The Price of Truth
Truth was a rare currency in the underworld.
And Kael knew Daren would only sell him a fraction of it.
The owner of the Silver Serpent Inn twirled the gold coin between his fingers, his blind eye gleaming under the dim lantern light.
He didn't look nervous.
But he didn't look comfortable either.
Which meant this was serious.
Daren finally sighed, leaning against the counter.
"The Scarlet Sect, huh?"
He glanced around, checking the room.
No one looked directly at them.
But Kael knew they were all listening.
Even the drunks in the corner.
That was how the game of information worked.
Daren continued.
"They're a quiet group. Cultivators specializing in assassination and espionage. But they're not just mercenaries."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Then what are they?"
Daren locked eyes with him.
"A sect of fanatics."
The Blood Sacrifice
Kael was silent for a moment.
Fanatics.
That complicated things.
If they were just an assassin guild, he could treat this like a money problem.
But fanatics?
They didn't need a rational reason to kill him.
Kael crossed his arms.
"What do they believe in?"
Daren chuckled.
"The Blood Sacrifice. They think that certain individuals… certain souls… carry power that can only be awakened through death."
The silence that followed was thick.
Kael understood instantly.
The Scarlet Sect didn't just want to kill him.
They believed that his death would awaken something.
They wanted him as a sacrifice.
Kael clicked his tongue.
"So I'm one of these 'special individuals'?"
Daren smirked.
"Seems like it. And that means they won't stop until they get what they want."
A faint chill crawled up Kael's spine.
He had expected that standing out would attract enemies.
But he hadn't expected a death cult to be hunting him.
This changed everything.
Because if there was one thing worse than rational enemies—
It was enemies who believed in something greater than themselves.
Kael took a slow breath.
"Where can I find them?"
A Dangerous Lead
Daren's expression darkened.
"You don't want to find them, kid."
Kael gave a sharp grin.
"I don't want to. But I need to."
Silence.
Then, Daren sighed.
He reached for a small parchment, dipped a quill in ink, and scrawled something down.
A name.
A place.
A lead.
Daren slid the paper across the counter.
"If you want answers, go to the Black Market in the Lower District. Ask for a man named Oris. But be careful… he's not someone you deal with lightly."
Kael took the parchment and tucked it away.
He already knew what to do.
He gave Daren a small nod.
"Enjoy your gold."
Then, without another word, he turned and disappeared into the night of Myr.
The hunt had just begun.