The tavern's rear courtyard was quiet in the early morning, the cobblestones still wet from the night's rain. Mist curled around Kaelin's boots as she stood opposite Rylen, sword drawn, heart pounding.
"You're slow," Rylen said, circling her like a predator. "And your stance is wrong."
"I'm trying," Kaelin snapped.
"Try harder," he said coldly. "This isn't a game. The moment you hesitate in battle, you're dead. And worse, so is everyone you care about."
Kaelin grit her teeth. She'd barely slept—visions of fire still haunted her dreams—but something about Rylen's presence felt... challenging. Like he saw not who she was, but who she could become—and didn't care how much it hurt to get there.
He lunged again. Their blades met with a flash of sparks.
---
Inside the Tavern
Jericho leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. Mira sat nearby, watching Kaelin with worried eyes.
"She's pushing herself too hard," Mira said.
"She has to," Jericho replied. "We all do."
Eli grunted. "And what about him? Rylen just shows up and suddenly he's her teacher? What's his story?"
Jericho's eyes narrowed. "Rylen was Araya's most trusted blade. Some say he was the one who held the line at the Fall of Virell. If he's here, it means things are worse than we thought."
---
In the Courtyard
Kaelin collapsed to her knees, panting. Rylen stood above her, unimpressed.
"You lasted longer this time," he said.
She wiped sweat from her brow. "You could try not aiming to kill me."
He smirked. "That's exactly why you're still alive."
She looked up, her tone softer. "Why are you helping me?"
He hesitated. "Because I failed your ancestor once. I won't fail you."
Kaelin frowned. Before she could ask more, the tavern door burst open.
Jericho was already moving. "We've got trouble."
---
Elsewhere in Velmaris
A shadow slipped through alleyways, unseen by the morning patrols. Her name was Selis, and she was the Obsidian Pact's deadliest Whisperblade—trained in poisons, illusions, and silent kills.
She crouched atop a rooftop, golden eyes locked on the Ashwell Tavern.
Target located.
A dark sigil shimmered beneath her collarbone as she whispered an incantation. "Let the flame be smothered…"
A dagger slid from her wrist sheath, glowing faintly with venom.
---
Back at the Tavern
The group gathered in the common room.
"There's word on the street," Ayla said grimly. "The Pact is moving. Assassins. Disguises. They're targeting anyone connected to the old bloodlines."
Jericho looked to Kaelin. "They're coming for you."
Eli checked his weapons. "Let them come."
Mira, normally the calmest, was tense. "We can't fight them in the open. Not here. Not yet."
Rylen's eyes narrowed. "Then we turn the trap around."
Kaelin stood, the sword at her back glowing faintly.
"If they want to test me," she said, voice steady, "then let them see what happens when the flame fights back."
---
That Night
Selis waited in the shadows, watching as Kaelin stepped alone into the alleyway beside the tavern. Foolish. Predictable.
She moved without sound—until a flare of fire lit the night.
Kaelin turned, eyes glowing amber.
"Found you," she whispered.
A roar of heat exploded, knocking Selis backward.
She leapt to her feet, daggers raised—but Rylen was already there, blade at her throat.
"Too slow," he said. "And too loud."
Selis hissed, and with a swirl of smoke, vanished.
Jericho dropped from the rooftop, landing beside them. "That was one. There will be more."
Kaelin looked down at her hand, where a small flame still burned.
"She knows I'm here. The one behind all of this."
Rylen nodded. "Then we have to move first. Before she sends worse."