The winds of dawn swept across the barren landscape as Gabi-Hi emerged from the temple, the scroll hidden beneath her cloak. The weight of its revelations pressed down on her, but the fire of vengeance burned hotter still. There was no turning back now; the elders of the Shadow Clan had betrayed not only her but the balance of the realm itself.
As she descended the crumbling steps, a figure flickered in the distance. Gabi-Hi stilled, her senses sharpening. Whoever waited for her at the temple's edge had been watching for some time. The hairs on the back of her neck rose. The air was too thick with silence.
She dropped low to the ground, sliding into the cover of the temple's ancient columns. Her hand brushed the hilt of her dagger, its cool blade a comfort. The figure stood at the base of the steps, hood drawn, obscuring their features. The wind shifted, and for a moment, the fabric of the cloak fluttered just enough to reveal a glimpse of silver armor beneath the black.
Her breath hitched—a Specter.
The Specters were the enforcers of the Shadow Clan, their elite assassins. They operated in the darkest corners of the world, unseen and deadly. Why would they be here? Her mind raced, but instinct demanded action. Gabi-Hi stepped into the open, her cloak billowing as she revealed herself.
"So, they've sent one of you," she called out, her voice cold, steady.
The Specter didn't flinch, his head cocking slightly in acknowledgment. "Gabi-Hi," he said, his voice muffled beneath the mask. "They know what you've taken."
Her hand tightened around the dagger. "If they knew what was at stake, they'd be begging for my help, not sending you to silence me."
The Specter took a step forward. "This doesn't need to end in bloodshed. Surrender the scroll, and you can leave—alive."
A bitter laugh escaped her. "You think they'll let me walk away? You should know better."
Without warning, the Specter lunged. His movements were impossibly fast, a blur of silver and black. Gabi-Hi dodged the strike, rolling beneath him and springing to her feet. She unsheathed her dagger and slashed upward, her blade barely grazing his arm. The Specter spun, countering with a kick aimed at her chest, but she blocked, using his momentum to propel him backward.
They circled each other, the morning light casting long shadows across the ruins. Gabi-Hi's heart pounded, but her focus remained unshaken. She had trained with the best of the Shadow Clan; she knew their every move. Yet, this Specter was relentless—more skilled, more dangerous than any she had faced before.
Their blades clashed in a flurry of strikes, the sound of metal ringing through the empty temple grounds. But Gabi-Hi was fighting for more than survival—she was fighting for the truth, for justice. With a sudden burst of speed, she disarmed the Specter, her dagger slicing through his armor at the shoulder.
The Specter staggered, his hand flying to the wound as blood seeped through his cloak. He dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.
"You… you don't understand," he rasped, struggling to speak. "The prophecy… it's already begun."
Gabi-Hi stood over him, her dagger at his throat. "What prophecy?"
A glimmer of something passed through his eyes—fear, maybe regret. "The elders… they're not the ones in control anymore. The darkness… it's spreading. We can't stop it."
Her pulse quickened. "Who is behind this? Tell me!"
Before he could answer, his body seized violently, and a black mist began to seep from his mouth, his eyes rolling back into his head. Gabi-Hi jumped back as the Specter's body collapsed into a lifeless heap, consumed by the dark magic that had taken him.
The winds howled through the temple ruins, the echoes of the battle fading into the distance. Gabi-Hi sheathed her dagger, her mind racing. The Specter's warning gnawed at her—the darkness is spreading.
Whatever ancient force was rising, it was more than a personal vendetta now. The realm itself was at stake. And if the elders had lost control, then the danger was even greater than she had imagined.
She would need allies, and she would need them fast. But who could she trust in a world where shadows and betrayal ruled? Gabi-Hi turned her gaze toward the horizon, where the city of Tal'Rem lay beneath the morning sky. The city of whispers, where information flowed like water and secrets were currency.
Her next move was clear: she had to reach Tal'Rem before the darkness consumed everything in its path.
With the scroll still tucked safely beneath her cloak, Gabi-Hi set off into the dawn, determined to uncover the true enemy lurking in the shadows.