In the gritty streets of Kallzara, a small wayside town where light barely touches the alleys, Revan Sorna survives by his wits—and by magic long forbidden. With the help of a shadowy tome found in forgotten ruins beneath the city, Revan can summon shadows to deceive and distract, but such power comes with a price: shadows cannot be created from nothing, and his own is lazy and stubborn, testing his patience at every turn.

Revan’s partner in crime, Cassie, is a clever con artist with a talent for ice magic and a convincing lost-girl act. Together, they make a perfect team, surviving by picking pockets, pulling cons, and running from those who would see their kind dead or worse.

Tonight’s target is an easy mark: a drunken sailor leaving The Golden Pig tavern. But when Revan’s swift theft is interrupted by a brutal punch, the simple job spirals into something far more dangerous—and far more personal.

As dark secrets from the ruins threaten to surface and enemies close in, Revan and Cassie must rely on their skills, their magic, and each other to survive. But in a town where shadow magic is heresy and trust is a currency rarer than gold, survival might just mean losing everything.

Location: Veilborn Sanctuary — beneath Iskarra's forgotten catacombsTime: Midnight, where shadows are thickest


The walls pulsed with faint leyline energy, veins of pale light tracing forgotten runes beneath cracked stone.


The emissary led the scholar and Kael through twisting halls, eyes gleaming like stars caught in darkness.


"The Veilborn abandoned the Accord centuries ago," the emissary began, voice echoing softly,"Not out of fear or cowardice — but because we saw what the Crown truly is."


They paused before an ancient mural — depicting the Circle of Seven, shattered and bleeding.


"A wound on the world.The Crown doesn't just bind magic — it feeds on it."


"We do not seek to stop the Crown.We seek to control its hunger.To become the hunger."


"You mean to wield the Crown's power — not destroy it."


"Power is never destroyed.It only changes hands."


"We can teach you to harness the leyline's hunger — to bind it without breaking.To survive what the Accord cannot endure."


The emissary laughed, a sound like dry leaves.


"Choose wisely.Because in this war, there are no true allies.Only those who wait to see who falls first."


As the chamber's shadows deepened, a sudden tremor shook the sanctuary.


The leyline thrummed — unstable, alive.


"The Crown stirs," the emissary whispered."And soon, all will hunger."


Chapter 40 - Veils Unraveled