Taishabrice

Kael Veyne was never meant to be a survivor.

She was born into a noble house of warriors, raised among the powerful, destined for a future she never had the chance to claim. When her family was massacred, she was left for dead—a nameless ghost in a world that erased her.

But Kael survived.

Buried in the underground city of Ravaryn, she became a fighter, a hunter, a blade in the dark. She wanted nothing more than to forget the past—until a cocky, insufferable outsider shattered her world.

Riven Dain is hiding something. Beneath his charm and arrogance lies a man with too many secrets, a man with ties to the same noble house that destroyed Kael’s life. He claims to be nothing more than a traveler, but when warlords start hunting him, Kael knows better.

Now, unwillingly bound together by fate and betrayal, Kael and Riven must leave the shadows behind.

The world above is waiting.
The past refuses to stay buried.
And Kael Veyne is done being forgotten.

Because the blood in her veins was never meant to be wasted in exile.

It was meant to rule.

Crowned in Shadows.

Kael wasn't sure what she had been expecting.

Maybe some ancient vault filled with old scrolls. Maybe a buried chamber with hidden records. Maybe a crypt, holding the secrets of the past in dust-covered stone.

It was set into the base of a collapsed tower, hidden beneath layers of rubble and centuries of decay. The metal was old but untouched by rust, marked with a symbol Kael didn't recognize.

He stood in front of it, silent for once, his usual smirk nowhere in sight.

Jorrik crossed his arms. "Well. That's ominous."

Kael took a slow step forward, her bow still in hand. "What is it?"

Kael narrowed her eyes. "And what's inside?"

Jorrik groaned. "Don't tell me you don't know."

Riven shot him a look. "I have a guess."

Kael's patience snapped. "If you don't start explaining, I'm leaving you here."

Riven sighed, resting a hand on the door. "There are records. Old ones. Things the royal family didn't want anyone to see. My mother had them moved here years before she died."

Riven's blue eyes flickered. "Because she didn't trust the court."

Jorrik let out a slow breath. "Alright. So, how do we get inside?"

Riven tapped the symbol on the door. "It needs a key."

Kael's fingers twitched. "And where is it?"

Riven turned, smirking. "We're standing in it."

Riven chuckled. "The ruins of Blackreach. The key is buried somewhere in this city."

Jorrik groaned. "Of course it is."

Kael gritted her teeth. More delays.

But she was too close to the truth to stop now.

"Fine," she said, voice sharp. "Let's find it."

*The Search for the Key*

They searched collapsed buildings, abandoned halls, forgotten archives.

Kael moved quickly, efficiently, her eyes scanning for any sign of the key. She hated wasted time.

Riven, of course, was taking too much of it.

"You know," he mused, flipping through an old book in a ruined library, "this is the most time we've spent together without you threatening to kill me."

Kael pulled open a drawer, rifling through old papers. "Don't ruin it."

Jorrik sighed from the other side of the room. "I swear, if you two ever stop bickering, the gods will descend in shock."

Riven smirked. "They should be honored to witness such greatness."

Kael threw a rusted book at his head.

"That was uncalled for," he said, amusement clear in his voice.

Kael didn't even glance up. "That was a warning shot."

Jorrik snorted. "I like her more every day."

Riven sighed dramatically. "You're both terrible."

Because in the next moment—her fingers brushed something cold.

A small, metal emblem, buried beneath layers of dust.

She pulled it free, turning it over in her hands.

It was the same symbol from the door.

Jorrik exhaled. "Thank the gods. Let's get out of here before something tries to kill us again."

Because the truth was finally within reach.

And she wasn't waiting any longer.

Chapter 16: The Door Beneath Blackreach