Chereads / Shadow's Gambit / Chapter 13 - 13. Nera's Counterstrike

Chapter 13 - 13. Nera's Counterstrike

The night air in Eldrath was thick with tension as the city's underworld continued to crumble. Lady Nera, isolated and desperate, could feel her empire slipping through her fingers. But she was far from defeated.

She still had connections—dangerous ones—and she would use them to strike back with ruthless force.

In the heart of her fortress-like mansion, Nera stood by the window, watching the flickering lights of the city below.

Her once-loyal lieutenants were betraying her, the Syndicate had pulled back its support, and the constant rumors of her weakness were circulating like a death knell.

But the greatest insult, the most intolerable betrayal, came from the man who had started this all: Aran.

She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "He will pay," she whispered to herself.

Turning on her heel, Nera crossed the room and opened a hidden compartment in her desk. Inside, a black crystal shimmered with an ominous glow.

This was no ordinary item—it was a relic from an ancient time, something most wouldn't dare to touch, let alone use. But Nera was willing to go to any lengths now.

Holding the crystal tightly, she whispered incantations in a forgotten tongue. As she spoke, the room's temperature dropped, and shadows seemed to elongate unnaturally. Moments later, a figure materialized before her, cloaked in darkness, its form shifting and nebulous.

The entity's voice was a low, guttural rasp. "What do you seek, Nera?"

"I seek vengeance," she said coldly, her eyes narrowing. "There is a man in this city, an upstart, who seeks to ruin me. I want him dead. But not quickly. I want him to suffer. I want him broken before the end."

The shadowed figure chuckled, the sound sending a chill through the room. "You know the price for such a request."

Nera hesitated for only a moment. She had already come this far—there was no turning back now. "I will pay it."

The figure's form solidified slightly, becoming more defined, like a nightmare given shape. "Very well. The terms are sealed."

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Aran's Growing Network

Meanwhile, across the city, Aran was busy securing his position. The deal with the Obsidian Syndicate had gone smoothly, and with their influence, he had already begun to take control of Nera's smuggling routes. His agents had stirred up enough unrest among her lieutenants that some of them had already defected, swearing loyalty to Aran in exchange for protection.

Alara was by his side, reviewing the latest reports. "Nera's forces are on the brink of collapse. We've taken control of her key operations in the northern district, and the Syndicate has already moved in on the trade routes. She doesn't have much left."

Aran leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes scanning the map of Eldrath laid out before him. "She won't go down without a fight. She's too proud for that."

Alara frowned. "You think she'll try something desperate?"

"I'd bet on it," Aran said, tapping his fingers against the table. "We've taken everything from her. She has nothing to lose now, which makes her dangerous."

Alara's expression darkened. "So what's the plan?"

Aran smiled faintly. "We keep pushing. Cut off her remaining resources, spread the word that her empire is finished. But we'll also need to be prepared for whatever she tries next. Desperate people do reckless things."

Before Alara could respond, there was a knock at the door. One of Aran's informants stepped in, his face pale and anxious. "Sir, we've received word that Lady Nera has been seen making contact with... something. A dark force, not of this world."

Aran's expression hardened. "Explain."

The informant swallowed nervously. "We don't have all the details yet, but it seems she's made a pact with some kind of... ancient entity. The kind of thing that should have remained buried."

Alara stiffened. "That's bad. Really bad."

Aran's mind raced. If Nera had indeed made a deal with some dark force, things were about to get far more complicated. He had been expecting a desperate move, but this was on another level entirely. Whatever Nera had summoned, it wasn't something that could be dealt with through ordinary means.

"Keep digging," Aran said sharply to the informant. "I want every scrap of information on this entity. Where it came from, what it wants, and how it can be stopped."

The informant nodded quickly and left the room.

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The Beast Unleashed

As the sun dipped below the horizon that night, a new terror began to stalk the streets of Eldrath. A series of strange occurrences were reported: people disappearing without a trace, shadows that moved unnaturally, whispers of a figure cloaked in darkness that no one could describe.

Aran's agents brought the reports to him, each one more alarming than the last. The entity Nera had summoned was making its presence known, and it was targeting Aran's allies and assets.

"We need to move fast," Alara said, pacing the room. "This thing is hunting us, and it's only going to get worse if we don't do something about it."

Aran nodded, his mind working quickly. "We can't fight it directly. Not yet. We don't even know what it is."

"So what do we do?"

"We play for time," Aran said. "Keep our people moving, never in one place for too long. And in the meantime, I'll find a way to deal with this creature. There has to be a weakness, something Nera overlooked."

Alara frowned. "And if there isn't?"

"There's always a weakness," Aran said, his voice cold and determined. "Nera's desperation will be her downfall."

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Hunting in the Shadows

For the next few days, Aran's forces went underground, moving through the city in secret, always one step ahead of the entity that stalked them. Aran himself spent hours pouring over ancient texts and consulting with his most trusted informants, trying to uncover anything that could give him an edge against the creature Nera had unleashed.

It wasn't long before Aran's efforts bore fruit. His spies reported that the entity Nera had summoned was bound by ancient rules—rules that could be exploited.

"The creature's power is tied to the pact it made with Nera," one of Aran's informants explained. "If we can sever that bond, it will lose its hold on this world."

Aran's eyes gleamed with understanding. "So if we break the pact, the creature is forced to return to wherever it came from."

"Exactly," the informant nodded. "But the pact is tied to Nera's life force. As long as she lives, the creature remains bound to her will."

Aran stood, his mind made up. "Then it's time to pay Nera a visit."

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The Final Confrontation

That night, Aran gathered his most trusted allies and prepared for the final strike against Lady Nera. He knew that she would be waiting for him, surrounded by whatever forces she still controlled, but it didn't matter. The time had come to end this, once and for all.

As they approached Nera's mansion, Aran could feel the weight of the entity's presence, like a dark cloud hanging over the building. The shadows seemed to move with a life of their own, whispering promises of power and doom.

But Aran was not afraid. He had faced greater challenges before, and he knew that Nera's downfall was inevitable. With a final nod to his team, Aran stepped through the gates, ready to face whatever awaited him inside.

Lady Nera would fall tonight—and with her, the darkness she had unleashed.

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