The tunnel went on, its walls coated with condensation. All they could hear was the soft splashing of their boots on the stone as Asher and Seraphine continued to move forward. The scent of earth and ancient magic hung thick in the air—this passage was probably older than the Guild and the Sovereign's Vault they'd built above it.
They had hardly survived, but they weren't empty-handed.
Struggling to remember all of what they had learned Asher clung tightly to the old black bound book. The Guild was just a cover. The Architects, selected by an omniscient force known as the Eternal Will, had manipulated the flow of reincarnation for countless generations.
And he — Asher — was one link in that cycle.
He hunched over and exhaled, as if to dissipate the whirlwind inside. It was too much, too fast. But there was no time to take it slow.
After a moment, Seraphine must have sensed his inner turmoil, for she broke the silence.
"So," she said, still breathless, "where the hell does this tunnel lead?"
Asher concentrated, reaching inward to his arcane senses. The vibe around them was old, but it wasn't dead — there were faint magical signatures left clinging to the walls.
"It doesn't connect back into the city," he said. "If anything, it's moving us away from it."
Seraphine's gaze darkened. "That's a good thing or a bad thing."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The burden of their discovery hung over them.
Finally, Seraphine sighed. "Alright, what's the plan? Because I don't think marching in on the Guild headquarters is going to get us a damn thing."
Asher let out a dry chuckle. "Not yet, at least."
She shot him a look. "You're not joking."
"I would never joke about breaking into high-security facilities," he said with a smirk. Then his demeanor shifted to one of seriousness. "We need time to figure this stuff out. We need help."
Seraphine raised an eyebrow. "Help? From who?"
Asher paused before responding. "The Black Dawn."
Seraphine stopped walking. "Are you insane?"
Asher turned to her. "You have a better idea?"
"The Black Dawn is a rebellious faction, Asher. "They're little more than criminals."
"They're the only ones fighting the Guild openly," he countered. "If anyone knows about the Architects, it's them."
Seraphine appeared unconvinced, though she didn't press the matter. Instead, she sighed. "Fine. How do you expect to contact them?"
Asher took a small silver pendant from his pocket. Engraved on its surface was the emblem of the Black Dawn—an insignia he himself had stolen from one of their slain in the distant past.
"They have a point of contact down in the Lower District of the city," he explained. "A tavern called The Hollow Fang. If we do show this, they'll know we're searching for them.'"
Seraphine crossed her arms. "And what if they think we're spies?"
Asher smirked. "Then we improvise."
She rolled her eyes. "Great. I love improvising."
They finally emerged from the tunnel shortly after midnight. The city skyline rose up in the distance, but rather than heading toward the main roads, they kept to the shadows, making their way toward the Lower District.
The Hollow Fang was an unassuming tavern crammed between two neglected buildings. It was cracked and faded, the once-vibrant lettering above the entrance still barely visible.
Inside, smoke filled the air along with the aroma of cheap liquor. Its patrons included mercenaries and thieves and racket men, people who had found a place among society's shadows.
As they stepped inside, Seraphine shot Asher a wary glance. "I just know this is a horrible idea."
"Relax," he muttered. "Just let me do the talking."
They walked up to the bar, where a gruff man with a scarred face was cleaning a glass. He skimmed his eyes over them with mild disinterest, but when Asher slapped the Black Dawn emblem onto the counter, his expression darkened.
"You're either really brave," the bartender said quietly, "or really dumb."
"A little of both," Asher said. "I'm here to speak with the Dawn."
The bartender looked at him for a beat then motioned toward the back door. "Go through there. Don't make me regret this."
Asher and Seraphine shared a glance then entered.
The back room was dim, and the air vibrated with quiet tension. Five armed figures waited — three men and two women. In the middle of the group was a silver-haired man, his discerning eyes landing on Asher as soon as they stepped in.
"You have ten seconds to tell me why you're here," he said coldly.
Asher didn't hesitate. "We have knowledge of the Architects."
That got their attention. One of the women, a rogue with black tattoos on her arms, squinted. "What do you know of the Architects?"
Asher dug into his satchel and withdrew the black-bound book. "This."
The eyes of the silver-haired leader flashed with recognition. "Where did you get that?"
"The Sovereign's Vault," Asher replied.
Silence weighed heavily in the room.
At that point, the leader's lips twisted into a slow, menacing smile.
"Alright," he said. "Now you have my attention."
For the next hour as Asher and Seraphine provided with all the details—everything they had uncovered in the Vault, the truth about the Eternal Will, and how the Architects helped maintain control over reincarnation.
When they were done, the room was deadly quiet.
At last, the silver-haired man broke the silence. "We always knew the Guild was corrupt," he said. "But this … this changes everything."
Seraphine frowned. "What do you mean?"
The man leaned forward. "The Architects are neither the audience to the cycle of reincarnation. They're trying to end it."
Asher's breath caught. "What?"
The man's face was tight. "There's a prophecy — one that the Architects fear. It speaks of one who will shatter the pattern and conclude their dominion." His piercing gaze fixated on Asher.
"And from everything you've said… that person might be you."
Seraphine inhaled sharply.
Asher gaped, his thoughts spinning. It all made sense now. The Guild, the Architects, the Eternal Will—they weren't merely steering the cycle. They were attempting to stop someone from smashing it.
And somehow Asher was there at the heart of it all.
The leader of Black Dawn, silver-haired, stood. "We'll help you," he said. "But know this — once you go down this path, there's no coming back. The Architects will stop at nothing to wipe you from existence."
Asher clenched his fists.
"And then we take the first step," he said.
The war had begun.