The blood of the lab sinners had long dried on Kael's cloak, but their screams still echoed in the silence they left behind. The girl—once a tool of their experiments, now a survivor—rested beside the broken remains of their bunker, her breathing steady as she lay unconscious. Above them, crows circled, as if bearing witness to the judgment that had been carried out.
Kael stood unmoving, staring into the horizon. His ghost veil flickered faintly in the moonlight, hiding his expression from the girl and the world alike.
Then, the voice returned.
> "You have done well, Chosen."
Kael didn't flinch. "What now?"
> "A city... forgotten by justice, ruled by cruelty. The strong exploit the weak. Slavery. Torture. Bloodsport. All for power, all without consequence. Their cries reach the heavens."
Kael's eyes narrowed. His fists clenched.
> "The city is called Velhym. The wicked call it a haven. I call it a pit. You will go there, and you will bring my judgment."
"Understood," Kael said coldly. No hesitation.
The wind picked up, scattering ash from the destroyed facility behind him. He turned to the girl. She stirred, her eyes fluttering open. When she saw Kael, she didn't scream. She sat up slowly.
"Are they... gone?" she asked, her voice hollow.
Kael nodded. "You're free now."
She stared at her chimera limbs—beastly claws and mechanical joints—and her eyes welled up. "Am I?"
"You're not a weapon anymore. You're someone who survived."
She said nothing for a long while. Then she looked at him again. "Where will you go?"
Kael's gaze turned toward the dark line of the horizon.
"A city where monsters wear human skin."
---
Elsewhere – Velhym, the City of Wolves
In Velhym, there was no law, only hierarchy. Gladiator pits spilled with blood while nobles drank wine. Captives were chained in the streets like ornaments. Screams of the powerless went ignored—no, celebrated.
And atop the steel towers, the rulers watched. A coalition of elite mercenaries, brutal enforcers, and rich sadists. To them, power was truth. Morality was weakness.
But they had heard whispers. A figure in black, soaked in blood. A name—Kael—was beginning to spread like wildfire across outlaw channels and black market forums.
They laughed.
Until they saw the skies darken.
Until they heard the crow's call.
Until the Veil moved into the city unnoticed.
---