Ethan crouched low beneath the rusted iron grate. His breath curled in thin white tendrils beneath the damp chill of the tunnel. Cold moisture dripped steadily from the jagged stone ceiling, the faint sound echoing down the narrow corridor.Kael crouched beside him, his dark cloak blending into the shadows. His eyes were sharp beneath the dim flicker of Ethan’s torchlight. His hands rested lightly on the hilts of his daggers.Lyra stood behind them, her back pressed lazily against the rough stone wall. Her crimson hair was tied back loosely, thin strands sticking to her damp skin. The soft green glow of her eyes gleamed faintly beneath the low light. Her dagger spun lazily between her fingers."Three guards at the entrance," Kael said quietly.Ethan’s gaze sharpened. "Armed?"Kael’s head tilted slightly. "Swords. Light armor."Lyra’s mouth curved faintly. "Easy."Ethan’s gaze slid toward the heavy iron door at the far end of the corridor. Faint blue light pulsed beneath the cracks in

The chained prisoner’s pale blue eyes gleamed faintly beneath the thin blue light that pulsed from the broken core of the dead creature.The soft hum of the System’s pressure curled beneath Ethan’s skin as he stood over the creature’s broken body. Blood pooled beneath the dark mass of bone and sinew — deep red, almost black beneath the thin glow of torchlight.Ethan’s dagger still dripped dark blood as he turned toward the prisoner. His breath was sharp and steady, the heat of the fight already fading from his veins. His muscles remained tense beneath the thin weight of the System’s pulse.Kael crouched beside the creature’s body, his dark gaze sharp beneath the dim light. His daggers were still drawn — steady in his hands. Blood streaked the edge of his cloak, but his breathing was calm. Controlled.Lyra stood leaning against the stone wall, her dagger twirling lazily between her fingers. Her crimson hair clung to her pale skin, thin strands falling loose across her face. Her sharp g

The room fell silent.Ethan stood at the edge of the throne hall, the last of the Guildmaster’s assassins bleeding out at his feet. Smoke from torches twisted in thin gray ribbons toward the cracked stone ceiling. The carved blade insignia of the Guild hung behind the throne like a looming threat — faded silver on deep black.The Guildmaster hadn’t moved.His pale green eyes watched Ethan with a predator’s calm. The silver streaks in his dark hair caught the light, but his expression didn’t change. His black cloak hung still over one shoulder, hiding the hilt of the curved sword at his hip.Kael stepped in beside Ethan, his boots echoing softly on the blood-slick floor. His eyes were locked on the Guildmaster’s hands.Lyra crouched near the nearest body, wiping blood from her dagger on the dead man’s cloak with casual ease. Her eyes gleamed in the torchlight as she looked toward the throne."You came in swinging," the Guildmaster said quietly. "I suppose I should be flattered.""You s

The Eastwatch brothels glittered like dying stars.Red lanterns hung low over narrow alleys, casting flickering shadows across sweat-stained walls. Perfume, wine, and blood all clung to the same sticky air. Music drifted faintly — hollow flutes and off-key strings — masking the whispers and screams in the rooms behind closed curtains.Lyra moved like smoke through the crowd.She was dressed in silk now, all deep red and gold, a slit riding high up one leg, a dagger sheathed against her bare thigh. Her face bore a velvet mask, but her smile was all teeth.[System Interface: Linked – Guild Captain Elimination in Progress]Target: Sarn VoxLocation: The Crimson Lantern, EastwatchStatus: Paranoid | Drunk | Surrounded by escorts and mercsShe slipped past a heavy-set guard at the door with nothing more than a wink and a whisper. He didn’t even look back.Inside, the Crimson Lantern was less a brothel and more a palace for the wicked. Every corner overflowed with noise — laughter, moans, m

Beneath Black Hollow, past the abandoned waterway and through the cracked aqueduct wall, the whisper-path opened like a throat cut into the earth.It was silent. Too silent. Not the kind where you can hear your own breath — the kind where you start to forget what breath sounds like.Ethan moved first.His dagger was drawn, but it wasn’t the blade he trusted — it was the System, humming just beneath the skin, highlighting every motion, every sound, every stone out of place.Behind him, Nara walked barefoot. Her steps didn’t echo. The sigils inked into her skin pulsed like faint, slow heartbeats — one red, one black, one pulsing to a rhythm no one else heard.Kael moved third. His breathing was calm. Focused. Calculated. Every step had purpose. Every glance had a weight.Lyra brought up the rear, flipping a silver coin between her fingers like they were walking into a tavern, not a noble vault heist.[System Alert: Whisper-Path Detected – Forbidden Construct]Type: Residual Thought Echo