The first sign that something was wrong wasn't the alarms—it was the silence that came before them. Reid was walking the outer corridor, the distant hum of machinery echoing through the walls, when everything stilled. The air felt heavy, charged, like a storm was waiting to break. He slowed his steps, eyes scanning the dimly lit hall.
Then the lights flickered, once, twice, before stabilizing. The Bond stirred faintly, its tone different this time—quiet, almost curious. "They come again, but not to fight."
The alarms erupted a moment later, piercing the stillness. Holt's voice crackled over the comms, urgent but controlled: "Perimeter breach detected. Units to the east wall."
Reid was already moving before the order finished, boots pounding against metal as soldiers rushed past him. They threw glances his way but said nothing. At the wall, floodlights cut through the fog, illuminating shifting shapes in the mist.
A single Exile emerged, the same emissary from before. Hooded and still, it stood just outside the range of the lights, hands empty and visible. The soldiers aimed rifles, tension thick enough to choke.
Holt stepped forward. "State your purpose."
The emissary's voice carried without effort, clear and calm. "I bring a summons for the one who carries the mark. He must come to us."
Selene's arrival was a cold shadow behind Holt. Her voice was sharp. "You're trespassing on council ground. Give me a reason not to end you here."
The emissary tilted its head, the tattoos beneath its hood glowing faintly. "Because your weapons cannot kill what walks with me."
The soldiers tightened their grips. Reid stepped forward slowly, ignoring Mara's hand on his arm. "You're looking for me," he said.
The emissary's gaze locked on him, cutting through the distance. "Yes. You are marked, and our leader wishes to speak with you. Refuse, and you will face what hunts in the dark without understanding it."
The Bond's voice slithered through his thoughts. "They dare to summon us? Kill them, host. Kill them before they speak too much."
Selene's eyes narrowed at the exchange. "This conversation is over. You have ten seconds to leave."
The emissary raised a hand—not in threat, but in farewell. "We will wait. Not long." With that, it dissolved back into the fog, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.
System text burned across Reid's vision:
[Hidden Quest Activated: Parley with the Exiles – Time Sensitive]
[Warning: Council Opposition Expected]
Selene turned to him, her voice low and cold. "Do not take one step toward them without my order."
Mara gripped his arm harder. "Promise me you won't go."
The Bond chuckled, the sound like broken glass. "Promise her a lie. We're going."
The following night, the factory fell under an uneasy quiet. Soldiers patrolled the walls with more intensity than usual, their silhouettes moving like ghosts under the floodlights. Reid stood near the eastern gate, gear packed and ready, though no official order had been given. Every instinct screamed that if he waited for council approval, the chance would vanish.
Mara found him there, her expression tight. "You're going, aren't you?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Her hand gripped his arm, desperate. "They'll kill you for this."
"I have to know why they called me," he said. "Whatever they know about this Bond—it's something no one else can give me."
She swallowed hard, eyes glinting. "Then don't die out there."
Lira appeared from the shadows with a wry grin. "Figures you'd sneak off. Need someone to keep an eye on you?"
Reid shook his head. "Not this time."
The Bond purred. "She'd only slow us down."
Before Mara or Lira could argue, Reid slipped into the mist beyond the gate, his footsteps silent on the damp earth. The fog swallowed him whole, the factory lights fading into a faint glow behind him.
Hours passed in near silence. The terrain shifted from cracked asphalt to uneven ground covered in strange black growths that pulsed faintly underfoot. The air carried a sharp metallic scent mixed with something sweet and rotting. Veil Sense pulsed in waves—he was being watched.
Shapes moved between the distant trees, too quick to track. Reid's knife was already in his hand when a voice spoke from the fog ahead.
"You came."
The emissary stepped forward, its hood drawn back just enough to reveal glowing blue eyes. "Follow me. Speak little. The land listens, and it does not like strangers."
Reid followed, his grip tight. The Bond's voice was low, almost pleased. "They lead you deeper. Good. Let's see what secrets they hide."
The mist thinned as they entered a valley lit by dozens of glowing crystals embedded in the ground. Makeshift tents formed a ring around a central fire, and dozens of Exiles watched silently as Reid entered. Their tattoos pulsed with light, the patterns shifting like living things.
A tall warrior woman stepped forward, her presence commanding. Unlike the others, her tattoos burned brighter, and she carried herself with the ease of a predator. "You are the one they call the Marked," she said, her voice cool but curious. "I am Kaela."
Reid kept his voice steady. "You wanted to speak with me."
Kaela's gaze swept over him, lingering. "Not just speak. To see if the stories are true. To see if you are worth what comes next."
The Bond hissed, almost eagerly. "She's strong. I like her. Break her, or bind her."
Kaela turned, motioning for him to follow. "Our leader waits. Do not draw your weapon unless you wish to die."
Reid stepped into the circle of firelight, surrounded by silent Exiles whose eyes glowed like embers. At the far end, a cloaked figure rose, its voice deep and resonant. "The Marked One walks among us. At last."
The cloaked leader of the Exiles stood at the center of the firelight, their presence commanding silence from the gathered crowd. The flames cast shifting shadows across their face, making it impossible to discern their age or expression. Only the faint glow of their tattoos marked them as something more than human.
