The poison throbbed like a relentless drum beneath my skin, each pulse stealing strength from my limbs. Mira's makeshift poultice slowed its spread, but couldn't stop it. Darkness crept at the edges of my vision, a cold shadow threatening to claim me.
"We don't have long," I admitted, voice rough from dehydration and pain.
Ryn crouched beside me, eyes unreadable in the dim candlelight. "There's an antidote," she said quietly, "hidden deep in the Council's vaults. A secret reserve, guarded by spells and soldiers alike."
Loran scoffed. "Breaking into a Council vault is suicide."
"I'm not asking you to storm it," Ryn replied, calm but deadly. She pulled a small, twisting metal key from her cloak, runes flickering faintly.
"Where did you get that?" Mira asked, suspicion sharp in her voice.
"From a friend inside the Council," Ryn said. "It's not a master key, but it can bypass the outer wards. Fast enough to get in—and maybe out."
I swallowed hard. Poisoned, hunted, barely alive—this was insane. But it was the only shot.
"We move at dawn," I said, summoning what strength remained.
Hours crawled. I lay on the cot, each breath a battle against creeping numbness. Ryn sat nearby, restless.
"I never told you why I left the Serpents," she said softly, voice barely above a whisper.
I didn't answer. Some wounds weren't ready to be probed.
"I saw what they were becoming," she continued. "Monsters blinded by greed and bloodlust. I tried to fight from within… but they turned on me. The Council branded me a traitor, and the Serpents hunted me like a ghost."
Her gaze met mine, fierce and unyielding.
"If we fail… I want you to know why I'm here. Not for revenge. To make things right."
I wanted to believe her. Needed to.
"Then we end this," I said, voice stronger than I felt. "Together."
Dawn cut a silver thread through the night as we approached the Council's district. The city stirred, unaware that its fate hung by a fragile thread.
Ryn led us through forgotten alleys to an ivy-clad building, hidden behind marble facades.
"The vault is beneath this," she said, pressing the runed key against a hidden panel. A soft click echoed; the heavy door slid open with a hiss.
Inside, dust and enchantments thickened the air. Stone corridors twisted before us, guarded by silent wards and ancient traps. Ryn guided us past shimmering sigils and shadows that seemed alive.
At last, we reached the vault chamber. Massive doors loomed, etched with the Council's crest: a coiled serpent entwined with a silver crown.
Ryn studied the lock, fingers tracing the runes. "A test. Magic keyed to loyalty—or a token of trust."
"You have one?" I asked.
She nodded, producing a blood-red gem on a chain—the heart of the Vault Key, stolen long ago from a high-ranking official. She pressed it into a recessed socket. The doors rumbled open.
Inside, shelves gleamed with scrolls, potions, and ancient artifacts. I found the vial we sought: shimmering green liquid labeled Antidote to the Serpent's Fang.
Mira grabbed it. "This could save you."
Then the vault doors slammed shut. Steel grates dropped from the ceiling, trapping us.
"Ambush," Loran growled.
A dozen guards materialized from hidden alcoves, weapons drawn.
I drew my sword, feeling the poison tighten its grip.
"Stay close," Ryn said, eyes flashing.
The fight was brutal. Every clash of steel, every surge of magic echoed through the confined space. I barely dodged a dagger aimed at my throat, retaliating with a slash that sent a guard crashing into stone.
Mira hurled a vial of fire, scattering our enemies. Ryn moved like shadow and blade, her daggers a blur.
But the poison was winning. Vision blurred. Strength waned.
"Kael!" Mira shouted, tossing the antidote vial. I caught it just before my knees gave out. Hands trembling, I drank. The bitter liquid burned as it slid down my throat. For a moment, everything went black.
When I woke, I lay on the cold stone floor. The battle was over; guards lay unconscious or fleeing. Mira checked my pulse. "It's working."
Ryn helped me to my feet. "We need to move. This was a trap—but it's only the beginning."
Outside, Valenport had fully awakened. The Council's betrayal ran deeper than I feared.
But with Ryn and the others beside me, I felt something I hadn't in a long time: hope.
The fight wasn't over. Not by far.
But now… I had a chance to rewrite the story.