The Guardian and the Archon; The Cursed Shadow

s in th

eir jagged spires clawing at the dim sky, as though trying to hold back the sun's retreat. Shadows gathe

ks, and the scent of damp stone and burning wood filled his nostrils. His apprentice blacksmith's uniform clung to him, still warm and smelling

fading into the distance. He longed to reach the quiet of hi

ickened

n. He shook his head, brushing off the thought. It wasn't unusual for Ten

t shake the feelin

behind him. Kael glanced over his shoulder, his heart hammering in his chest. Nothi

lking, the cobblestones

h piercing eyes that seemed to gleam in the dim light. Kael froze, his i

he man said, his voi

wed hard. "W

adable. "I've been looking for you. There's no tim

s sharper than he intended, though

nstinctively moving to the small hammer strapped to his belt. But the stranger didn't dra

ke t

st the rough surface of the parchment. The moment he touched it, a str

mbol scrawled in black ink across the front. It looked like an eye su

your past, and the start of your future. Meet m

ed back into the shadows, his cloak blen

y in his hand. The sounds of the city seemed distant

tupor and hurried home, his th

-

and yeast constantly permeating the walls. He bolted the door behind him and l

folded the letter. Inside, a single line o

you find what

he was just a boy. He had no memories of her, only the stories his adoptive father told him:

gers catching on the tangles. Who was that man? How did

shadows on the walls seemed to shift with every flicker

his dreams

ual. Figures moved through the gloom, their eyes glowing faintly like ember

standing at the edge of a crumbling bridge. She reached out

ed, the name leaving

ged forward, swa

s skin damp with sweat. The faint gray light of d

-

out horseshoes and blades with more force than necessary. The rhythmic clang of metal

he city, staring at the silhouette of the old windmill. It had be

elt and stepped forward, his bo

yes watching his every move. The air was cold and dam

ould knock. Caleb-the stranger from the night before

to come," Caleb sa

"I want answers. Who are you? And

you need to understand something. Tenebrous isn't just a city of shado

"Enough with the riddles. Ju

k. "Patience, Kael. The truth is more dangerous than you reali

r leave his lungs

urks in Tenebrous. And if you're not careful, it wi