Mia sat in the darkness of the dungeon, her back against the cold stone wall. The iron cuffs around her wrists bit into her skin, and the faint drip of water echoed in the cavernous cell. She'd been here for hours—maybe a day—since Kael had locked her up after her refusal to kill the barmaid. Her defiance had cost her, but she didn't regret it. She couldn't become the monster Kael wanted her to be, no matter the consequences.
Her system interface glowed faintly in her vision:
*Shadow Points: 510*
*Skills: Shadow Veil (Level 1), Enhanced Agility (Level 1), Poison Blade (Level 1), Shadow Step (Level 1)*
*Available Upgrades: Shadow Bind (600 Points) – Immobilize enemies for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 60 seconds.*
The mission to eliminate the witness had failed when she'd refused Kael's order, but surprisingly, the system hadn't terminated her. Instead, it had gone silent, leaving her to stew in the dungeon with her thoughts. The timer for her original mission—kill Lord Varen—was still ticking down, now at 23:30:12. She was running out of time, and Kael's wrath was the least of her worries.
The dungeon was deep beneath Kael's underground lair, its air thick with the scent of mold and despair. The walls were carved with faint, glowing runes, their light too dim to see by. But Mia's eyes had adjusted, and she noticed something else—scratch marks, like the ones in the tunnel where she'd fought the shadow beast. These were different, though. They formed patterns, almost like writing.
She shifted closer, her cuffs clinking softly, and traced the marks with her fingers. They weren't random. They were symbols, ancient and intricate, depicting figures with halos and chains. One image showed a man wielding shadows, his form wreathed in darkness, while another showed a towering figure—a god, maybe—striking him down. The story was clear: someone had defied the gods and paid the price.
Mia's heart raced. Kael had mentioned the gods—his rebellion was against them, not just the royal family. The Voidheart, the artifact she'd stolen, was part of that plan. But what did it have to do with her? She wasn't from Eryndor—she was an anomaly, a reincarnated soul. Did the gods know about her? Was that why the priest in the palace was hunting "anomalies"?
The system chimed, startling her:
*Objective Update: Investigate the Dungeon Carvings. Reward: 50 Shadow Points.*
"Finally," Mia muttered, focusing on the carvings. The system seemed to know more than it let on, guiding her toward answers. She used Shadow Step to teleport to the other side of the cell, her cuffs' chain just long enough to let her move. The skill's short-range teleportation was a lifesaver in the cramped space, letting her examine the walls more closely.
The carvings told a story of Eryndor's creation. The gods—seven of them, each with a halo of light—had forged the world, binding its inhabitants to a "script." Mortals were pawns, their fates predetermined, their lives a play for the gods' amusement. But one mortal, a shadow wielder, had rebelled, using a forbidden power to challenge the script. The gods had struck him down, imprisoning his soul in the Voidheart—a shard of pure darkness.
Mia's breath caught. The Voidheart. Kael had called it a key to power the gods feared. Was he trying to free the shadow wielder? Or harness its power for himself? Either way, the gods wouldn't let that happen—not if they controlled everything.
Footsteps echoed in the corridor outside her cell, and Mia tensed, teleporting back to her original spot with Shadow Step. The door creaked open, and Kael stepped inside, his crimson cloak pooling around him like blood. The violet glow of the cavern's crystals reflected in his storm-gray eyes, and for a moment, he looked almost… regretful.
"You're still alive," he said, his voice soft. "I wasn't sure you would be."
Mia glared at him, her wrists aching from the cuffs. "No thanks to you," she snapped. "What do you want? Come to finish me off?"
Kael's lips twitched, but the smirk didn't reach his eyes. "Not yet," he said. He stepped closer, crouching in front of her, and she noticed the Voidheart shard in his hand, its light pulsing faintly. "You defied me, little shadow. That's a dangerous habit. But I can't help wondering… why?"
Mia's heart pounded, but she held his gaze. "Because I'm not a monster," she said. "That barmaid didn't deserve to die. I won't kill innocent people just because you tell me to."
Kael tilted his head, studying her. "Innocent?" he said, his voice low. "No one in Eryndor is innocent. Not the barmaid, not the nobles, not even me. We're all pawns in the gods' game—slaves to their script." He held up the Voidheart shard, its light casting shadows across his face. "That's why I fight. To break the chains they've put on us."
Mia's mind flashed to the carvings. "The shadow wielder," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "The one who rebelled against the gods. That's what this is about, isn't it? You want to finish what he started."
Kael's eyes widened, just for a moment, before his expression hardened. "You've been busy," he said, glancing at the carvings on the wall. "Yes. The shadow wielder—my ancestor. The gods cursed him, trapped his soul in the Voidheart, and doomed my bloodline to serve as their enforcers. I was born to be their pawn, just like you were born to be mine." He leaned closer, his voice a growl. "But I won't let them win."
Mia's breath caught. Kael's anger, his rebellion—it wasn't just about power. It was personal. "I'm not your pawn," she said, her voice trembling. "I'm not from Eryndor. I don't belong to your gods' script."
Kael froze, his gaze piercing. "What did you say?"
Mia hesitated, but the system's warning from before—Deception failure risk: 80%—flashed in her mind. She couldn't lie anymore. Not to him. "I'm from another world," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I died, and I woke up here, in this body. I don't know why, but I'm not part of your story."
For a long moment, Kael said nothing, his expression unreadable. Then he reached out, unlocking her cuffs with a wave of his hand. The iron fell away, and Mia rubbed her wrists, staring at him in confusion. "Why?" she asked.
"Because you're like me," Kael said, his voice softer now. "An anomaly. A glitch in the gods' script. That's why you survived the Voidheart's curse—because you're not bound by their rules." He stood, offering her a hand. "I need you, Mia. More than I thought."
Mia took his hand, her heart racing as he pulled her to her feet. His touch was warm, steady, and for the first time, she saw something in his eyes—hope. The system chimed:
*Mission Complete: Gain Kael Draven's Trust. Reward: 500 Shadow Points.*
*Total Shadow Points: 1060.*
*Skill Unlocked: Shadow Bind (Level 1) – Immobilize enemies for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 60 seconds.*
She barely registered the reward, her mind spinning. Kael trusted her now, but that trust came with a price. "What do you need me for?" she asked, her voice steady despite the storm in her chest.
Kael's smirk returned, but there was a fire in his eyes. "The royal palace," he said. "The final Voidheart shard is there, guarded by a priest who serves the gods. He's hunting anomalies—like you. We'll steal the shard, together."
The system chimed:
*New Mission: Infiltrate the Royal Palace. Reward: 250 Shadow Points.*
*Warning: The priest can detect reincarnators. Survival probability: 15%.*
Mia's stomach dropped. The palace. The priest. She was walking into a trap, and Kael knew it. But she saw the determination in his eyes, the same defiance she felt in her own heart. If they were both anomalies, maybe they could defy the gods together.
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*To be continued…*