Asher made his way through neon-saturated streets of the city as artificial lights buzzed all around him, his thoughts still racing from the Guild's exam.
Tension hung heavy in the air. The Hunter's Guild had classified him as an unclassified anomaly—which, basically, meant they didn't trust him. It was a clear warning from Seraphine. They were watching him.
And if they ever viewed him as a genuine threat…
They would eliminate him.
He needed information.
Not only to learn about his newfound powers, but to learn about the Guild itself — and the other people like him. The ones who had entered a Rift and emerged… different.
But the Guild wasn't going to provide him such answers.
Which meant he had to look for someone who would.
Asher's footsteps were muted as he veered down a narrow alley, abandoning the thronging streets. It had the sense that this part of the city was different. Darker. Unseen.
And it was precisely what he wanted.
The dungeon system did not just benefit freelancers. There were other groups—mercenaries, rogue awakeners, information brokers—that operated outside the Guild's sway.
And within those names, there was one spoken only in hushed tones.
The Shadow Guild.
The Shadow Guild, on the other hand, was a patchwork of individuals who flourished in the shadows and operated out of sight of the official Hunter's Guild. Dabbling in forbidden knowledge, black-market artifacts and, most crucially, information.
If anyone would be familiar with anomalies like him, it was them.
But finding them wasn't easy.
Fortunately, Asher wasn't just anyone.
He stepped farther into the alley, reaching a bare rusted-metal door. There was no sign, nothing to signal what was on the other side.
But Asher knew better.
He knocked once. Paused. Then tapped three more times, in a particular cadence.
For a long moment, nothing.
Then, the door creaked open.
A single golden eye looked through the hole, taking stock of him from top to bottom.
"You're either very brave," the voice behind the door muttered, "or very stupid."
Asher smirked. "A little of both."
He stepped through the door, into the low-lit corridor beyond.
There were no fine akis inside the Shadow Guild's hideout. It was a labyrinth of shadowy passageways, their lights feeble and flickering, all around whispers.
Asher trailed behind his guide — a figure in a hood with a metal arm — into the depths of the hideout.
They came to a door, and the guide opened it without saying a word.
She was behind a cluttered wooden desk inside, with floating holographic screens around her displaying names and Rift coordinates and black-market needs.
She had short silver hair, gold and black eyes that did not match, and a sharp, beautiful smile.
"You've got to be the Freelancer all the buzz is about," she mused. "Asher Vale."
Asher lounged in the doorframe. "News travels fast."
The woman chuckled. "It does if you collapse a Rift and make the Guild nervous." She indicated the seat in front of her. "Sit."
Asher didn't move. "Who are you?"
The woman smirked. "Call me Veyna. Information broker. Shadow Guild's second in command."
Asher's eyes sparkled with interest. If she was second-in-command, the leader was even more dangerous.
Veyna leaned forward, fingers steepled. "You're not here because you don't need something. So tell me, Vale… what are you searching for?"
Asher met her gaze. "I want to know about the Rifts. About people like me."
Veyna tilted her head. "Ah… so you've come to understand you're not the first anomaly.
Asher's jaw tightened. "You know something."
She smirked. "I know a lot of things. But information doesn't come free, Vale."
Asher expected that. "What's the price?"
Veyna's golden eye gleamed. "A job."
She touched one of the floating screens and a mission request whisked into view.
"Classified Retrieval Mission — Forbidden Rift."
Mission parameters: Recover an artifact lost in a Rift the Guild has deemed forbidden.
Asher's eyes narrowed. "What's inside this Rift?"
Veyna smiled. That's what makes it fun though, doesn't it?"
Asher exhaled. He didn't believe her — but he did want answers.
And this was the sole lead he would have.
"Fine," he said. "I'll do it."
Veyna's smile widened.
"Good choice."