The next morning, Grimwald woke with a low, grinding rumble. The fog that had clung to the Rust District during the night had begun to lift, but the air was still thick with smoke, coal dust, and the faint tang of something rotten. The canals glistened black, reflecting the crooked chimneys and the skeletal towers of the city. Even from a distance, one could see the iron bridges sagging beneath years of neglect, their shadows stretching like claws across the water.
Elias stepped out of his tenement, Codex tucked beneath his coat. Shade followed, a silent guardian of darkness, gliding beside him as naturally as if it were part of the fog itself. The events of the previous day—his first bound shadow, his confrontation with the Ashen Guild enforcers—had left him both exhilarated and wary.
He knew the city was watching.
---
The Shadow Market
His destination was the Shadow Market, an underground bazaar known to few and spoken of in whispers. Here, anything could be bought or traded—artifacts, forbidden texts, poisons, memories, and even contracts binding shadows to human will. To outsiders, it was a rumor, a myth. To those in Grimwald who knew survival meant more than mere coin, it was a lifeline.
The entrance was hidden in an alley behind the Canal District. A rusted gate swung open with a groan, and Elias descended narrow, winding stairs into the belly of the city. The air changed immediately: warmer, thick with incense and the tang of iron. Flickering lanterns illuminated faces hidden beneath hoods, and tables were stacked high with curiosities.
A merchant beckoned him closer. She was small, wiry, with black hair streaked with gray, and eyes sharp enough to pierce through any lie.
"You've brought something new," she said, nodding toward the coat under which the Codex lay. "I can feel it. A shadow-bound bearer. Not many step into the market with such… energy."
Elias hesitated. "I—yes. I have something, but I'm not sure what it is yet."
The merchant smiled faintly. "Most are never sure at first. Power comes with risk. And Grimwald… Grimwald does not forgive mistakes."
She handed him a small bronze coin, stamped with the twisted tower of Grimwald. "This is a Gryns. You will need many more if you intend to walk these streets alive. But the market will give you more than mere coin—you can trade knowledge, artifacts, or shadows."
Elias's fingers brushed the coin. Warm. Solid. Tangible. Yet beneath it, he felt the pull of the Codex, whispering silently, urging him forward.
---
The First Lesson
He found a quiet corner and laid the Codex on a worn table. Shade coiled around his feet, still formless, watching the activity with a predator's patience. Elias opened the book. Its pages quivered as though breathing.
One shadow bound. Ninety-nine remain.
He traced the letters with his finger. The Codex pulsed beneath his touch. The first is simple. Obedience is power. The next requires understanding.
Elias frowned. "Understanding… how?"
Observe. Learn. Bind what is willing, and shape what resists.
His mind wandered to the shadows he had already encountered. Shade had obeyed instantly when he had given it a name. But he had seen, in the flickers of Grimwald's alleys, shadows that moved without permission. Shadows that belonged to others.
The thought unsettled him. He would need allies. Or he would die.
---
A Stranger Approaches
A quiet shuffle at the table's edge drew his attention. A man leaned close, hood drawn low. Unlike the merchants and beggars surrounding him, he carried no wares. His eyes were pale blue, almost unnatural, and his presence radiated a subtle authority.
"You bear the Codex," the man said softly. "I have felt its stirrings. The first shadow… yes. I have seen such power before. But you will need guidance if you intend to survive."
Elias's pulse quickened. "Who are you?"
The man's lips curved faintly. "Call me Corvan. I serve no guild, yet I watch the shadows and the Codices alike. Grimwald is old, Elias. Older than its towers. Older than its guilds. And power such as yours… it does not go unnoticed."
He leaned closer, his breath faintly smelling of ash and ink. "There are three guilds that matter. Ashen Guild—mercenaries, enforcers, debt collectors. Silent Choir—those who bind shadows to will, using memory as currency. And the Moon & Gear Society—scholars of the old arts, steampunk and occult knowledge fused into machinery and magic."
Elias felt a chill. "And they… will notice me?"
Corvan nodded. "Already. Every shadow-bound bearer is a target. Some will want your Codex. Others will want your life. Learn quickly. Bind wisely. And never trust easily."
---
The Cost of Knowledge
Corvan handed him a thin scroll. Symbols crawled across its surface, glowing faintly. "This is the Ledger of Binding. A guide, of sorts. Follow it, and you may strengthen your shadows, or learn new ones. Fail, and… Grimwald will consume you."
Elias unfurled the scroll. Inside were detailed instructions for binding additional shadows, hints at names, rituals, and sacrifices. It spoke of energy—both life and memory—that could be traded for obedience.
Memory? Elias whispered. Sacrifice a memory for power?
All knowledge comes with cost, the Codex murmured in his mind.
He understood then. Power was not given freely. Survival in Grimwald demanded risk, cunning, and the willingness to pay the price—sometimes more than he was ready to imagine.
---
A Glimpse of the Future
By evening, Elias returned to his tenement. Gryns were gone, but he had gained something more valuable: insight. A map of the city's shadowy veins, the guilds that ruled them, and the knowledge that each bound shadow was a step closer to true mastery.
Shade slithered silently around his legs, waiting. Elias set the Codex on the table and spoke its name. The shadow responded instantly, fluid, obedient. But now, a flicker of curiosity glimmered in Elias's mind.
How far can this go? How many shadows can I bind?
Outside, the fog crept in through the streets, curling around towers and alleys like a living thing. Somewhere in the city, the masked figure watched. Somewhere, other bearers stirred.
Elias pressed his palms against the table, feeling the weight of the Codex and the whisper of the shadows.
One shadow bound. Ninety-nine remain.
And he knew, with a certainty that chilled him and exhilarated him at once, that Grimwald had only just begun to test him.
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