The lanterns' flickering light cast eerie shadows on the faces of the men at the rough wooden table, dancing across their features like ghosts. The scent of damp stone and yellowed parchment clung to the air, a bitter reminder of the heat of battle they had narrowly escaped.
Asher craned forward, his silver gaze intent as he examined the map Ardyn had laid out across the table between them. The Cathedral District. The heart of the city. The most secured section under the Guild's purview.
And the Architects' Nexus Gate built smack in its middle.
Seraphine sat to his left, bruised and blackened yet from the previous battle, but her fires did a soothing dance upon her fingers—a promising sign that she was recovering already.
Revik, as ever the strategist, sat with arms crossed, studying the map in front of them with his jaw set hard.
Ardyn, their spy, sat at the end of the table farthest from him, regarding them with his golden eye glinting.
Three weeks. That was how long they had.
Three weeks prior to the opening of the Nexus Gate.
Prior to the Architects rewriting reality itself.
"We need to have a plan," Asher said.
Revik blew through his nose. "It's not only impossible to infiltrate the Cathedral District. It's suicidal."
Ardyn smiled. "You'll enjoy to hear what I have to report after this, then." He pierced a portion of the map with his robotic fingers. "Security is double. The Guild's anticipating attack."
Seraphine swore softly. "Of course they would."
"They're coming quickly," Ardyn went on. "The construction on the Nexus Gate is ahead of schedule. At this pace, you don't have three weeks. You have two."
The words are a hammer.
Asher's fist clenched. Two weeks. Two weeks to ready himself, round up allies, and come up with a plan to get into the most secure fortress in the city.
And they were already outnumbered.
Revik drummed his fingers on the table. "Then we strike them before they anticipate that we will."
Ardyn frowned. "That's militant."
Asher leaned forward. "We don't have a choice. If we let them wait, they'll be too powerful. We must weaken their numbers now."
Seraphine smiled. "I like the sound of that."
Revik nodded. "Good. Then we concentrate on two things: disrupting their soldiers and getting inside."
Asher met his eye. "Then let's split and conquer."
They had their prey in The Arcane Vault—the heavily protected center where the Guild kept valuable magical relics, weapons, and, more critically, important blueprints.
They had to know the design of the Nexus Gate.
And they had to claim it tonight.
---
Within hours' time, Asher, Seraphine, and Revik huddled on a roof overlooking the Vault.
The city was still recovering from the previous explosion, and that only made the Guild's defenses stronger. Guards patrolled the perimeter, and arcane wards stretched along the walls.
Seraphine exhaled. "How are we getting in?"
Asher examined the plan. "We don't."
Revik glared at him. "Explain."
"We get them to open the door for us."
Seraphine's smile grew wider. "Oh, I'm loving this."
Asher drew out a minuscule vial from his jacket—a combination of shadowdust and void essence. An odd combination that, when set on fire, would produce a false anomaly that simulated the presence of a compromised Architect.
If the Guild thought an Architect was breaking in… they'd open the gates themselves.
Seraphine accepted the vial. "I take it I get to do the honors?"
Asher nodded. "You know what to do."
She smiled. "Stand back."
---
In moments of chaos erupted.
The simulated anomaly blazed to life just beyond the Vault walls, arcane alarms shrieking into darkness.
Guild enforcers poured out to respond, confusion filtering through their lines.
Then, as rehearsed, the reinforced doors of the Vault creaked open—and Asher, Revik, and Seraphine entered undetected.
Inside, the room was lined with great shelves filled with arcane devices, faintly radiating in the faint candlelight.
Revik didn't tarry. "We need blueprints. Fetch them fast."
Asher darted with haste, dashing over the shelves, yanking out drawers.
Then—he found it.
A bound leather tome entitled "Nexus Gate Schematics."
He snatched it just as faint cries rang in the room.
"They're on us," Seraphine snarled.
Revik pulled out his daggers. "Then let's go."
Asher jammed the blueprints into his jacket. "Exit plan?"
Seraphine smiled. "We create one."
She clicked her fingers—and flames burst from the shelves.
As the fire contacted the arcane devices, a chain reaction detonated throughout the Vault. Bombardments shook the walls.
Asher lifted his hands to the blast of heat as Seraphine laughed madly.
The fire alarms sounded, and the entire Vault sealed itself—opening only a single exit.
The main door.
Exactly where they needed to be.
Revik grinned. "Nice touch."
Seraphine grinned as well. "Thank you."
They ran.
Guild enforcers were advancing on them, but Asher manipulated the shadows, deflected the light upon them, created ghostly duplicates flying in every direction.
Revik dispatched an enforcer who ventured too near, and Seraphine released a blast of blistering heat, scattering their attackers.
They charged in through the front door, racing into the streets as the Vault exploded behind them.
They didn't stop until they reached a safe house in the depths of the Undermarket.
Asher tossed the blueprints on the table, panting.
Revik studied them. "This… this is it."
Seraphine sat down in a chair, smiling. "That went well."
Ardyn, who already held the seat, raised an eyebrow. "I guess the heist was a success?"
Asher smiled. "Very."
Ardyn took the blueprints, studying the pages. "With this, we may have a chance."
Revik folded his arms. "Then we begin making plans for the attack."
Asher nodded. The war for the city was begun.