Chapter Twenty Eight: The Rail System

I crouched low on the rooftop, my eyes locked onto the metal door below. My grip tightened around the key pendant resting in my palm.

I could use it. Walk right in.

Or maybe teleport inside.

But I had no idea what was waiting for me on the other side. The magic radiating from within was stronger than mine—not just powerful, but controlled, refined. I was not dealing with simple spellcasters.

Brute force wasn't an option.

So, I waited.

I didn't have to wait long.

The door creaked open, and someone stumbled out. A woman. Slender, pointed ears peeking through messy hair. An elf? Maybe. Hard to tell in the dark.

She reeked of alcohol, barely able to walk straight. The guard at the door gave her a bored look before slamming it shut behind her.

I watched as she wandered aimlessly through the streets, muttering to herself.

This was my chance.

I moved fast, silent as the wind, following her from the rooftops. She wasn't paying attention—she could barely walk straight. Her magic was weak, untrained, unrefined.

A recruit.

If she was new to magic, then she was new to the Order.

Perfect.

She turned down a dark, empty alley. Bad choice.

I leapt.

I landed behind her, grabbing her before she could react. In a blink, my blade was at her throat.

She gasped, eyes going wide. Fear and confusion mixed with the drunken haze on her face.

I leaned in. "We're gonna have a long talk."

I shoved her deeper into the alley, pressing her against the wall, my knife just barely touching her skin.

She blinked rapidly, struggling to focus. "Wha—wha's goin' on?"

"You're going to tell me about the Order of the Key."

She let out a nervous laugh. "Pffft. Y-you think I know anything? I just joined!"

I narrowed my eyes. "You're lying."

"I ain't!" She held up her hands, shaking. "Swear on m' mother—an' she's in the Order!"

I paused.

A legacy.

That explained it. She hadn't earned her way in—she was here because of bloodline.

She knew something.

"Then tell me what you do know," I growled.

She gulped. "Uh... um..." She blinked again, trying to clear her head. "Okay, okay. Uh—there's a rail system. Underground. Secret. Moves people—important people—across the empire. I dunno where it goes, but... but it's big. Real big."

A rail system.

That changed everything.

"If the Order has that kind of infrastructure, what else are they hiding?"

I pressed the blade slightly closer. "And the people inside?"

She stiffened. "They're strong."

"How strong?"

She hesitated. "I... I dunno names, alright?! I wasn't told anything. Just that they're, like... powerful. Like, scary powerful."

Not helpful.

I frowned, thinking. She was worthless. A pawn thrown into the game without knowing the rules.

I released her.

She slumped to the ground, dazed. She was too drunk to run, too weak to fight back.

But I wasn't done with her yet.

I needed a disguise.

The Infiltration

I stripped her of her cloak, tunic, and pendant. They reeked of alcohol, but they would serve their purpose. I pulled the hood over my head, tucking my hair inside, and slung the pendant around my neck.

She mumbled something, still too dazed to fight. I crouched next to her.

"You should really go home," I whispered.

Then, I was gone.

I moved back toward the metal door, adjusting my stance, my posture, my breath. I needed to sell the act.

The guard at the door didn't even glance up as I knocked. Three short taps, then two.

A small slot opened at eye level. A pair of cold, gray eyes studied me.

I held up the pendant.

The slot closed.

Then, the door creaked open.

I stepped inside.

The air was thick—a mix of dust, oil, and something metallic. The corridor was narrow, lit only by faintly glowing runes on the walls.

Ahead, a hatch lay open in the floor. A ladder led down into darkness.

I could hear distant echoes. A hum of machinery. The sound of something massive shifting beneath the earth.

The rail system.

I took a breath.

Then, I climbed down.