The city of Tal'Rem sprawled before Gabi-Hi like a web of intrigue, its narrow streets and towering spires bathed in the warm glow of the rising sun. The city was alive, despite the early hour, with merchants setting up stalls and shadows darting through the alleyways—figures moving in the margins of society, unseen by most, but not to her.
The air here carried a different weight. It was thicker, like every breath was shared with a secret, every step taken under watchful eyes. Gabi-Hi moved through the labyrinthine streets with purpose, but her mind was on high alert. She didn't need to look over her shoulder to know she was being followed; it was the way of Tal'Rem.
The scroll burned beneath her cloak. She could almost feel its power pulsing with each step she took closer to the heart of the city, to the answers she sought. The Specter's words from the temple echoed in her head. The darkness is spreading. What had he meant? What force could be so terrible that even the enforcers of the Shadow Clan feared it?
As she passed beneath an archway into the city's center, the grand plaza opened up before her. At the heart of Tal'Rem was the Spire of Echoes, a towering structure that pierced the sky, its surface gleaming with enchantments and runes that shimmered in the sunlight. It was said that the Spire housed the most valuable knowledge in the world—if one knew how to ask the right questions.
Gabi-Hi wasn't here for the Spire, though. She moved quickly through the crowded market, keeping to the shadows, until she reached an unmarked door in a side street. It was the kind of place you didn't go to unless you knew exactly what you were looking for. She knocked three times, the sound dull against the worn wood.
Moments later, a slit in the door opened, and two sharp eyes peered out at her. "Password?" a gravelly voice asked.
"Truth is a blade," she answered without hesitation, her voice steady.
The door creaked open, and she stepped inside.
The room beyond was dimly lit, a sharp contrast to the brightness outside. Shelves lined the walls, cluttered with scrolls, ancient tomes, and trinkets of forgotten power. At the center of the room sat a figure hunched over a desk, cloaked in layers of fabric that obscured any hint of identity. Only the faint gleam of silver rings on his fingers betrayed his status as a collector of secrets.
"Ronan," she greeted him coolly, as the door closed behind her.
He looked up, revealing a face more bone than flesh, sharp and weathered by years of dangerous knowledge. His smile was thin, more of a smirk than anything warm. "Gabi-Hi. It's been too long." He gestured for her to sit. "What brings the infamous Shadow Clan exile to my humble corner of the world?"
She didn't sit. "I need information. And fast."
Ronan leaned back, his eyes glittering with amusement. "Ah, but you know information comes at a price, Gabi-Hi. Even for you."
She reached into her cloak and pulled out a small pouch of gold coins, tossing it onto the table. "Consider this a down payment."
He raised an eyebrow, his fingers tapping the pouch with interest, but he didn't pick it up. "Generous. But something tells me you have something far more valuable than gold hidden beneath that cloak."
Her jaw tightened. "I'm not here to barter with you, Ronan. I need to know what you've heard about the Shadow Clan… and the darkness spreading from the east."
Ronan's smile faded, and for the first time, he seemed to regard her with a seriousness that chilled the room. "The eastern darkness… it's no ordinary threat. I've heard whispers, rumors, but nothing concrete. The Shadow Clan… they've been meddling in things far older than even their ancient order."
Gabi-Hi frowned. "What things?"
He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper. "There's an old prophecy. One that speaks of a force that could unbalance the world, something buried deep within the lands of shadow. The elders of the clan have known about it for centuries, but it's only recently that they've… changed."
"Changed how?"
Ronan's fingers drummed against the table. "They've stopped seeking balance, Gabi-Hi. Whatever force they've found, it's consuming them. The prophecy, if true, speaks of a power that will swallow both light and dark. I've seen signs—small things, strange creatures in the outskirts, whispers of magic that hasn't been seen in millennia. Something is waking."
Gabi-Hi's stomach twisted. "And what of the Specters?"
Ronan's eyes darkened. "They're no longer protectors. They've become… something else. Their loyalty now lies with this force, not the clan. The elders have lost control."
She felt the weight of his words sink in, confirming her worst fears. "Is there any way to stop it?"
He hesitated, and in that brief pause, Gabi-Hi felt the cold grip of dread. "There might be," Ronan said carefully. "But you'd have to go deeper into the heart of the darkness. Further than anyone has dared to go."
Her gaze hardened. "Where?"
He stood slowly, crossing the room to a dusty map hanging on the wall. He pointed to a region far beyond Tal'Rem, deep in the wastelands. "There. The Abyss of Shadows. It's said to be the source of the corruption, where the ancient power lies dormant. But be warned, Gabi-Hi—no one who's ventured there has ever returned."
She stared at the map, her mind spinning with the enormity of the task before her. But she had no choice. If she was to stop the darkness, she would have to confront it head-on.
"I've never been one to turn back," she muttered, her eyes narrowing.
Ronan chuckled darkly. "No, you haven't. Just be careful, Gabi-Hi. Shadows have a way of devouring even the strongest of souls."
Without another word, she turned and left the room, the map burned into her mind. The path ahead was clear, though treacherous. She would head for the Abyss of Shadows, but first, she would need to gather more allies.
As she stepped back into the streets of Tal'Rem, the winds of change swept through the city. The darkness was closing in, but Gabi-Hi was ready.
The battle for the realm had only just begun.