"You've walked into our home, knowing the council would end you for this," the leader said. "Why?"
Reid met the figure's glowing eyes. "Because you called me. You claim to know what hunts us. If that's true, I need answers."
The leader studied him for a long moment, then spoke with a voice that seemed to vibrate in the air. "Answers require trust. Trust requires proof. You will undergo our trial."
Kaela stepped forward, spear in hand. "He will stand in the Circle. If he survives, he is worthy to hear what we know. If not…" Her tone softened only slightly. "Then his blood feeds the ground he walks."
The Bond stirred, eager. "A test. Good. Let me loose, and it will be done in moments."
Reid's grip tightened on his knife. "What's the trial?"
Kaela's lips curved into a faint smile. "You will step into the fissure. There, the shadows of destruction take form. You face them alone, without your council tricks. Only your will and your strength decide if you walk back."
The gathered Exiles parted, revealing a jagged crack in the ground beyond the camp. Black mist rose from it, and the air above shimmered with heat. Reid felt the Bond pulse against his skin, as if the fissure itself was calling to it.
He glanced at Kaela. "And if I win?"
"Then you earn our truth," she said, stepping closer, her eyes locking with his. "And perhaps more."
The Bond chuckled. "She tempts you. Interesting."
Reid stepped toward the fissure. The crowd's chanting began, low and rhythmic, building with every step he took. Kaela walked beside him until the edge, where she stopped, her voice carrying over the chants. "Enter, Marked One. Prove yourself."
He drew his knife and jumped into the darkness below.
The world twisted as he fell, the heat of the fissure giving way to cold mist that clung to his skin. When he landed, the ground beneath him pulsed like a living thing. Shadows shifted at the edge of his vision, and whispers echoed all around. The air smelled of rot and ozone.
Shapes emerged from the dark—beasts of destruction, their bodies dripping black smoke, their eyes burning like coals. There were three, circling, their growls reverberating through the fissure.
System text burned across the air around him:
[Trial Initiated: Circle of Shadows]
[Objective: Survive]
[Reward: Exile Alliance]
The Bond roared in his head, almost ecstatic. "Yes! This is our proving ground. Let me show them what you really are."
Reid set his stance, blade ready, heart pounding. "Not yet," he muttered, and the first shadow beast lunged.
The first shadow beast lunged from the mist, its body twisting unnaturally, limbs elongating mid-strike. Reid rolled aside, the ground hissing where its claws scraped. He came up low, slashing across its flank. Black smoke hissed from the wound, the creature recoiling with a screech that echoed through the fissure.
Two more emerged, circling him with predatory patience. Their glowing eyes fixed on him as they prowled, their movements unnerving in their fluidity. The Bond pulsed inside his head, its voice sharp and electric. "They are nothing. Tear them apart."
Reid's knife caught the faint light of the fissure as he spun, meeting the charge of the second beast with a clean strike that cut across its throat. The shadow writhed, dissipating into black mist that faded into the ground. But before he could recover, the third creature hit him like a hammer, sending him sprawling.
Pain flared through his ribs, but he forced himself up. The Bond surged, pressing against his control. "Let me in, host. You're wasting time."
"No," Reid growled, spitting blood. "Not yet."
The surviving beasts grew more aggressive, their movements faster, more erratic. One lunged high while the other swept low, forcing Reid to twist away narrowly. His knife flashed, cutting deep into one's shoulder, but claws raked across his side in return. He staggered, vision swimming.
The Bond's laughter rose, chaotic and eager. "You bleed because you hold me back. Call me, and I'll show them power."
Reid's pulse thundered in his ears. As the two beasts closed in for the kill, he finally gave in. "Fine."
The Bond exploded through him like fire, strength flooding his limbs, senses sharpening to an almost painful degree. The world slowed to a crawl. He surged forward, his movements now a blur. The first beast never had a chance—his blade tore through its chest in a single motion, dispersing it into smoke. He spun, catching the last by the throat, driving the knife up under its jaw until it shattered into black mist.
The fissure fell silent. The pulsing ground stilled. Reid dropped to one knee, gasping as the Bond's influence clawed at his control, eager to stay. With sheer will, he forced it back, the burning subsiding slowly.
The mist thinned, and faint light poured into the fissure. Reid climbed out to the sound of chanting that rose to a triumphant pitch. The Exiles stood around the fissure, their tattoos glowing brighter. Kaela stepped forward, her gaze fierce but approving.
"You lived," she said. "You did not just survive—you dominated."
Reid sheathed his knife, still catching his breath. "I'm here. Now give me the answers you promised."
Kaela nodded, stepping aside to let the cloaked leader approach. "You have proven yourself, Marked One. The truths we guard are yours to hear. But with truth comes burden. Are you ready to carry it?"
The Bond purred, satisfied. "Yes. Take it. Knowledge is power, and power is ours."
Reid's jaw tightened. "Tell me."
The leader raised a hand, and the crowd fell silent. "Then listen well, for what we reveal tonight will change everything you thought you knew about the Bond you carry."