The city didn't sleep anymore.
Since the night the Hunters attacked, the air of Veylor had changed. Streets were quieter, conversations shorter, eyes more suspicious. Everyone felt it — like the sky itself was waiting for something terrible to happen.
And Kael could feel it too.
The Mark on his chest pulsed every few hours now, like it had a heartbeat of its own.
He hated that feeling.
It reminded him that he wasn't just a man anymore.
He was something else.
Something the noble houses feared.
Something the Eclipse wanted.
Lyra walked ahead of him through the abandoned warehouse district, her boots crunching against broken stone. She didn't speak at first. That was unusual for her. Normally she had a sarcastic comment ready before Kael even opened his mouth.
Tonight she was… quiet.
Kael followed, staying alert. Every sound felt sharper, like the world was speaking in whispers he wasn't supposed to hear.
Finally Lyra stopped near a stack of rusted crates and turned to him.
"We can't stay here anymore," she said simply.
Kael nodded. "I felt it too."
"You felt it because your Mark is acting up." She crossed her arms. "These pulses mean the Eclipse is accelerating. Something is stirring in the noble houses. Someone is pushing for a power shift."
"Someone like him," Kael said.
He didn't need to say the name.
The Betrayer.
Lyra's expression tightened. "Yes. Him."
Kael looked at her—really looked. Even in the dim moonlight, she looked exhausted. Her hair was slightly messy, a strand falling over her face. But her eyes… they held too many stories.
Too many wounds she never talked about.
"We need to plan," he said quietly.
"We do," she agreed. "But planning won't matter if the noble houses are already moving pieces behind the scenes."
Kael stepped closer. "Then we make our own move before theirs."
Her eyes softened for a second. "And how exactly do you plan on outplaying dozens of nobles, generals, and mages with centuries of experience?"
Kael smiled faintly.
A calm, dangerous smile that Lyra was slowly getting used to.
"By playing a game they don't expect."
Inside the Noble Court
In the upper district, golden torches burned through the night as the twenty-two noble houses gathered in the grand hall of the Eclipse Court.
House banners—scarlet, silver, emerald, obsidian—hung from the high ceilings. Magic sigils glowed dimly on the walls.
And at the center sat the one man Kael hated more than anyone.
The Betrayer.
Regal robes. Soft smile. Cold eyes.
His voice echoed across the room.
"The Shadow Eclipse is awakening earlier than predicted. And the Mark-bearer has resurfaced."
Whispers rippled through the hall.
A tall noble from House Serradin spoke, "You saw him yourself? And he survived your fire seals?"
"Yes," the Betrayer replied calmly. "Which means his Mark is evolving."
Another lord asked, "Should we eliminate him before he gets out of control?"
The Betrayer paused — then his expression shifted, a calm, sharp smile growing on his face.
"No," he said softly.
"We should capture him."
The nobles murmured again.
"He is no longer the Kael you once knew," the Betrayer continued. "He is unstable, unpredictable, and now… valuable."
He leaned forward.
"Send the assassins of House Veyl. Quietly. Bring the boy alive."
Back in the warehouse
Lyra sat cross-legged on the floor, drawing glowing runes in the air with her fingers. Light trailed behind her movements like silver smoke.
Kael watched her silently.
He was used to seeing mages cast spells, but Lyra was different. When she used magic, it felt like the world stopped to listen.
"You're staring again," she said without looking up.
Kael smirked. "Maybe I like watching you work."
She gave him a sideways look. "You sound like a flirt when you're tired."
"I'm being honest," he said.
Her ears turned slightly red. She quickly masked it. "Focus. We have a problem."
She tapped the rune. It flickered, then exploded into a map of the city made of floating light.
Red dots surrounded their location.
"These are noble scouts," Lyra said. "They've expanded their patrol zones. They're searching for someone."
"Me."
"Yes. You."
Kael stepped closer to the projection. "Then we need to go underground."
Lyra blinked. "You want to use the under-network?"
"It's the safest route. The nobles won't look there. Too many thieves. Too many secrets."
Lyra sighed. "Fine. But before that…"
Her expression turned serious.
"There's something you need to know."
Kael tensed. "What is it?"
She hesitated — something she rarely did.
Then she slowly pulled down the collar of her cloak.
A faint crescent-shaped scar glowed on her collarbone.
Kael froze.
"That's—"
"Yes," she interrupted quietly. "It's a mark from the Eclipse. A different one from yours. Mine is older."
Kael's mind raced. "How?"
Lyra exhaled slowly. "When I was nine, my village was hit by a partial Eclipse surge. Everyone there fell sick. Everyone except me."
"Why you?"
"I never knew. But I've been connected to the Eclipse longer than you realize. And now…"
She looked him in the eyes.
"…our Marks are reacting to each other."
Kael felt a chill run down his spine.
"Why tell me this now?" he asked.
"Because if your Mark evolves too fast, you could lose yourself." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "And if that happens… I might be the only one who can pull you back."
Kael stared at her.
This was the closest she had ever come to admitting she cared.
Not about the mission.
About him.
He took a small step closer. "Lyra—"
A sudden tremor shook the ground.
Both turned sharply.
The warehouse windows shattered inward as a gust of black wind swept through the room.
Lyra's eyes widened. "No… They found us."
Half a dozen shadows dropped from the ceiling, landing with barely a sound. Their eyes glowed a chilling ice-blue.
House Veyl assassins.
Each one carried a thin, curved blade made of enchanted steel.
Kael instinctively moved in front of Lyra.
The assassins bowed their heads slightly — not to show respect, but warning.
"Kael Arden," the leader spoke, voice calm and emotionless.
"By decree of the Eclipse Court, you are ordered to surrender."
Kael drew his blade, the Mark burning beneath his skin.
Lyra raised her staff beside him, magic crackling like static around her.
"No running now," Kael murmured.
Lyra smirked faintly. "Good. I was getting bored."
The assassins stepped forward in perfect formation.
Kael's heartbeat synced with the pulsing of his Mark.
One thought echoed in his mind.
If I lose control here… she dies.
He tightened his grip.
"Lyra," he whispered, "stay behind me when my Mark activates."
"Who says I need protection?" she snapped.
"Because I care," Kael said.
She went still for half a second — just long enough.
Then—
The assassins lunged.
Kael's Mark flared black and silver.
Lyra unleashed a shockwave of arcane force.
The warehouse exploded into chaos.
Cliffhanger End
As the dust settled, Kael looked up — only to see a far worse sight:
An entire platoon of armored soldiers marching down the street, bearing the banner of House Serradin, one of the strongest noble families.
They surrounded the warehouse on all sides.
A voice boomed through a mana-amplified horn:
"KAEL ARDEN. BY ORDER OF THE NOBLE COUNCIL, YOU ARE TO BE CAPTURED ALIVE. IF YOU RESIST…"
The soldier's visor glowed red.
"…WE WILL BURN THE ENTIRE DISTRICT."
Kael's Mark throbbed violently.
Lyra whispered, "Kael… we're surrounded."
Kael grit his teeth.
"I noticed."