Kael moved through the stone passage, his fingers lightly tracing the ancient carvings on the walls. The deeper he went, the heavier the air became—not just with dust and age, but with something else. A presence.
The Obsidian Veil was more than just an organization. It was a hidden world beneath Vaelstrom, built from the bones of a forgotten empire.
A city beneath the city.
The Gate of Shadows
Kael stopped as he reached an enormous set of doors. Black stone, etched with strange symbols that pulsed faintly.
Two masked sentinels stood before him, clad in obsidian armor, their curved blades resting at their sides. They didn't speak. Didn't move.
A voice drifted from the darkness.
"You stand at the gates of the Veil, assassin. Will you enter as a seeker of truth, or as prey?"
Kael didn't hesitate. "Truth."
The air shifted. The doors groaned as they opened inward, revealing a vast underground city illuminated by glowing blue lanterns.
The moment Kael stepped inside, he felt eyes on him.
The Obsidian Veil
The city stretched into the distance—bridges connecting towering pillars, stone walkways lined with ancient buildings, and figures wrapped in shadows moving in silence.
He saw scholars hunched over forbidden texts, warriors honing their craft in dimly lit courtyards, and masked figures whispering in hidden corners.
This was a place where the unwanted, the hunted, and the exiled gathered.
And somewhere within these walls… were answers.
A hooded figure approached, their steps light as air.
"Come," the voice belonged to a woman—calm, yet sharp like a blade. "The Keeper awaits you."
Kael followed, his mind racing.
Would they tell him the truth? Or would this place become another prison?
---