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Chapter 11: Ink Without Name
Kaelen stood beneath the fractured cathedral arch, Eclipse Shard still pulsing in his palm. His skin tingled, senses sharpened. The world around him felt slower, thicker, like it was made of oil and smoke.
Something was near.
Not a beast. Not a Sovereign.
Something quieter.
A scholar of death.
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Elsewhere, watching…
The Envoy crouched in a branchless tree of bone, masked face turned toward the ruins.
> "He touches the shard.
He does not break.
He alters the ladder's weight."
The scroll behind it bled a single drop of black ink.
The Envoy whispered:
> "Initiate soft contact. Embed deception."
It stepped into the dark.
And emerged behind Kaelen.
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Kaelen – Ruins of Lythas
Kaelen turned sharply, Eclipse Edge half-drawn—then paused.
The figure before him didn't radiate malice. No heat. No killing intent.
Only… observation.
It wore layered robes, moon-pale, edges fluttering without wind. The mask was smooth, featureless—except for a red ink dot at its center.
"Who are you?" Kaelen asked.
The figure tilted its head. Then it spoke—not aloud, but directly into his mind.
> "I am what follows. I am what records."
Kaelen narrowed his eyes. "A watcher?"
> "A scribe. A witness to deviation."
The wind finally moved—around the thing, not through it. Kaelen stepped back. His system buzzed like a warning scream held in check.
>
"Why are you following me?"
The figure raised one sleeve, revealing a scroll of skin and ink. Upon it, Kaelen's face.
Then a second scroll—blank.
> "This one waits to be written," it said. "The ending depends on you."
Kaelen's eyes flashed.
"Then I'll write it myself."
He activated Sovereign Pulse.
The air collapsed inward.
Shadows surged.
The Envoy didn't flinch.
Instead, it smiled—beneath the mask.
And disappeared.
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>
Trackers from the Pale Archive have noticed your ascent. Deviation now has consequences. ]
First Objective: Survive the Marking Period (3 days)
Reward: ???
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Kaelen lowered his weapon.
He wasn't alone anymore.
But he'd never been further from safety.
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