The ruins of the Ashborn Cathedral breathed with life at night. Flames flickered in iron sconces, casting wild shadows over the broken stained-glass walls. Warriors trained in silence. Messengers whispered in the dark. And in the depths of the sanctuary, Azael Virex trained like a man possessed.
Maerith watched from above, arms folded, embers flickering in her braids. "He learns fast."
Selene stood beside her, unimpressed. "He has no choice. Every hour we spend here, the Accord regroups. They won't stop."
Maerith's gaze darkened. "Neither will we."
Below them, Azael broke through a training illusion—a monstrous chimera of blood and bone—shattering its form with a burst of crimson energy from his palm. His chest heaved with exhaustion, sweat mingling with streaks of blood.
Selene leapt down to him. "You're overextending. You need to—"
"Push harder," Azael interrupted, standing. "I need more."
"You need control," she snapped.
He didn't answer.
---
Later that night, Maerith summoned him to the Flameheart Chamber—an underground sanctum deep beneath the cathedral. It pulsed with bloodfire, walls inscribed with ancient runes. A table stood in the center, maps and relics strewn across it.
"We've found something," Maerith said, pointing to a charred scroll. "A weapon tied to the original Virex throne. A relic known as the Crimson Seal. It's said to bind all blood oaths and break them. Your mother was searching for it before her death."
Azael leaned closer. "Where is it?"
"In the Dreadspire Crypt. Off-limits to all factions. Guarded by curses, illusions, and the remains of the Old Blood."
"Sounds welcoming," he said. "When do we leave?"
Maerith glanced at Selene. "At dawn."
Selene looked uneasy. "We're being watched."
Maerith narrowed her eyes. "Explain."
"Tonight, near the eastern watchtower, I found a sigil—Accord magic. They've infiltrated someone inside."
Azael clenched his fists. "A traitor?"
Maerith turned toward the shadows. "We'll root them out. Quietly. I won't let this rebellion rot from within."
---
The next morning, the expedition left before first light. Azael, Selene, and two Ashborn warriors—Kira and Venn—rode stealth gliders across the wastelands. Their destination: the forgotten Dreadspire, a towering spire of black stone coiled in vines and shadow.
As they approached, the air grew cold. Heavy. Like the world held its breath.
"Stay close," Selene warned.
The crypt's entrance was hidden beneath the spire—sealed with Virex blood. Azael pressed his hand against the stone. It drank from him like a vampire, glowing red before parting.
Inside, they found a tomb unlike any other. Hallways shifted behind them. Ghosts walked without form. Voices whispered promises of power, betrayal, and truth.
They descended for hours.
Finally, in the heart of the crypt, they found it: a pedestal wrapped in chains of bloodsteel. Upon it rested a black dagger etched in red flame—the Crimson Seal.
Azael reached for it.
The moment he touched the dagger, a vision tore through him—
His mother, screaming.
Fire.
A masked man standing over her.
A hand dripping with his blood.
Then, silence.
He collapsed.
Selene caught him. "Azael! Are you—"
"I saw her," he whispered. "She didn't die by chance. She was betrayed. By someone close."
Kira stepped forward, eyes wide. "We need to leave. Now."
But Venn stayed still.
Too still.
Selene noticed it first. "Venn... what are you doing?"
He smiled slowly, lips pulling back to reveal black fangs.
"Completing my mission."
He drew a blade of red mercury and lunged.
Selene met him mid-strike.
Steel clashed. Sparks flew. Kira screamed. Azael, still weak from the vision, forced himself up, gripping the Crimson Seal dagger.
The moment he raised it, Venn froze, eyes wide in terror.
"That's impossible," Venn hissed. "You shouldn't be able to—"
Azael drove the dagger into the ground. A pulse of energy exploded outward, slamming Venn into the crypt wall. Blood splattered. Bones cracked.
Selene stared. "What did you do?"
"I broke his oath," Azael said, breathing hard. "The dagger—it can sever their power."
Maerith's voice echoed from a comm-crystal. "The cathedral's under attack. Accord forces are here. We've been betrayed on all fronts."
Azael stood, fire in his eyes.
"Then it's time we stop hiding."
Stay tuned..