The cold wind blew through the dark streets of the capital, sweeping away the last traces of the day's warmth. Sylas stood beneath the massive walls of the city, his eyes scanning the gigantic gates before him. The city seemed asleep, yet an odd feeling lingered in the air, as though something sinister was hiding in the shadows.
Alira, at his side, adjusted her cloak and cast a worried glance toward the horizon. "Sylas... What awaits us inside?"
Sylas didn't answer immediately. His thoughts were still on his meeting with the man in the black cloak. The words echoed in his mind: "You're too late. The awakening has begun."
The awakening... He still didn't fully understand what it meant, but one thing was certain. The danger was closer than ever.
They crossed through the city gates without incident, shielded from prying eyes. The streets were strangely empty for such a large capital, and Sylas had the distinct feeling that the entire city was holding its breath. At every corner, flickering lanterns cast unsettling shadows, and every sound seemed amplified in the heavy silence.
"This isn't normal," murmured Alira as she surveyed the deserted alleys. "A capital like this should be alive, full of activity."
"Maybe that's what they want us to see," Sylas replied. "Nothing is ever what it seems."
They stopped in front of a modest tavern, hidden in a dark alley. This was a place Sylas knew well. He had sources here—informants and discreet allies. He hoped they'd find answers within. Without a word, they entered, the air thick with smoke and the scent of alcohol. The few patrons present whispered to one another, but none paid attention to the arrival of the two strangers.
They took a seat in a corner, their eyes scanning the familiar faces in the crowd. After a few moments, an older man, with graying hair and features weathered by time, approached their table. He wore a worn leather jacket, and his eyes glinted with a sharp intelligence.
"Sylas Drevin," he said in a low voice. "I knew you'd eventually return here."
Sylas nodded. "Master Harven. We need answers."
The old man sat down at their table without further question. "Answers…" he repeated, as if weighing the gravity of each word. "You've stepped into a swamp you'll never walk out of unscathed."
Sylas raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What do you mean by that?"
Harven lowered his voice, glancing around the room. "The capital is under the control of a secret group, older than the crown itself. They're everywhere, Sylas. On every street corner, in every alliance, every alley. Their sons are in the highest ranks of the kingdom, and their invisible hands manipulate everything."
Alira leaned forward, impatient. "Who are they?"
Harven sighed deeply, his face now etched with an anxiety he couldn't hide. "They call themselves The Chains. They serve only one master, and that master seeks to control what you carry within you."
Sylas felt a cold shiver run down his spine. The Chains. A name he had heard in whispers, but never in such a dark context.
"And the fragment I carry?" he asked, his tone more tense. "What do they truly want?"
Harven stared at Sylas, a silence heavy with meaning hanging between them. "The fragment... it's not just an artifact. It's the key. The key to something ancient and powerful. The power it holds could shift the balance of the world. And that is the power The Chains seek to wield for their own ends."
Sylas's heart began to race. "What kind of power?"
Harven shook his head. "It's more complicated than you think. If you continue down this path, you'll attract attention that could... be fatal."
Alira clenched her fists. "But we need to know. Sylas has to understand what he's carrying."
The old man stood up slowly, his eyes tired from years of secrets and invisible struggles. "The truth... you'll find it where it all began." He gestured vaguely toward the dark horizon. "But be careful. The Chains won't let you go alone."
With those words, he turned and disappeared into the crowd, like a shadow among shadows.
Sylas and Alira exchanged a look, both weighing the old man's words. They knew they were one step closer to danger, but there was no turning back now. The hour of truth had arrived.
"We have to find that place," Sylas murmured. "Where it all began."
Alira nodded, determined. "And we won't leave without answers."