“Vow of Cinders”

Aria lay on the cold metal of an abandoned rooftop, her arms crossed behind her head. Above her, the sky stretched endlessly—an endless gray, where the Upper City towered like a fortress of light.

The wind brushed against her face, but she barely noticed it.

Then it was there again.

That feeling that spread inside her when the silence became too loud.

She closed her eyes.

And suddenly, she was there.

There, where it all began

Aria's Path

The rain fell in dense veils over the city, washing the dirt from the cracks in the asphalt—but the stench of Prime Eden remained. Decay, hunger, hopelessness—everything that had already suffocated in the shadows.

Aria pulled her hood deeper over her face and moved silently through the narrow alleys of the slums. Her stomach twisted as if trying to devour itself. It had been two days since she had last eaten.

She knew she had to be careful. The White Wolves tolerated no strangers in their territory—especially not thieves. But desperation made people bold, and she had no other choice.

She saw the shop. Not big, nothing valuable, but there was food. A few loaves of bread, some water. Quick, discreet. Only the essentials.

She had almost made it.

Almost.

"Have you lost your mind?"

The voice was calm, almost casual—but Aria's blood froze. A shadow emerged from the darkness.

Shade.

The air around him was heavy as if he carried a piece of the night itself. His eyes—sharp, dissecting—studied her with cold precision.

Aria suppressed the urge to run.

If you run, you're dead.

"Why?" Shade asked.

She clenched her fists. "I need this for my brother."

His gaze remained unreadable. "Your brother?"

She swallowed. "Kyro."

His name felt like a shield on her tongue.

Shade was silent for a moment. Then he stepped closer. "And what makes him special?"

Aria's fingers dug into the fabric of her coat. "He's not like us. He still believes in something."

Shade studied her for a long moment before speaking.

"You need help."

Aria blinked in confusion.

"I could save you."

A spark of hope flared up. "Really?"

"But only if you're worth it."

He extended his hand—and for the first time, she noticed the small device in it.

The Test

The device hummed softly as Shade held it against her skin. Aria felt nothing.

Then—a flicker. A quiet, almost imperceptible crackling in the air.

Shade examined the results, but his expression remained unchanged.

"Interesting."

Then he lowered the device and looked at her again.

"But that's not enough."

His tone shifted—colder, sharper.

"Now, I test you."

It happened without warning.

An invisible force pressed down on her very core.

Shade was peering deep inside her—not just into her body, but into something deeper.

Something fundamental.

Her knees weakened. Her heart pounded. It felt as if he knew everything about her—her fears, her anger, her hope.

Then, just as suddenly, the pressure disappeared.

Shade exhaled.

"50 percent good. 50 percent bad."

Aria gasped, her head pounding.

"You are not worthy."

It felt like a dagger to the chest.

"A person trapped between light and darkness. Not uncommon."

Aria felt panic rise in her.

"At least save Kyro!"

Shade raised an eyebrow.

"Why should I? That's what everyone says when I turn them away."

Aria's throat was dry. But she couldn't give up.

"Because… because he believes in a world that can be better."

She trembled. "He believes the Upper City can fall. That the slums can have peace."

Shade was silent for a long time.

Then… a short, barely visible nod.

"I will look at him."

A moment of relief—but then came his next, inescapable condition.

"But only if you…"

The words remained unfinished.

But Aria understood.

Her heart pounded against her ribs. She had no choice.

The Farewell

Under an old metal roof, while the rain drummed against the rusted surface, they sat side by side.

Kyro stared at Aria, doubt in his eyes.

"Why are you saying it like that?"

Aria tried to smile. "Because you have to be strong, Kyro."

His brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

She placed a hand on his cheek, her voice softer than usual.

"The world will try to break you. But you must not let it succeed."

He shook his head. "I don't understand…"

Aria leaned toward him. "You are strong enough now, Kyro."

"What does that mean? Why are you talking like this, Aria?"

She kissed his forehead. "Because you need to believe in something."

Then she let him go and stepped into the rain.

His voice followed her.

"ARIA!"

But she didn't turn back.

She couldn't.

The Stranger in the Darkness

One week.

She had left Kyro behind.

And then came Reeve.

She was weak as she wandered through the Blood Chain's territory—a place she would never have entered willingly.

Then the men came.

Two gang members. Hungry for violence.

Aria had no choice.

A punch. A kick—then it happened.

A spark.

Resonance.

Only for a moment, unintentional, but it was enough.

And then she heard him.

"Who are you?"

She spun around.

A man stood in the shadows, arms crossed, eyes filled with curiosity.

He stepped out of the darkness, slow, confident.

"My name is Reeve."

Aria breathed heavily, her body aching from the fight. Her knees felt weak, but she forced herself to stand tall.

"And what do you want?" she asked suspiciously.

Reeve studied her for a moment, then gave a slight smile.

"I can make you stronger."

His tone was calm, not demanding, but certain.

Aria shook her head slightly, her gaze remained cold. "Why should I come with you?"

His eyes sharpened, piercing. "Because you have no other choice."

His words hit her harder than she had expected.

He was right.

She was alone. Hungry. Weak.

And yet, there was something else.

A pull in her chest.

A feeling, as if fate had led her exactly here.

"I…" She hesitated as she looked around.

The territory of the Bloodchain.

A place she should avoid.

And yet, she stood right here – in front of a man who saw her for what she truly was.

"Maybe it was fate…" she murmured.

Reeve raised an eyebrow. "Fate?"

Aria looked into his eyes.

"That I met you of all people."

He grinned slightly before turning away.

"Then come with me."

The Path into the Shadows

She trained with Reeve. Day after day, night after night.

And then came the moment of truth.

They sat on a rooftop as the rain drummed down on the city.

"The Upper City will never accept us, Aria."

Reeve looked into the darkness. "The White Wolves can't save Prime Eden. They can only fight until they are wiped out themselves."

He turned to her.

"Vex can break this cycle. The Bloodchain can end this war."

Aria bit her lip.

"Through violence."

Reeve smiled. "Through order."

Then he leaned in closer.

"And you… can be a part of it."

A part of it.

A part of them.

Aria closed her eyes.

Was it not fate that she had met the Bloodchain?

The decision had already been made.

But she was not yet ready to speak it.

Reeve slowly stood up.

"You have the night, Aria."

His voice was softer.

"But if you come… then come completely. No half-decisions."

The rain kept falling.

Aria remained silent.

Deep inside, she already knew what she had to do.