The road curved upward into the cliffs, and beyond them, the capital finally came into view.
Caldrath.
A city of white walls and bronze spires, surrounded by vast rivers and towers that pierced the clouds. Smoke drifted from forge chimneys. Bells rang faintly across the rooftops. And above it all, a great bronze statue of the First King stood—sword raised toward the sun.
Kieran stood at the crest of the hill for a long while, just watching. In all the books he'd read, nothing had prepared him for its scale. It was a city of stories, of legends—and now, his footsteps would be part of it.
He adjusted the strap on his pack and stepped forward.
The City Within
Caldrath was louder than he imagined. Horses clattered on cobblestones. Merchants barked in a dozen tongues. The scent of spiced bread, smoke, and something vaguely magical filled the air. It overwhelmed the senses.
But the moment he passed through the gate, he noticed the stares.
Not cruel like Eldoria's—but curious. Wary. His black cloak, pale skin, and crimson eyes drew whispers.
"Another cursed blood…"
"Is he one of them?"
Kieran kept his head down. But the rumors had already beaten him here.
He made his way through the city toward a towering building of black stone and steel—arched like a cathedral, pulsing with the hum of enchantment.
The Adventurer's Guild.
Inside the Guild
A woman with a single silver eye greeted him at the desk.
"Name?" she asked, not glancing up.
"Kieran."
She paused. Then looked him in the eye. "...Voidborne?"
He hesitated. Then nodded.
She didn't flinch. "Interesting. You're the second this month."
That caught him off-guard. "Second?"
She handed him a silver plate etched with the Guild's crest. "Your registration is provisional. That means we'll be watching. Closely. You'll be given low-level tasks until we see how… stable you are."
Kieran narrowed his eyes. "And the other one?"
She didn't answer. Just smirked.
"Ask around," she said. "But be careful who you trust. Not all cursed blood wears a calm face."
Later That Night
Kieran found a room in the Guild's lower barracks. Small. Bare. But safe.
He stared at the ceiling long after the candle burned low.
Another Voidborne. In Caldrath. Alive.
Was it coincidence? Or fate?
And more importantly… had they seen the Whisperer too?
Next Chapter Preview:
Chapter Six: The Blood That Whispers
Kieran's first mission takes him outside the city walls to investigate strange disappearances near an abandoned ruin. But what he finds isn't a monster—it's another Voidborne. One who did not survive the Whisperer's test unchanged.