Cold wind swept through the ruined streets of the Old Quarter.
Pieces of broken wood and dust rolled across the ground as the night slowly deepened. Most of the buildings here were nothing more than hollow skeletons left behind after the great fire years ago.
Inside one of those broken houses, Kael Draven sat on the cracked floor.
His breathing was still heavy.
The battle with the Night Hunter—Varek—had ended only a few minutes ago, but the exhaustion remained. Every muscle in his body ached, and his mind felt like it had been stretched too far.
Yet despite the pain, Kael's eyes were fixed on the shadows surrounding him.
They moved differently now.
Before tonight, the darkness had simply obeyed his commands.
But now…
It felt alive.
The moment the shadow creature had formed earlier, something inside him had changed.
He could still remember the glowing eyes of the creature.
The weight of its presence.
The way the hunter had looked shocked.
Kael slowly clenched his fist.
The shadows gathered around his fingers instantly.
"I need to understand this."
If the Black Council was sending hunters like Varek…
Then running blindly would only get him killed.
Kael closed his eyes and focused.
The darkness around him responded immediately.
Wisps of shadow rose from the floor like thin streams of smoke.
He imagined the creature again.
The massive shape.
The glowing eyes.
The claws made of darkness.
The shadows trembled.
But before they could fully form—
A faint noise came from outside.
Kael's eyes snapped open.
Footsteps.
Soft.
Careful.
Someone was approaching again.
Kael immediately stood up.
The shadows around him spread across the room like a living tide.
Whoever it was…
They were not trying to hide poorly.
Which meant they were either confident…
Or extremely skilled.
A shadow moved across the broken doorway.
Then a familiar voice spoke.
"Relax."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
The silver-eyed woman stepped into the ruined house.
Moonlight fell across her cloak as she walked inside.
"You again."
Kael kept his guard up.
The shadows around his feet remained active.
"You followed me."
The woman tilted her head slightly.
"More like I came to check if you survived."
Her eyes moved across the destroyed room.
The broken wall.
The cracks in the stone floor.
Then her gaze returned to Kael.
"So it's true."
"You fought a Night Hunter."
Kael frowned.
"You knew he was coming?"
She shrugged slightly.
"It was obvious."
"The moment the artifact awakened, the Black Council would send hunters."
She stepped closer, studying him carefully.
"And yet…"
"You're still alive."
Kael crossed his arms.
"Barely."
For a moment, silence filled the ruined house.
Then Kael asked the question that had been bothering him.
"Who are you?"
The woman looked at him for several seconds.
Then she smiled faintly.
"My name is Lyra."
Kael repeated it quietly.
"Lyra…"
"Just Lyra," she said.
"No family name."
That alone told Kael a lot.
In cities like Blackridge, people without family names usually came from two places.
The streets.
Or secret organizations.
Lyra walked toward the broken window.
Her silver eyes scanned the empty street outside.
"The Black Council won't stop with one hunter."
Kael already suspected that.
"So what?"
"You came here to warn me?"
Lyra looked back at him.
"No."
"I came to see something."
Her gaze moved toward the shadows swirling around Kael.
"That creature you summoned earlier."
Kael blinked.
"You saw it?"
Lyra nodded.
"From the rooftops."
Kael felt slightly annoyed.
"So you were just watching?"
Lyra shrugged again.
"I wanted to see how strong the Shadow Sovereign really was."
Kael sighed.
"Not very strong yet."
Lyra chuckled softly.
"That's obvious."
Then her expression turned serious.
"But the potential…"
She looked directly into his eyes.
"…is terrifying."
Kael leaned against the wall.
"So what now?"
Lyra walked back toward the center of the room.
Her boots made almost no sound against the floor.
"That depends on you."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Meaning?"
Lyra stopped in front of him.
"You have two choices."
"First option."
"You keep running."
"The hunters eventually catch you."
"And the Black Council takes the artifact."
Kael nodded slowly.
"Not a great option."
Lyra continued.
"Second option…"
She pointed at the shadows around him.
"You learn how to use that power properly."
Kael frowned slightly.
"And how exactly do I do that?"
Lyra smiled again.
"That's the interesting part."
She crouched near the ground.
Her fingers touched the stone floor where the shadow creature had formed earlier.
"The power you used tonight…"
She looked back at him.
"That wasn't just shadow manipulation."
"It was the beginning of a shadow pact."
Kael tilted his head.
"A pact?"
Lyra nodded.
"The Shadow Sovereign doesn't just control shadows."
"He commands them."
"The stronger the bond…"
"The stronger the creatures you can summon."
Kael thought about the glowing-eyed creature again.
"So that thing…"
Lyra finished the sentence.
"…was only the first step."
Kael stared at the darkness around his hands.
A strange excitement began growing in his chest.
"You're saying I can summon more?"
Lyra stood up again.
"Much more."
"But not yet."
Kael sighed.
"Why not?"
Lyra pointed at his trembling hands.
"Because you nearly collapsed after summoning just one."
Kael couldn't deny that.
His body still felt drained.
Lyra crossed her arms.
"If you try to force more power now…"
"You'll either pass out…"
"Or die."
Kael rubbed the back of his neck.
"Great."
Lyra suddenly turned toward the street again.
Her expression became serious.
"They're coming."
Kael froze.
"Already?"
Lyra nodded.
"I can feel them."
Multiple footsteps echoed faintly from the distance.
Not random.
Organized.
Kael stepped toward the window.
Three figures appeared at the end of the street.
All wearing the same dark coats as Varek.
Lyra spoke quietly.
"More Night Hunters."
Kael clenched his fists.
"That was fast."
Lyra looked at him.
"You still want to run?"
Kael stared at the approaching hunters.
Then slowly shook his head.
"No."
Lyra raised an eyebrow.
"You sure about that?"
Kael smiled faintly.
"For the first time in my life…"
The shadows around him began rising again.
"…I think I might actually have a chance."
The hunters stopped in the middle of the street.
One of them spoke loudly.
"Kael Draven."
Kael stepped into the doorway.
The darkness behind him moved like a living storm.
"I'm guessing you're here for the ring."
The hunter nodded.
"And for you."
Kael cracked his knuckles.
"Then come take it."
Behind him, the shadows began forming again.
Slowly.
Powerfully.
And this time…
They were not forming just one creature.
But several.