The First Step into the Unknown

Chapter 33: The First Step into the Unknown

Elias couldn't sleep. The weight of what the Watcher had told him pressed against his chest like a heavy stone.

The Veiled City. A place beyond ordinary sight. A city that should not exist—yet somehow, he had seen it.

The whispers had not stopped.

They crept into his mind like tendrils of smoke, slipping through the cracks of his consciousness. Some were faint, unintelligible murmurs. Others were names, spoken in hushed tones, as if uttering them too loudly would invite disaster.

It was maddening.

But it was also proof.

Something was calling him.

And he had no choice but to answer.

By morning, Elias had made his decision.

"We need to go to the capital," he said.

Leira frowned. "Why?"

"The Watcher said the Veiled City exists beyond the eyes of ordinary people," Elias explained. "That means it's hidden. But if it's real, there has to be someone who knows how to reach it."

The Watcher sighed. "You're treading a dangerous path."

Elias met his gaze. "I know."

The Watcher studied him for a long moment before shaking his head. "If you truly wish to seek it, then you must start where all things hidden begin—the underbelly of the capital. There's a place known as the Twilight Exchange. If anyone knows of the Veiled City, it will be someone there."

Elias nodded. He had his next destination.

The journey to the capital was long, but uneventful. The city of Vaelthorne loomed before them, its towering spires casting long shadows under the setting sun.

Inside, the streets bustled with life. Merchants peddled their wares, nobles rode in lavish carriages, and beggars huddled in alleyways. But Elias wasn't interested in any of that.

He and Leira moved quickly, slipping through the city's winding streets until they reached the entrance to the Twilight Exchange—a hidden marketplace that operated beneath the city, dealing in secrets, forbidden knowledge, and things that should not exist.

A single door marked its entrance, tucked away in a narrow alley. No sign, no markings—just an unassuming wooden door.

Leira knocked three times. A small slot slid open, revealing a pair of sharp, calculating eyes.

"Password?" a voice rasped.

Leira smirked. "Secrets are meant to be whispered, not shouted."

The slot closed. A moment later, the door creaked open.

Inside, the air was thick with the scent of ink, old parchment, and something faintly metallic. Dim lanterns flickered, casting long shadows over the maze of stalls and shops.

Elias felt it immediately.

The weight of something unseen pressing against his mind.

This place was different.

A hub of knowledge and power—one that existed outside the boundaries of the ordinary world.

"Where do we start?" Leira murmured.

Elias scanned the room, his gaze settling on an old bookseller seated behind a stall stacked high with ancient tomes. Something about him felt... different.

"We start with him."

As they approached, the bookseller looked up. His pale gray eyes locked onto Elias's.

And then, for the first time since the whispers began...

They fell silent.

The bookseller's lips curled into a knowing smile.

"I was wondering when you'd come."