The fog had lifted just enough for Grimwald's morning light to seep weakly into the Rust District, but it did little to make the streets less grim. Smoke rose from the furnaces, curling in brown tendrils through the dim sun. Elias's boots splashed through puddles blackened with coal residue and grime, each step echoing in the quiet alleys.
The Codex lay under his coat, warm against his chest. Its whispers had not stopped since last night. The book seemed alive, responding to his heartbeat, nudging him toward paths he had never dared to imagine.
Today, you learn to command. Today, you step closer to the first page of your destiny, it murmured.
Elias kept his eyes on the streets. People moved like shadows themselves: merchants with soot-stained hands, street urchins darting between carts, and guild enforcers in gray uniforms stamped with the city emblem.
He remembered the words from yesterday: One shadow bound. Ninety-nine remain.
A shadow. He had spoken a name—Shade—and the darkness had answered. It lingered in the corners of his room, silent, waiting, obedient. Now, walking among others, he wondered if the creature followed him. Did it move beneath the cobblestones? Did it watch from the rooftops?
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The Market
He entered the Canal District, where the narrow streets opened into a small market. Merchants shouted over the murmur of the canals, peddling greasy bread, tarnished trinkets, and cheap fabrics. The currency here was Gryns, small bronze coins stamped with Grimwald's crest: a twisted tower with a crescent moon behind it. Elias counted the few coins he had left, realizing they would not last long.
Food. Shelter. Safety. He would need more if he intended to survive this new existence.
A vendor, a rotund man with a scar slicing across his cheek, noticed Elias staring at the coins in his hand.
"New face?" he asked, voice rough as gravel. "You're short, kid. Gryns don't grow on trees, and shadows don't pay the rent."
Elias's stomach growled. "I… I'll manage," he said, more to himself than to the vendor.
The man snorted and turned to bark at another customer. Elias moved past the market stalls, keeping to the shadows. He could feel the presence of Shade nearby, coiling, almost impatient.
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A Shadow in the Alley
A small alley split off from the market. Its bricks were slick with damp, and a stench of rot rose from a hidden sewer drain. As he walked down it, Shade materialized fully beside him. Unlike the creeping darkness from last night, it now had a form—thin, formless, shifting constantly. Its "eyes" glowed faintly, a pale blue, and it mirrored his movements almost perfectly.
First lesson, the Codex whispered, do not fear the shadow. Do not hesitate. Command, and it will obey.
Elias swallowed. "Shade… wait here," he instructed, testing his voice. The shadow halted mid-step, flowing like liquid, then bowed slightly before resuming its place by his side.
A thrill shot through him. The power was raw, unrefined, but undeniably his.
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The First Encounter
As he emerged from the alley, two figures blocked the street. Their uniforms marked them as Ashen Guild enforcers—mercenaries known for taking debts, delivering warnings, or silencing threats. One of them, a tall man with a jagged scar across his right eye, stepped forward.
"You there," the man said, voice cold and sharp. "Haven't seen you around. New to Grimwald?"
Elias tightened his grip on the Codex. "Just passing through," he said cautiously.
The enforcer's eyes narrowed. "Passing through Rust District without a permit is dangerous. And wandering with… that," he nodded toward the faint glow beneath Elias's coat, "can be fatal."
Elias's pulse quickened. This is it, he thought. A first test.
Before he could react, the shadow coiled forward, a living tendril of darkness. It lashed toward the enforcer, wrapping around his boots, making him stumble. His companion drew a dagger, shouting.
Elias's hands shook. "Stop! Shade, stop!"
The creature froze, hovering like liquid in midair, waiting. Elias realized the Codex did not just allow him to summon—it required him to command with clarity.
"Back!" he shouted. The shadow recoiled like a whip, striking the second enforcer's legs. They fell with a startled grunt, scrabbling in panic.
By the time Elias had backed away, the alley was empty. The enforcers fled, shouting warnings over their shoulders.
Elias's hands trembled. The Codex whispered approvingly:
You see? Shadows follow. Obedience is power, power is survival. The city notices. And some watch closely.
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Understanding the Cost
Elias returned to his tenement that night, exhausted but exhilarated. Shade remained, silent and watchful. He realized survival would not come from skill alone, but from cunning, fear, and command over the shadows.
He counted his remaining Gryns, noting that supplies in Grimwald were scarce. If he wanted allies, he would need currency. If he wanted power, he would need shadows. And if he wanted to understand the Codex, he would need knowledge—of the city, the guilds, and the men who whispered about artifacts that could bind life itself.
The Codex pulsed against his chest, as though laughing at him, or testing him. One shadow bound. Ninety-nine remain. Seek the second. Learn the price of obedience.
Elias's jaw tightened. The path was clear. Power demanded sacrifice, whether it was coin, safety, or memory. He had already begun paying the first toll.
Outside, Grimwald's fog curled into the windows, thick and patient. And in the corners of the room, Shade shifted, waiting for the commands that would shape the next step.
Elias closed his eyes and whispered a promise.
"I will master this. No one will control me. Not Grimwald, not the guilds, not even shadows."
The Codex pulsed. We shall see, Elias Veyrin. We shall see.
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