Chapter 5: Mission of Blood and Shadows

Kael stared at Duchess Virelia as she descended the obsidian steps of her throne. Her presence filled the room like a storm cloud—graceful, dangerous, impossible to ignore. Her high-heeled boots clicked with each step, echoing through the cold stone chamber like a countdown.

She stopped in front of him, their eyes meeting again.

"Tell me, Kael," she said, her voice like velvet layered over steel, "what do you know about the city of Nefarion?"

Kael narrowed his eyes. "Nothing."

She smiled—not out of amusement, but satisfaction.

"Good. That makes you the perfect choice."

With a flick of her finger, a rune appeared mid-air. It expanded into a glowing map made of red sigil-light, showing a sprawling demonic city carved into a chasm, bridges connecting floating towers, smoke rising from the lower levels.

"Nefarion is a cesspool of rebellion," she continued. "The Order of Chains rules it publicly, but shadows move beneath. There are whispers of a relic—something powerful enough to destabilize the noble houses."

She turned to face the map, her silhouette haloed by demonic light.

"My scouts are dead. My spies turned. I need someone they won't expect. Someone… new."

Kael folded his arms. "You want me to find it."

"I want you to retrieve it," she corrected. "The relic is known as the Heart of Ruin. It was once a part of an ancient demon lord's core—shattered in the last war. If it truly exists, it could ignite another."

He felt the weight in her words. Another war? Between who? The nobles? The demon lords?

"And what if I say no?" Kael asked, his voice low, but honest.

Virelia's lips curled slightly, but there was no humor in her smile.

"You won't. Because this mission is your path forward—or your leash tightened. I want you strong, Kael. But I also want you loyal. If you succeed, your rank rises. You move beyond the barracks. Beyond the chains."

That got his attention.

"What's the catch?"

Her eyes glowed faintly red. "You'll be entering Nefarion without formal protection. No banners. No sigils. You're to go in as a rogue servant—marked, but unaffiliated. You will be hunted."

Kael nodded slowly. "A test."

"A crucible," she corrected. "One that will either shape you… or shatter you."

She raised a hand, and a sealed scroll materialized in her grasp. "This contains everything we know. Coordinates, symbols, possible relic guardians. Take it."

Kael stepped forward and took the scroll. It was warm to the touch, pulsing faintly—warded with demonic energy.

"You'll leave before dawn," Virelia said. "Arix will supply you. You'll have one companion—picked from the Obsidian Barracks. Choose wisely. Once you cross into Nefarion… you're on your own."

She turned away, walking back toward her throne.

Kael held the scroll tightly. The fire in his chest pulsed, stronger than before.

"I'll return," he said aloud.

Virelia paused. "I know."

Then the doors opened behind him.

Arix was already waiting.

---

Back in the barracks armory, Kael stood before a rack of demonic gear—armors with built-in curses, blades forged from bone and brimstone, cloaks stitched with souls. He reached out for a gauntlet, but Arix stopped him.

"Not that one. It feeds on the wearer if they're not pure-blooded."

Kael grimaced. "Lovely."

Instead, he was given a dark leather coat reinforced with rune-stitching and shadowweave lining—light, mobile, resistant to minor spells. A matching pair of combat boots and gloves completed the set. Nothing flashy. Just deadly.

He sheathed a short, double-edged blade into his belt. It hissed with quiet hunger.

"You will need allies," Arix said. "The Duchess allows you one."

Kael nodded and stepped out into the training yard, scanning the demons.

They were training, sparring, or arguing in their own brutal, chaotic way. All of them had seen him fight. Some hated him. Some respected him. Most feared him.

Then he saw her.

A lithe, pale-skinned girl with silver eyes and hair like moonlight. She moved like a shadow, weaving through a pack of larger demons during a sparring match—and took them all down in under ten seconds.

Kael blinked. "Who is that?"

Arix tilted their head. "That is Lilith. Assassin class. Once belonged to House Vegranox. Banished after killing her handler."

"She survived that?"

"She thrived."

Kael approached as she wiped blood off her blade with a bored expression. She noticed him immediately, her eyes locking onto his.

"New toy of Virelia," she said coolly. "Come to die, or beg for help?"

"Neither," Kael replied. "I'm going into Nefarion. I need someone deadly."

She twirled her blade once, then sheathed it across her back.

"And you think I'll follow a half-blood, branded servant?"

Kael didn't flinch. "No. I think you'll follow me because you want out of here as much as I do."

A pause.

Then she smirked. "Smart. Fine. I'll come. But if you slow me down—"

"You'll kill me," Kael finished. "Yeah. Get in line."

---

That night, under the crimson glow of Hell's moons, Kael and Lilith stood at the edge of the barracks, cloaked and armed, looking out over the road that led down into the chasm-city of Nefarion.

Arix approached one final time, holding a small vial of black liquid.

"What's that?" Kael asked.

"Blood of Obedience," Arix replied. "A final gift from the Duchess. It ensures your soul remains tethered to her… in case you forget your place."

Kael stared at the vial.

Then he took it.

And did not drink it.

He slipped it into his pouch instead.

Lilith raised a brow. "Ballsy."

Kael looked at the road ahead. "No chains. No leash."

Then, without another word, they descended into the abyss.

The city of shadows awaited.