The Obsidian Veil was built on secrecy. Even within its underground city, whispers were currency, and trust was a rare commodity.
Kael had spent days recovering from his training, his body adapting to the power that now coursed through him. But something felt… off.
A presence lurked within the Veil—watching, waiting.
And tonight, Kael intended to find it.
The Silent Pursuit
Moving like a phantom, Kael navigated the labyrinthine corridors of the Veil's stronghold. His senses were sharper than before—he could feel the flickers of movement in the darkness, the shift in air whenever someone passed unseen.
Tonight, he wasn't alone.
Footsteps. Light, careful… but not careful enough.
Kael vanished into the shadows, merging with the darkness like mist. Someone was following him.
"Let's see who you are."
He moved deeper into the Veil's underground halls, leading his unseen pursuer toward a dead-end corridor lined with stone pillars. At the last moment, he disappeared completely—melding into the blackness above.
The pursuer stepped forward, confused. A hooded figure in dark robes, their face masked.
Kael struck.
In the blink of an eye, he was behind them, a dagger pressed against their throat.
"Who sent you?" Kael whispered, his voice cold.
The figure tensed, but then something unexpected happened—they dissolved into black mist, slipping through his grasp.
Kael's eyes narrowed. Shadow magic.
The figure reappeared several feet away, now standing atop a stone pillar. The mask they wore was marked with an ancient symbol—one Kael had seen before in the Nightfall Syndicate's ritual chamber.
"You don't belong here, Kael Veyne," the masked figure said, their voice distorted. "Leave, before you uncover a truth you were never meant to see."
Kael's grip on his dagger tightened.
"I decide what truths I uncover," he replied.
The figure tilted their head, as if considering something. Then, without another word, they vanished into the darkness, leaving no trace.
Kael stood motionless, his mind racing.
There was a traitor within the Obsidian Veil. Someone working with the Nightfall Syndicate.
And now, they knew he was hunting them.
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