The door finally opened wide.
The shopkeeper, Morcant, stepped back to give way.
Inside the shop, shelves filled with strange objects crowded the room.
Some of them looked like ordinary goods.
Others... did not.
A wall clock ticked backward.
A porcelain mask hung upon the wall with a smile too wide.
And in the corner of the room stood a cracked mirror always covered with black cloth.
Kael placed his satchel on the table.
"What did you find this time?" Morcant asked.
Kael opened his bag.
Several objects fell onto the table:
a black coin without engravings
a fragment of metal that felt warm to the touch
and an old book
Morcant was not particularly interested at first.
Until he saw the book.
His hand stopped moving.
"Where did you find this?"
"The second layer of the old city."
Morcant stared at the book for a very long time.
Then he pushed it back toward Kael.
"Take it back."
Kael raised an eyebrow slightly.
"That's not your usual reaction."
"That thing should not be here."
Kael took the book.
Its cover was plain black.
No title.
No symbol.
He opened it.
The first page was empty.
The second page was empty.
But when he turned to the third page, black ink slowly emerged upon the paper.
The writing appeared like a wound slowly opening.
One sentence formed.
"Finally."
Morcant stepped back.
"Kael... close that book."
But new writing kept appearing.
Longer.
Clearer.
"We have waited for you for so very long."
Kael stared at the page without blinking.
For the first time in his life, he felt as though someone... or something...
had just become aware of his existence.
Somewhere very far from the world of men, something within the Veil began to stir.
And for some reason...
it seemed pleased.
This continues