Chapter Twenty: Veil of the Free Cities

The fire crackled, sending flickering shadows dancing across the trees. The warmth barely touched Alex.

His mind remained tethered to the lingering voice—The chains are not yet broken. But soon.

Those words wouldn't leave him.

Mira and Roderic had fallen into silence after discussing their next move, but Alex could feel their unease. Even if neither of them said it out loud, they were waiting—watching to see if his power would surface again.

Would he lose himself? Would the shadows take control?

He didn't know.

And that terrified him more than anything else.

They broke camp before sunrise.

The forest around them was still, the presence from the night before gone. But something about the air felt… tainted.

Neither Mira nor Roderic mentioned it, but Alex could see it in their wary expressions.

Their pace was steady, purposeful. They didn't speak much, and when they did, it was short, direct, and necessary.

Three days passed like that.

Each night, Alex felt his connection to the abyss stir, but nothing happened. No flickering shadows. No voices whispering in his mind.

But the feeling remained—like something was waiting, watching him from just beyond the veil of reality.

By the fourth day, they reached the outskirts of the Free Cities.

The towering spires of Gilded Hollow, the first of the independent city-states, loomed in the distance. Unlike the rigidly ruled kingdoms of the west, the Free Cities operated under a loose system of self-governance, held together by a tenuous balance of power between guilds, mercenary groups, and rogue factions.

It was the perfect place for them to disappear.

But it was also a place full of people who could see through illusions.

Alex pulled his hood lower as they neared the city gates.

The entrance to Gilded Hollow was a chaotic convergence of cultures and ambitions. Merchants shouted over one another, peddling wares from distant kingdoms. Thieves and pickpockets moved like shadows through the crowd, eyes scanning for unguarded pouches.

Guards stood watch, but their armor bore no kingdom's insignia—only the mark of the Guild Pact, the ruling body that dictated law for a price.

Roderic adjusted his cloak, his face remaining impassive as they stepped through the entrance. Mira, ever aware, kept her eyes moving, scanning for threats.

Alex simply tried to blend in.

But the weight of unseen eyes settled on him immediately.

The Free Cities were dangerous for someone like him—not because of soldiers or assassins, but because this was a place of knowledge. A place where men and women sold secrets just as easily as steel.

A place where someone might recognize the abyss lingering beneath his skin.

They moved quickly through the winding streets, keeping to the alleys when possible, avoiding direct confrontation.

But even as they did, Alex knew one thing for certain—

Someone was already watching them.

Mira led them through a labyrinth of stone pathways and wooden walkways, finally stopping in front of a nondescript building.

It looked abandoned, but Alex could see subtle signs of occupancy—a well-maintained door frame, fresh footprints in the dirt path leading to the entrance.

She knocked twice, paused, then knocked three more times.

Silence.

Then the door creaked open, revealing a narrow-eyed man in dark leathers.

His gaze flicked over them, sharp and assessing. "Mira," he said, his voice low. "Didn't think I'd see you back here so soon."

Mira smirked. "Miss me, Alden?"

Alden snorted. "You bring trouble." His eyes moved to Alex. "Who's the stray?"

Alex tensed.

Mira's expression remained unreadable. "Someone important."

Alden sighed. "You always get involved with the dangerous ones." He stepped aside. "Come in."

They entered a dimly lit room, lined with shelves filled with scrolls, maps, and ledgers. This was no merchant's shop.

This was a den of information.

Alden shut the door behind them, arms crossed. "Start talking."

Mira didn't hesitate. "We need information on who's looking for Alex."

Alden raised an eyebrow. "A lot of people are looking for a lot of people."

Mira leaned forward. "We're talking about someone who sent trained assassins after him."

That got Alden's attention.

He exhaled slowly, walking over to one of his shelves, pulling out a thick ledger. He flipped through the pages, scanning the contents with practiced ease.

After a moment, he stopped.

"…You're in deep."

Alex stiffened. "How deep?"

Alden shut the book. "Your name—whatever it is—doesn't appear. But there are whispers of a figure matching your description. Someone with unusual abilities." His gaze locked onto Alex. "And the people after you? They aren't mercenaries."

Mira's expression darkened. "Then who are they?"

Alden hesitated.

Then he said one word that made Alex's stomach drop.

"Archivists."

Mira's reaction was immediate. "That's impossible."

Alden shook his head. "Not anymore."

Roderic frowned. "Who the hell are the Archivists?"

Alden's face hardened. "They're not a guild. Not a kingdom. They're something… older."

Mira's voice was unusually quiet. "They were supposed to be gone."

Alden's lips pressed into a thin line. "Looks like they're back."

Alex clenched his jaw. "And why are they after me?"

Alden gave him a long, measuring look. "Because they deal in forbidden knowledge. They study things that shouldn't exist. They believe in unlocking secrets buried in time itself."

His gaze turned deadly serious.

"And you, my friend? You are a walking secret."

Alex felt a cold chill crawl down his spine.

Mira crossed her arms. "If they're after him, we need to leave."

Alden shook his head. "Too late for that."

Alex tensed. "What do you mean?"

Alden sighed. "They already know you're here."

The words hit like a hammer.

Mira stiffened. "How?"

Alden gave her a grim smile. "Because information is what they do."

Then—

A knock at the door.

Silence.

No one moved.

The knock came again, softer this time, deliberate.

Alden slowly stepped back. "We need to go."

Mira pulled a dagger from her belt. Roderic placed his hand on his sword.

Alex barely breathed.

Alden turned toward a hidden passage behind one of his shelves, pushing it open. "Out. Now."

They moved quickly.

But just as Alex reached the doorway—

The main entrance exploded inward.

Figures in darkened robes poured in, their eyes gleaming with something unnatural.

Archivists.

Alex felt them before he even saw them.

Their presence was wrong, like the air itself bent around them.

The lead figure tilted his head, voice smooth and unhurried.

"Leaving so soon?"

Mira threw her first dagger.

It never reached him.

The moment it passed the threshold, it vanished—swallowed by the air itself.

Alex's breath caught.

These weren't just scholars.

They were something else entirely.

Then—

The world blurred.

The shadows in the room writhed.

And Alex felt the abyss stir deep within him.

Something inside him wanted to wake up.

Wanted to consume.

And this time—

He didn't know if he could stop it.