Location: Hidden refuge on the outskirts of IskarraTime: Pre-dawn, heavy with quiet tension
The safehouse was cloaked in silence, broken only by the faint crackle of leyline wards flickering weakly.
Kael paced, restless.The scholar sat, fingers trembling over the glowing journals.
The Shattering
Suddenly, the heavy door slammed open.
A figure emerged from the darkness — a mercenary masked in shadow, blade glinting cold.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"You betrayed us."
The scholar's gaze hardened.
"How deep does this go?"
The Reveal
The mercenary's voice was a cruel whisper.
"The Veilborn promised power.But loyalty to the Accord runs deeper for some."
Kael's hand twitched toward his dagger.
"You sold us out."
The scholar's eyes flickered with pain and resolve.
"Then we're not just fighting the Crown — we're fighting them."
A Desperate Escape
Chaos erupted — spells ignited, wards flared.
The scholar and Kael fought side by side, back to back, weaving through collapsing passages.
Outside, the city awaited — a maze of allies and enemies, trust and treachery.
Aftermath
Breath ragged, wounds burning, they paused beneath the twisted roots of an ancient tree.
Kael's voice was low, raw:
"We survive this — but we need new allies. And better guards."
The scholar nodded, eyes scanning the dark horizon.
"The war for the Hollow Crown isn't just against the fragments…It's against every shadow that hunts us."