Chapter 10: Oaths Under the Moons
The spears bristled above the gate, torchlight flickering against hardened faces. Elias's heart thundered as the system's countdown pulsed across his vision.
> [00:00:12… 00:00:11…]
The young woman on the wall stood unflinching, her cloak rippling in the night wind. "Swear it, stranger. By the twin moons. Mean us no harm—or be cut down where you stand."
Elias swallowed, chest burning from the tether to his warriors. He had two choices: lie and suffer whatever trap the system had prepared… or speak the truth and risk becoming an outcast before he even stepped inside.
His voice cracked as he raised his gaze to the moons. "I swear… by the moons above. I mean you no harm."
The system flared in response.
> [Choice Logged: Honesty.]
Warning: Partial Disclosure Triggered.]
A wave of heat surged through his skull, and for a brief instant his bound warriors moved as if controlled by something else. Their eyes blazed brighter, their presence undeniable to the guards. Gasps and curses echoed along the wall.
"Spirits curse him," one guard spat. "He commands the dead!"
Arrows notched. Spears lowered.
But the woman raised her hand. "Hold!" Her eyes narrowed, calculating. "Not the dead… something else." She studied Elias as if weighing him like gold dust on a scale. "What are you, stranger?"
Elias's chest heaved. "A man. Nothing more."
The system chimed, sharp as broken glass:
> [Echo IV Progress: 42%]
Condition: Gain trust of one resident.]
The woman's lips twitched into something between suspicion and curiosity. "A man with monsters at his heels. My name is Captain Seris of Ashwood. I decide who enters. And right now, you walk a line between guest and enemy."
Elias's bound warriors shifted behind him. The tether tugged painfully, as if urging him to attack, to break the tension with blood. He forced them still, jaw clenched.
Seris's eyes flicked to the girl beside him, who stood serene in the torchlight. "And her?"
The girl smiled faintly. "A companion."
Something flickered in Seris's gaze. Distrust. Wariness. But also… opportunity. She turned back to Elias. "Very well. You'll come inside. But you'll do so under guard, and you'll keep those things away from my people. If they step one foot beyond you, my archers will loose without hesitation. Do you understand?"
Elias nodded, relief and dread swirling in equal measure.
The system pulsed one last time:
> [Echo IV Progress: 73%]
Sub-Objective Unlocked: Survive one night in Ashwood.]
The gates groaned open. Torches lit the path inward. Seris gestured for him to follow, her eyes never leaving his bound warriors.
The girl leaned close, her whisper coiling like smoke. "You've bought trust… for now. But every oath has a price, Elias. And the system never forgets."
As Elias stepped through the gate, he felt the weight of a hundred eyes on him—fearful, hostile, curious. The gates slammed shut behind, sealing him inside a new cage.