The wind howled through the ruins, carrying the scent of blood and dust. Kael stood over Selis's still form, his hands clenched into fists. The Syndicate had taken her from him—again.
But they had made a mistake.
They had let him remember.
Kael's memories were still fragments—a face in the shadows, a voice guiding him through the darkness, the weight of an oath sworn long ago. But now, he knew one thing with absolute certainty.
Vaelin Dusk had the answers.
And Kael was going to find him.
Following the Trail
Kael searched the fallen assassins, looking for anything that could lead him to Vaelin. He knew the Syndicate wouldn't make it easy—but they had underestimated him before.
A small emblem on one of the attacker's cloaks caught his eye. A silver insignia, shaped like a crescent moon with a dagger through it.
Kael frowned. He had seen it before.
A memory surfaced—Vaelin standing before a towering fortress, that same emblem carved into the stone.
Kael exhaled sharply. "That's where he is."
The symbol belonged to the Obsidian Veil, an underground faction that operated in secrecy. If Vaelin was hiding, he would be with them.
Into the Storm
The journey wouldn't be easy. The Obsidian Veil did not welcome outsiders. And after what the Syndicate had done to him, Kael wasn't even sure if Vaelin would see him as an ally or a threat.
But that didn't matter.
Kael tightened the straps on his weapons and stepped into the night. His mission was clear.
Selis had given her life for this truth.
And Kael was going to finish what they started.