Elliot's patience was hanging by a thread.
First, shadow monsters. Then, a hidden world. And now? Some random guy acting like Elliot had just signed a death contract.
He crossed his arms. "Alright, mystery man. Care to explain, or are we just doing ominous warnings all night?"
The man chuckled. "Oh, he's got spirit. That's cute."
Evelyn sighed, rubbing her temples. "Elliot, meet Lucian Vale. He's… an information broker."
Lucian placed a hand over his heart, feigning offense. "Ouch. That's a rather cold introduction, Sinclair."
Elliot narrowed his eyes. "And what exactly do you 'broker'?"
Lucian's smirk deepened. "Secrets. Deals. Life-saving information." His gaze flickered to Elliot's pendant. "And right now? You need all three."
Elliot instinctively gripped the pendant tighter.
"Relax, kid," Lucian said. "I don't want it. Yet."
"Gee, that's reassuring."
Lucian ignored the sarcasm. "Here's the thing, Elliot—you didn't just stumble into trouble. You attracted it."
Elliot frowned. "Because of this pendant?"
Lucian nodded. "That little trinket isn't just rare. It's a key. And keys?" He leaned in slightly. "They always lead somewhere."
Elliot's stomach twisted. "Lead where?"
Lucian's smirk didn't waver. "That, my friend, is the million-gold question."
Elliot exhaled sharply. "Okay. Fine. Let's say I believe you. What am I supposed to do? Just sit around and wait for more shadow freaks to show up?"
Lucian tilted his head. "Well… you could do that."
Elliot gave him a flat look. "Or?"
Lucian grinned. "Or—you make a deal."
Elliot stiffened. "With you?"
Lucian placed a hand over his chest, feigning innocence. "Oh no, kid. I'm just the middleman. The real question is—"
He pointed a finger over Elliot's shoulder.
"Are you ready to meet the one who actually has the answers?"
Elliot turned—
And froze.
Standing in the shadows of a nearby alleyway was a figure cloaked entirely in black.
Their face was obscured by a hood, but the air around them seemed to ripple—like heat rising off pavement. The temperature dropped just from looking at them.
Elliot's mouth went dry.
"Who…?"
Lucian's grin widened. "Meet the one person in this city who knows more about your pendant than anyone else."
The figure stepped forward.
A whisper of a voice filled the air.
"So… you're the new keeper."
Elliot's pulse spiked.
What the hell had he just walked into?
Elliot's brain had officially checked out.
He had no idea who this hooded figure was, why they knew about his pendant, or what exactly he was supposed to do next. But one thing was clear—this person was dangerous.
Every instinct screamed at him to run.
But his feet wouldn't move.
The air around the stranger seemed thicker, heavier—like stepping into the deep end of a pool. The longer he stood there, the more he felt like he was sinking.
Then, the hooded figure spoke again.
"You don't know what you carry, do you?"
Elliot's fingers clenched around the pendant. His throat was dry, but he forced himself to speak.
"No," he admitted. "And I'd really, really like to know."
A pause.
Then, the stranger laughed.
Soft. Amused. Almost pitying.
"Then listen well, keeper."
---
The world shifted.
One second, Elliot was standing in the alley. The next—
He was somewhere else.
The sky above was a swirling mass of storm clouds, streaked with veins of golden lightning. The ground beneath him was fractured stone, pulsing with a faint blue glow. And in front of him—
A massive, towering gate.
It loomed over him, its surface engraved with symbols that hummed with power. Chains wrapped around its frame, holding it shut. And at its very center—
An indentation.
The exact size and shape of his pendant.
Elliot's breath caught.
"What… is this place?"
The hooded figure's voice echoed around him.
"The Boundary."
Elliot turned sharply, but they weren't there. Their voice seemed to come from everywhere at once.
"This is what your pendant protects."
Elliot swallowed. "Protects… from what?"
A rumble shook the ground beneath him.
Then—something slammed against the other side of the gate.
Elliot stumbled back as a black, clawed hand burst through a crack in the stone. The very air seemed to scream as the creature pushed against its prison, its form shifting and twisting like living nightmares.
Instinctively, Elliot reached for his pendant—
And the moment his fingers brushed against it, the world snapped back.
---
Elliot gasped.
He was back in the alleyway, his heartbeat hammering.
The hooded figure stood exactly where they had before, watching him.
"Now you understand."
Elliot gripped the pendant, his mind racing.
"This thing isn't just a key," he realized. "It's a lock."
The figure nodded. "And you? You are its keeper."
Elliot exhaled shakily.
"…Great. No pressure."
Lucian clapped him on the back. "Congratulations, kid. You're now responsible for keeping the literal apocalypse at bay."
Elliot groaned.
"Can I at least get a manual for this job?"
The hooded figure chuckled.
"No, keeper. You'll have to learn as you go."
Elliot sighed.
Of course he would.
Elliot stared at the pendant in his hand, trying to breathe.
Just a few hours ago, he was a normal guy. Now? He was apparently the "keeper" of some mystical prison gate that held back literal nightmares.
Wonderful.
"Alright," he exhaled. "Let's just—let's slow down for a second." He turned to the hooded figure. "What exactly am I supposed to do with this? Just... carry it around and hope it doesn't explode?"
The figure remained silent.
Lucian, however, grinned. "Oh, it'll explode. Just not today."
"Not helping," Elliot muttered.
The hooded figure finally spoke. "Your role is not merely to carry the key. It is to ensure it does not fall into the wrong hands."
Elliot frowned. "And who, exactly, are the 'wrong hands'?"
A long silence.
Then, the figure's voice dropped to a whisper.
"The ones who already know you have it."
Elliot's stomach twisted.
"Great," he muttered. "So I'm basically a walking target."
Lucian gave him a thumbs up. "Now you're getting it."
Evelyn, who had been quiet this whole time, finally spoke. "We don't have time for this. If people are after him, we need to move." She turned to the hooded figure. "You got what you wanted. We're leaving."
The figure tilted their head. "Are you certain?"
Evelyn's jaw tightened. "He's not ready for whatever nonsense you're about to throw at him."
Lucian leaned against the wall, smirking. "Aw, don't be like that, Sinclair. Let the kid hear them out. Maybe they've got some actual advice."
Elliot held up a hand. "Okay, hold on. Am I the only one who's getting the feeling you guys have history?"
Evelyn ignored him.
The hooded figure, however, chuckled. "We have... crossed paths before."
Elliot didn't like the way they said that.
But before he could ask, the figure stepped forward.
"You seek knowledge," they said, "but knowledge comes with a price."
Elliot narrowed his eyes. "What kind of price?"
The figure slowly raised their hand—
And pointed directly at him.
"Your first test begins now."
The ground beneath Elliot vanished.
---
He didn't even have time to scream.
One second, he was in the alley. The next—
He was falling.
Wind roared past his ears. His stomach twisted violently as he plummeted through darkness, the world spinning around him.
Then—
Impact.
Elliot hit the ground with a force that should've broken every bone in his body. But instead of stone or pavement, he landed on something... soft.
He groaned, pushing himself up. His vision blurred, but when it cleared—
His heart stopped.
He wasn't in the city anymore.
He was in the middle of a colossal labyrinth.
Towering stone walls stretched high into the sky, their surfaces covered in glowing blue symbols. The pathways ahead twisted into endless corridors, each one leading into darkness.
And worst of all?
He wasn't alone.
Shadows shifted in the distance. Something was moving. Something big.
A deep, guttural growl rumbled through the air.
Elliot froze.
Then, a pair of glowing red eyes snapped open in the dark.
A voice—low and predatory—echoed through the maze.
"Run, keeper."
And Elliot ran.