Into the Viper’s Nest

The road to Velmoran Keep was long, winding, and drenched in the scent of damp earth and cold steel. The closer they got, the more the land felt… different. The trees were gnarled, their roots gripping the land like skeletal fingers, and the air had an unnatural stillness, as if the very earth knew it belonged to a city built on treachery.

Liam's boots crunched against loose gravel, his ribs still sore from the fight at the outpost. He had wrapped the worst of the bruises, but exhaustion weighed heavy on his bones. Each step sent a dull ache through his limbs, a constant reminder that his body was not invincible.

Vance walked ahead, unbothered, rifle slung over their shoulder, moving with the confidence of someone who knew exactly where they were going. The bounty hunter had led them through back trails and forgotten paths, bypassing known routes where patrols might linger.

Iris wasn't impressed. "You sure you're not leading us into an ambush?"

Vance chuckled, not even glancing back. "If I wanted to sell you out, I would've done it back at the outpost."

Iris scoffed. "Right. Because bounty hunters are known for their generosity."

Vance shrugged. "Not generosity. Strategy." Their voice was smooth, unbothered. "Selling you out for quick cash would be a waste when I can get something far more valuable."

Liam, who had been quiet until now, narrowed his eyes. "And what exactly is that?"

Vance tilted their head slightly, amber eyes gleaming under the moonlight. "Leverage."

A tense silence followed.

Ileana, who had been watching the entire exchange carefully, exhaled. "At least they're honest about it."

Liam didn't like it. He didn't like any of it. But they didn't have much of a choice. Vance had connections. If there was one thing Velmoran Keep thrived on, it was connections. Without them, they wouldn't last a single night in the fortress-city.

So, for now, he let the conversation die, keeping his suspicions close.

Because if there was one thing he had learned in his time on the run—

Trust was just another form of currency. And it was never given freely.

Velmoran Keep – A City of Shadows

By the time they reached the outskirts of Velmoran, night had fully set in. The fortress loomed ahead, its walls high, reinforced with thick metal plating and enchanted runes that pulsed faintly in the darkness. This wasn't a place built to keep people out.

It was built to keep power in.

Even from here, Liam could see the layered districts. The wealthier sections, closer to the keep's heart, where noble houses and mercenary guilds thrived under flickering lanterns and high walls. And then there were the underbelly districts, the slums and hidden corridors where criminals, informants, and bounty hunters operated in the shadows.

Fires burned atop the watchtowers, their glow illuminating the shifting patrols along the walls. Armed guards stood stationed at every gate, their armor polished but their eyes dead. These weren't simple city guards.

They were enforcers.

Killers wearing uniforms.

Iris let out a low whistle. "You weren't kidding. That place is built like a war camp."

Vance grinned. "Because it is."

Liam's gaze lingered on the guards. If his bounty had reached the right hands, then Velmoran was one of the worst places to be right now.

Ileana frowned. "How exactly do you expect us to get inside? I doubt we can just bribe our way through the front gates."

Vance smirked. "Who said anything about the front gate?"

The Smuggler's Path

Vance led them toward an abandoned structure near the cliffs—a ruined aqueduct, its stone arches crumbled with age. The once-great structure had been left to rot, half-buried under overgrowth and rubble. But as they drew closer, Liam noticed something.

The ground had been disturbed. The rubble, despite looking untouched at first glance, bore subtle signs of movement. The dust settled in uneven layers, as if something beneath had shifted recently.

Vance knelt beside a section of collapsed stone and knocked three times.

A long pause.

Then—a deep, mechanical click.

The stone shifted, revealing a hidden passageway. A stale, musty breeze drifted out from the darkness beyond, thick with the scent of damp earth and something metallic—iron, maybe even blood.

Iris tensed. "A smuggler's tunnel?"

Vance winked. "One of many. But this one leads exactly where we need to go."

Liam stared into the dark entrance, instincts screaming. Everything about this screamed trap.

But at the same time… what choice did they have?

He exhaled slowly. "Where does it lead?"

Vance's grin widened. "To someone who knows exactly how much your head is worth."

Liam clenched his jaw. Wonderful.

A Descent into the Unknown

The tunnel was narrow and damp, the air thick with moisture. The walls were lined with old stonework, remnants of whatever civilization had built the aqueducts long ago. Despite the passage's age, there were signs of recent use. Footprints in the dirt. Scraps of cloth caught on jagged edges. Even faint bloodstains.

Iris muttered under her breath, hand gripping her dagger. "Yeah, this definitely isn't ominous at all."

Ileana said nothing, but she kept an arrow nocked and ready.

Liam walked slightly behind Vance, watching their every move. He wasn't about to let the bounty hunter out of his sight.

"How do you know about this tunnel?" he asked.

Vance smirked, voice casual. "Let's just say I have friends in low places."

"Are they actually friends?" Iris muttered. "Or just people who haven't stabbed you yet?"

Vance laughed. "Both. But that's what makes it fun, doesn't it?"

Liam ignored the comment, focusing on the path ahead. His thoughts drifted back to what Vance had said earlier.

Someone who knows exactly how much your head is worth.

That could mean a lot of things. It could be an informant, someone selling details about his bounty. It could be a fence, someone who specialized in handling fugitives. Or—

It could be someone from the hidden Architect faction.

That thought alone sent a chill down his spine.

The deeper they went, the narrower the tunnel became. Soon, the walls seemed to press in from all sides, and the only sounds were their footsteps and the faint dripping of water somewhere in the darkness.

Then—

Vance stopped.

They raised a hand, signaling for silence.

Liam's pulse quickened.

Ahead, a faint glow flickered in the darkness. Not torchlight—something colder. Rune-lit lanterns.

They weren't alone.

Vance turned slightly, their grin sharp. "Looks like our welcoming party's here."

Liam flexed his fingers. If this was an ambush, he was ready.

Because Velmoran Keep was a city built on deception, and survival here wasn't about strength.

It was about knowing when to strike first.

To Be Continued…