Contracts were not handed out ceremonially.
They were distributed the way wounds were treated—quickly, efficiently, without sentiment.
The Registry Hall smelled of ink, old stone, and damp leather. Lanterns hung low from iron chains, casting uneven light over rows of carved desks where scribes worked silently, heads bowed, hands never stopping. Every sound echoed just enough to remind you where you were.
This was where danger became paperwork.
The four hunter groups stood separated by a few deliberate paces, each waiting near a different desk. No one spoke loudly. Even The Gilded Fang had the decency to keep their voices low, though Renn Varn's presence still carried a sharpness that scraped against the room.
Nyx leaned against a pillar near Kael, arms crossed loosely.
"Notice something?" she murmured.
Kael scanned the hall. "They're nervous."
Nyx smirked. "They always are. I meant the scribes."
Borin frowned. "They look the same as yesterday."
Elyra shook her head faintly. "No. They're writing faster."
As if summoned by the observation, a bell rang softly—not the brutal iron call of training, but a small chime that signaled the start of official business.
A registry officer stepped forward, robes trimmed in muted blue, face carefully neutral.
"Hunter groups," he announced. "You will receive your first contracts. These are probationary assignments. Completion is required. Failure will be recorded."
He paused.
"Refusal will be remembered."
Stonewake was called first.
Their leader, Tessa, stepped forward calmly. The officer slid a parchment across the desk.
"Trade route disruption," he said. "Western marshlands. Confirmed beast presence. Low-tier classification."
Tessa read quickly, nodded once. "We'll handle it."
No questions. No theatrics.
Stonewake moved aside, already discussing logistics in low, efficient voices.
The Ashbound followed.
Their contract involved missing livestock near a border village. Probable cause listed as unconfirmed predator. The pay was modest.
One of them swallowed hard. "Unconfirmed?"
The officer didn't look up. "All predators were unconfirmed once."
They took the parchment and stepped away, visibly tense.
Then came The Gilded Fang.
Renn approached with confidence that bordered on hunger. "What've you got for us?"
The officer hesitated just long enough to be noticeable.
"Southern foothills," he said carefully. "Reports of coordinated attacks. Multiple sightings. Registry classification pending."
Renn's smile widened. "Sounds profitable."
The officer met his eyes briefly. "It sounds dangerous."
Renn took the contract anyway. "Danger pays better."
As The Gilded Fang moved off, Elyra leaned toward Kael. "That contract shouldn't be pending."
Kael frowned. "Why?"
"Because coordination implies intelligence," she said quietly. "And intelligence implies—"
"—something old," Nyx finished.
Silence settled between them.
Finally, the officer looked up again.
"The Grey Hunt."
All eyes turned.
Kael stepped forward.
The officer did not slide the contract across immediately. Instead, he studied Kael with open discomfort.
"This assignment," he said slowly, "was not meant for a probationary group."
Nyx raised an eyebrow. "Then don't give it to us."
The officer exhaled. "We were instructed to."
By whom was left unsaid.
He placed the parchment down.
Kael read.
And felt the warmth between his shoulders stir.
"Confirmed beast sighting," Kael read aloud. "Outside the Beast Continent."
The room went very still.
Borin leaned closer. "That's… not possible."
The officer's voice dropped. "That's what the map says."
Nyx tilted her head. "Where?"
"Northroad crossing," the officer replied. "Three days from here. Border town called Greyfen."
Elyra's grip tightened on her staff. "That's mainland."
"Yes," the officer said. "Which is why this is classified."
Kael scanned the details.
One beast.
Low-tier classification.
Three witnesses.
One survivor.
Last known report: Tracks leading into the forest. No sign of return to sea.
Kael looked up. "Why us?"
The officer hesitated again.
"Because," he said carefully, "you have no history yet."
Nyx snorted. "So if we die, it's clean."
The officer didn't deny it.
Borin's jaw clenched. "What kind of beast?"
The officer swallowed. "The witnesses described it as… familiar."
Kael felt the mark pulse faintly.
Serah Vale stood in the doorway now, unnoticed until she spoke.
"Take it," she said.
Kael turned. "You knew?"
Serah's expression was grim. "We all did."
Grend appeared beside her. "This is how it starts."
Elyra's voice was barely audible. "Starts what?"
Grend didn't answer.
Maelor entered last, her presence shutting down the room without effort.
"You wanted purpose," she said to The Grey Hunt. "Congratulations."
Her gaze hardened. "You leave immediately."
Nyx rolled her shoulders. "No celebration dinner?"
Maelor's mouth twitched. "Try to come back alive."
Outside, the gates of Blackhollow Keep opened once more.
Stonewake departed west.
The Ashbound headed south.
The Gilded Fang took the mountain road, Renn laughing as they disappeared from view.
The Grey Hunt stood alone for a moment longer.
Borin adjusted his pack. "First hunt. Mainland."
Elyra closed her eyes briefly. "The spirits are unsettled. They didn't expect this."
Nyx stepped onto the road. "Nothing dangerous ever does."
Kael looked ahead.
Beyond the hills, beyond the trade roads, beyond the lie of containment—
Something waited.
And it had already crossed the line.
"Let's go," Kael said.
The Grey Hunt turned north.
Toward Greyfen.
Toward something that should not exist.