Chapter 86 – The Covenant’s Sanctum

The Black Covenant moved like shadows, weaving through the forest without sound. Kael and Aria followed warily, their steps heavy against the earth compared to the assassins’ ghostly silence.

After hours of travel, the trees gave way to stone. A cavern mouth yawned before them, hidden behind a curtain of roots. Torches lined the entrance, burning with pale blue flame.

Aria’s hand never left her blade. “This is a trap,” she muttered.

Kael didn’t answer. The shadows at his feet tugged him forward, almost urging him inside.

They descended into the darkness.

The cavern opened into a vast underground hall. Pillars carved with spiraling runes stretched high into unseen heights. At the center stood a circular dais, its surface marked with ancient glyphs that pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat. Around it, Covenant members knelt in prayer, their voices weaving into a low, humming chant.

The leader raised his hands. The chanting stopped.

“This is the Sanctum,” he said. “Built long before the false gods poisoned the world. Here, shadow and flesh meet as one.”

Kael’s gaze drifted to the dais. The glyphs glowed brighter, resonating with his presence. The shadows around him rose, whispering in tongues he couldn’t understand—but felt in his bones.

Aria’s voice broke through the silence. “You brought us here to what? Worship him? Use him?”

The leader’s eyes glimmered. “Neither. To awaken him. The power you wield, Kael, is not yours by chance. It is a fragment of something older, greater. We would see it restored… and in return, you will lead us.”

The Covenant bowed as one, their voices echoing:

“Bearer of the Shadow, Breaker of Chains.”

Kael’s chest tightened. His instincts screamed to refuse, to destroy this cult before it ensnared him. But another part of him—the part that remembered betrayal, the fire, the chains—wondered if they were right.

The leader stepped closer, lowering his voice. “The Inquisitors will burn this world to ash. But with us, you will burn them instead. Decide, Kael: will you remain prey… or become predator?”

Kael looked to Aria. Her eyes were wary, defiant, but also searching his. She would follow his choice, even into the abyss.

The shadows around him stirred violently, as if eager for his answer.

And Kael realized—this choice might not be his alone.