The tavern was burning.
Flames licked the walls like ravenous tongues, sending trails of black smoke spiraling into the night sky. Screams echoed in the distance—sharp, primal, real. Kael stood frozen for a heartbeat, the heat prickling his skin, the scent of scorched wood and blood thick in his nostrils.
A few moments ago, it had been quiet. Peaceful, even. Now, chaos roared around him like a storm set loose.
He clenched his jaw. "This isn't a dream," he muttered. "This is real."
Arin coughed beside him, pulling her cloak over her mouth. "They found us faster than expected."
"The Dominion?"
"No. Worse." She pointed toward the alleyway. "We need to move. Now."
Kael followed her without argument. His legs were trembling—part from exhaustion, part from adrenaline—but he pushed forward. The further they got from the tavern, the clearer it became that this wasn't just an isolated attack. Fires burned across rooftops. The air pulsed with magical residue, faint trails of runes glowing and fading like embers in the wind.
They ducked into a narrow corridor. Arin pressed her back to the wall, her eyes scanning the shadows.
"I thought we had more time," she said, voice hoarse. "I didn't think the Shadowborne would act so soon."
Kael leaned against the opposite wall. "Shadowborne… who are they?"
Arin hesitated. "They were once human. Now? Twisted remnants. They serve the entity that corrupted the Core."
Kael blinked. "The Core?"
"The heart of this world. The origin of magic. It was once a source of balance—until the Rift shattered it. Now the Shadowborne harvest its fragments to fuel their war."
Kael took a shaky breath. "And let me guess... I'm tied to this somehow?"
She nodded grimly. "You're more than tied, Kael. You're a catalyst."
Before he could respond, a low hiss echoed from the corridor behind them.
"Too late," Arin whispered.
A dark figure emerged from the smoke. Cloaked in tattered robes, its face obscured by a porcelain mask etched with runes. Shadows rippled around it like living smoke. It floated inches above the ground, arms stretched out, hands ending in claw-like fingers that crackled with void energy.
Kael took a step back. "What the hell is that?"
"A Shadow Seeker," Arin replied, unsheathing her blade. "They hunt catalysts. And they don't stop."
The Seeker lunged. Arin moved fast—faster than Kael thought humanly possible—her blade catching the creature mid-air. Sparks of black energy erupted on contact, lighting up the corridor like a strobe. But the creature didn't falter. It whirled around and sent a blast of shadow magic hurtling toward Kael.
He didn't have time to scream.
But something inside him screamed for him.
The world slowed. Kael's vision blurred, colors twisting unnaturally. The blast neared—and stopped inches from his chest, suspended mid-air like a frozen raindrop. The void energy trembled, then shattered into harmless fragments.
The Seeker hissed, startled.
Kael collapsed to his knees. His skin burned, his veins lit with unseen fire. Power surged through him—wild, untrained, ancient.
Arin's eyes widened. "You just—"
"I didn't do anything!" Kael panted.
"Yes, you did," a voice said behind them.
A man stepped into the corridor. Tall, with silver-streaked hair and piercing violet eyes. He wore armor made from obsidian scales, a long cloak trailing behind him like a living shadow.
The Seeker retreated instantly.
The man raised a hand. "Begone."
With a wail, the Seeker vanished into smoke.
Kael stared at the newcomer. "Who are you?"
The man inclined his head. "A friend. For now." He turned to Arin. "You've kept him alive longer than I expected."
"You're late," she snapped.
"I arrived precisely when needed." His eyes flicked back to Kael. "He's awakening faster than anticipated."
Kael tried to stand but stumbled. The man caught him with surprising gentleness.
"You are not ready, Kael. But time waits for no one."
"Then tell me what's going on," Kael said through gritted teeth. "No more riddles."
The man considered him for a moment, then nodded.
"Very well. I am Thalor Veylan. Keeper of the Pact and Warden of the Fractured Realms. I've watched over your kind for centuries—those who cross between worlds."
"You mean... people like me?"
"Exactly. Portals don't open by accident, Kael. They open for the chosen."
Kael looked at Arin. "She said I'm a catalyst. What does that mean?"
Thalor's expression darkened. "It means you can reshape this world—or destroy it."
The words hit Kael like a punch. "Destroy it?"
"The Core is broken, Kael. The energy that once kept this realm in balance is now unstable. Catalysts are rare beings capable of synchronizing with the fragments. If the wrong side gets control of you…" He let the sentence hang.
"Let me guess," Kael said. "The Shadowborne want me."
Thalor nodded. "They'll tear the world apart to claim you."
Arin sheathed her blade. "We need to get him to the Sanctum."
Thalor shook his head. "It's no longer safe."
"What?" Arin's eyes narrowed. "You said it was protected!"
"It was. Until they breached the wards last night. The Elders barely escaped."
Kael felt the walls closing in. "So where do we go?"
Thalor looked at him seriously. "We make a pact."
Kael blinked. "A pact?"
Thalor reached into his cloak and pulled out a small obsidian orb. It pulsed faintly, resonating with Kael's heartbeat.
"This is a Shadow Pact. Dangerous. Ancient. But necessary. If you accept, it will bind a portion of your power, shielding you from the Seeker's trace. But it comes at a cost."
Kael hesitated. "What kind of cost?"
"You'll lose access to that power temporarily. But more importantly—you'll be marked. Neither light nor shadow will fully trust you."
Kael looked to Arin.
She nodded slowly. "It's risky. But it might be the only way."
The fires still burned in the distance. The screams had faded, but the scent of death lingered.
He took the orb.
"Do it."
Thalor placed the orb against Kael's chest. It sank through his skin like water.
Pain. Blinding, searing pain. Kael screamed. Shadows wrapped around him, then light, then both together. His body convulsed. He felt memories not his own—wars fought in forgotten lands, lovers lost to time, gods begging for mercy.
Then silence.
He opened his eyes. Everything was... quieter. Dimmer. But also clearer.
Thalor stepped back. "It is done."
Kael stood, unsteady but alive.
"I don't feel any different," he said.
"You will," Thalor replied. "Soon."
Arin stepped beside Kael. "We need to move. The longer we stay, the more they'll send."
Kael looked toward the ruined skyline. "Where now?"
Thalor pointed east. "To the forest of Thalara. There's someone there who can teach you to wield what sleeps inside you."
Kael exhaled. "Then let's go."
As they left the burning ruins behind, Kael glanced back once.
He had crossed into a world of monsters, magic, and shadow.
And he wasn't sure he'd ever go back.