Chapter 6: The First Soldiers
Kaelen took the key from Vane’s belt—a heavy, brass-coded disk that smelled of ozone. He didn’t kill Vane. Not out of mercy, but because the System had a better use for him.
“I don’t need your life, Vane,” Kaelen said, his voice cold. “I need your service.”
[Quest Complete: The First Rite] [Reward: Shadow Soldier Summons unlocked.] [Unique Reward: Shadow Extraction.]
Kaelen felt a new power bloom in his chest. He reached out and touched Vane’s forehead. A wisp of black smoke pulled from Vane’s eyes, entering Kaelen’s palm.
Vane collapsed, unconscious but alive. But behind Kaelen, the shadows began to churn and bubble. Two figures rose from the floor. They were tall, armored in shifting plates of dark smoke, their faces hidden behind visors that glowed with a faint violet light.
[Shadow Soldiers: Rank 1 (Infantry) x2] [Names: Shadow-01, Shadow-02] [Loyalty: Absolute]
Kaelen looked at his new guards. They were silent, lethal, and entirely his. He felt a telepathic link to them; he could see what they saw, feel their readiness.
“Clean up the hub,” Kaelen commanded. “If the rest of the gang wants to stay, they serve me. If they run, let them.”
The two soldiers moved with terrifying efficiency. They didn’t walk; they blinked from shadow to shadow. Within minutes, the remaining Iron-Grip members were either fleeing into the night or kneeling in terror as the two silent sentinels stood over them.
Kaelen walked to the edge of the hub’s balcony. From here, he could see the “Lumen Veil”—the shimmering golden barrier that separated the Sinks from the Upper Districts. Above that veil lived the Sun-Kings, the people who treated the world below like a trash heap.
He looked at the brass key in his hand.
“They think they’re safe because they have the light,” Kaelen said, the violet glow in his eyes intensifying. “But the brighter the light, the deeper the shadows they cast.”
He turned to his soldiers. “Prepare. Tomorrow, we go up.”
[System Update] Rank Up: Shadow Scion (Grade 2) New Skill Unlocked: Shadow Exchange (Swap places with a Shadow Soldier instantly). Next Objective: Infiltrate the Mid-City Academy.
