Bridge crouched low beside his new contract—a sleek, dark-furred wolf whose eyes glowed faintly in the night. The wolf’s breath stead in the cool air, its muscles taut and surrounded by dark-attribute energy. This was Bridge’s latest contract, a Dark Howling. Since it was nocturnal, Bridge had been testing its conducting its training at night lately when movent caught his eye.
He saw Kain return with Malzahir and Jax. Only three figures. His brows furrowed. ’Strange. Kain said it was a minor errand. Then why take four people? And why did only two return?’ Suspicion pricked at him, but he pushed it down, rubbing the wolf’s fur. ’He’s my brother. He wouldn’t lie to . Right?’ Still, the thought gnawed at him, as did the unconscious feeling that the distance between himself and Kain had grown greater lately. A seed of doubt took root in the quiet of the night. He turned back to training, the wolf lunging at shadows with lethal grace.
--------------------
Morning light filtered into the manor. Kain sat alone in his study at the manor. Well, he wasn’t completely alone, the invisible Bea was there with him, giving a report.
"I sifted through more of her mind while she slept. The fragnts are consistent. At least, she believes every word she said. According to her, these ’Etherites’—which would include and even your other contracts—have a real connection to the Abyss. In her mind, they—WE— unconsciously emit a call, a resonance, sothing that draws the Abyss closer."
Kain’s jaw clenched. He looked at his hand, flexing it slowly. "So it’s true. Every step forward I take makes this world more visible to the Abyss." His tone was low, dangerous. "But it’s too late to stop. It’s already here, and slowing my own growth would just make my chances of death greater."
"Then you must accelerate," Bea urged softly. "Strengthen yourself. Strengthen others. That’s the only way forward."
A knock on the door rang out, as if on cue. With affirmation from Kain, Darius entered, trading shifts with Jax and Malzahir. He gave a report—Airalai was stable, the parasite already sapping her aura, her skin paling, her breath shallow but in no danger of dying. Just incredibly weak. Whether he did it consciously or not, Kain noted that Darius’ mannerisms were even more careful, respectful, and subdued around Kain than usual. Clearly Jax had spoken with him about what Kain had revealed.
"Good," Kain replied. "That buys us ti." He leaned forward, lowering his voice. "I’m accelerating our plans. Recruitnt begins now. You’ll oversee it."
Darius blinked, then nodded. "Rules?"
Kain laid them out with precision. "Strict requirents. Loyalty and potential confird before initiation. Before undergoing the ceremony, they complete missions for us. They earn points. Even after awakening, the point system continues. They never learn I lead this unless they reach the highest tier. Malzahir will handle carving the arrays for the ceremony when needed. He has so experience drawing sigils from his tribe."
Darius’s eyes sharpened. "Understood. I have so acquaintances I think would be a good fit, but I’m assuming the scale you’re imagining would soon exceed the number of people I can personally vouch for. Any selection criteria?"
"Yes. Older individuals who are physically fit. People too young aren’t ideal—they still think they have ti, still cling to the hope of awakening the traditional way. The desperation and gratitude I need won’t be there. Most in their twenties haven’t yet used up all three of their official attempts." Everyone in the Empire had 3 tries to try and awaken as a beast tar, after that the burden on the soul is too great and their soul would collapse with the fourth attempt. "The odds drop to almost nothing after each repeated attempt, but hope lingers until the third is gone. The ones who’ve failed all three tis and still burn for power—whether for revenge, ambition, survival—those are the ones who will give full loyalty. They’ll have no one else to turn to, and they’ll know who gave them strength."
Darius considered his words carefully before replying. "That makes sense. The desperate will cling tighter than the hopeful. And if they’re already hardened by failure, they’ll value the second chance you give them even more. I’ll start thinking about candidates who fit that profile."
"Good," Kain said. "Keep it quiet. No mistakes. The last thing we need is for rumours to get out about unawakened people suddenly becoming beast tars in mass numbers. Then we’d draw the attention of not only the Black Dawn but the entire Empire."
anwhile, in a cell on the other side of Dark Moon City, Airalai’s condition stabilized. Although she was still clearly under imnse strain.
Under Jax and Malzahir’s watch, the shifts now switched, she stirred restlessly throughout the day. Her body shivered compulsively, her aura flickering weakly. Sweat slicked her skin. When she tried to summon strength, spasms wracked her fra, the parasite tightening its grip. Once, her eyes fluttered open, filled with venom and fear, but no strength left to hurl words. Malzahir only watched, arms crossed.
"She looks pitiful," Jax murmured.
But Malzahir had no sympathy, and his voice was laced with suspicion. "Pitiful things can still bite."
Jax simply nodded. "That’s why we watch in pairs."
--------------------
Elsewhere in the city, a different conversation brewed. In a darkened chamber lit only by a blood-hued lantern, Black Dawn operatives gathered around a cloaked figure. The beacon had gone silent. Murmurs filled the room, tension thick.
The cloaked figure raised a hand, silencing them. "She’s been compromised." His voice was calm, authoritative. "The Bishop predicted setbacks. But this... this demands escalation."
From the shadows stepped another figure, armored lightly, a curved blade resting against his shoulder. His eyes glead with anticipation. A Knight-class operative.
"You will go," the cloaked figure said. "Into Dark Moon territory. Find her. Recover her, or silence her. Either outco serves us."
The Knight bowed slightly, a smile tugging at his lips. "As you command."
The lantern flickered, shadows deepening and the bowing figure disappeared in the next second.
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