The Failed One fell to one knee.
Void leaked from the fractures in its form—burning mist that hissed as it touched the ground. Kieran stood a dozen paces away, chest rising slowly, blade lowered but ready.
Neither spoke.
They didn't have to.
The battle was over.
But the war had just begun.
The Observer Revealed
A soft clap echoed from the archway above the chamber.
Slow, deliberate.
Kieran snapped his gaze up—eyes narrowing.
There, leaning against a shattered pillar, was a man cloaked in dark green robes with a silver clasp shaped like a coiled serpent.
"Impressive," the man said, smiling. "Your mother would've wept."
Kieran raised his blade.
"Who are you?"
The man chuckled. "A historian. A traitor. A man who once called Sylas Veyron his master."
He stepped into the torchlight.
Dark bronze skin. Short, graying hair. And eyes too tired to lie.
"My name is Thale Myrin. I served as Veyron's chronicler. I recorded every purge, every order, every death he demanded."
Kieran's grip tightened.
"Then you helped destroy my family."
Thale nodded once. "Yes. And now I help destroy him."
A Glimpse of Truth
Before Kieran could respond, Thale raised a finger.
"He's still alive. Sylas. Hiding beneath a name that no longer exists. And your father—" he hesitated, "—your father tried to stop him. He failed. But he's not dead."
Kieran stepped forward.
"Where is he?"
But Thale was already walking away.
"Find the mark on the southern gate of Eldoria. Burn it with your blood. Then listen."
And like a smoke, the man was gone.
The Ambush
Kieran turned back toward the Failed One—only to find the chamber empty. Not even a trace of shadow remained.
He exhaled.
Then—click.
A blade scraped stone behind him.
He spun.
Ten figures surrounded him, black-clad, blades gleaming.
"Target acquired," one said. "Do not kill. Break him."
Kieran smiled coldly.
"You should've brought eleven."
Apprentice Blood
They moved fast—twin daggers, smoke bombs, synchronized strikes.
But they were young.
Sloppy.
Unprepared for Silence Slash.
Kieran cut through two before the others realized what happened. Another fell to a parry and an elbow to the throat.
Five heartbeats later, the chamber was quiet again.
Only one assassin remained—paralyzed, weapon trembling.
"Who sent you?" Kieran asked.
The boy stammered. "N-no house crest… just gold… we were paid… not told..."
Kieran let him live.
Barely.
Aftermath
Alone again, Kieran sat against the wall, bloodied and silent.
"Thale Myrin," he muttered. "Father alive. Sylas hiding."
He looked to his palm—the Voidborne mark pulsing faintly.
"The gate… Eldoria…"