Another Khan

"Who's there?" Aziz snapped, springing to his feet. His body instinctively shifted into a defensive stance, ready to slip into Wraith Walk. 

But as he tried to summon the shadows, the burning sensation of the Order Mark seared into his neck, disrupting the flow of his internal energy. He winced, his back pressing against the cold stone wall, eyes darting around the chamber.

"That's what I think it is, right? The manual of the Vile Three?" The voice came softly, almost teasing, from just over his shoulder.

Aziz spun around, his muscles tense. Nothing. No figure, no presence—just an empty room and the faint hum of the chamber walls.

The room is talking to me, he thought, unease prickling down his spine.

"Don't be afraid," the voice cooed, warm and oddly soothing. "I would never hurt the Heir."

Aziz's brow furrowed. "Where are you?"

"I am... everywhere."

The realization struck him like a stone.