rowan, cass, and lynx moved cautiously through valemire's shadowed streets, mira wraith guiding them. the city was alive with the hum of mana, every lamp, every street stall, every merchant infused with it. but tonight, the glow felt oppressive, like a cage built from gold and light.
"stay close," mira whispered, leading them down an alley thick with smoke and refuse. "the streets aren't safe for marked men."
cass peeked around the corner, hands still on his rifle. "marked men? we're famous now, buddy. like… royalty in the wrong neighborhood."
lynx growled low. "famous isn't the word i'd use."
rowan's eyes scanned the rooftops. shadows flickered and twisted unnaturally, the faint glimmer of rune-tattoed sentries visible if you knew where to look. the phoenix family didn't just control the city — they moved through it like ghosts.
"do all the guards look like that?" cass asked, pointing to a pair of silver-armored figures across the street. glowing blue lines ran across their pauldrons and gauntlets, sigils pulsing faintly.
mira shook her head. "no. those are enforcers imbued with distilled noble mana. they don't question orders. they don't hesitate. and they'll kill on sight if they see your mark."
rowan's pulse quickened. "then we can't be seen. not for a second."
they slipped through narrow alleys, mira moving with uncanny silence. the closer they got to the center of the capital, the thicker the air became with tension, each street crowded with merchants and nobility, all oblivious to the danger that stalked just above their heads.
a sudden clatter echoed from a nearby rooftop. rowan froze, drawing his revolver. cass followed suit, while lynx crouched, tails flicking with anticipation.
from the shadows, a figure dropped silently onto the cobblestones. a young boy — no older than twelve — wore tattered clothes and held a bundle of glowing papers. he froze when he saw them, wide-eyed.
"you…" rowan started.
the boy's voice was a whisper. "i'm… mira sent me. for… instructions."
mira stepped forward, eyes narrowing. "good. you brought the documents?"
the boy handed her a stack of papers, tied with a thin cord. "the patrol routes… the guard rotations… the nobility's schedules. i memorized them."
rowan frowned. "you expect a child to memorize all that?"
mira gave him a sharp look. "he's survived by being unseen. children like him learn to watch, to remember, to hide. he's more dangerous than most men i've met."
cass leaned down to whisper to rowan. "man, if he's that good at hiding, i need lessons. i'm terrible at it."
rowan ignored him, eyes scanning the street again. their path to the phoenix estate — the golden spire rising above the city — was heavily patrolled. every few steps, faint traces of mana rippled along the walls. a single misstep would alert dozens of enforcers.
"we move at night," mira instructed, checking the papers again. "the capital rests in light, but the shadows are alive. stay in them."
they slipped into a darkened corridor between two merchant buildings. the walls were lined with old pipes and rusted conduits, carrying both water and residual mana energy. rowan felt the hum of mana brushing against his skin — a subtle reminder of the loki crystal inside him, unstable and impatient.
"keep your emotions in check," lynx murmured, her tails flicking like warning signals. "the crystal senses anger and fear. if it flares, it'll draw attention."
rowan swallowed. "i know."
cass, for once, stayed quiet, eyes darting up at the rooftops as if expecting attack at any moment.
hours passed as they moved like ghosts, navigating narrow alleys and abandoned buildings. mira led them past guard checkpoints, guiding them with precision. every step felt like a gamble, every shadow a potential ambush.
finally, they reached a courtyard at the phoenix estate's outer perimeter. the spire towered above them, golden and flawless, its windows glowing with mana-light. a river of guards flowed along the gates, patrolling in rhythm, while magical wards glimmered faintly in the air — invisible until a keen eye caught their outline.
mira crouched beside them, whispering. "we need to get past the outer patrol. there's a side entrance — less guarded, but heavily warded. only someone with divine mana could slip through without triggering it."
rowan's pulse quickened. he flexed his hand subtly, feeling the loki crystal inside him stir. his veins tingled with raw, divine energy, unstable and dangerous.
"i can do it," he said quietly, almost to himself.
"don't overdo it," mira warned. "you're not invincible. one flare, and the wards will scream, and the enforcers will be here in minutes."
rowan nodded, taking a deep breath. he focused, letting the divine mana flow like smoke around him. channeling it carefully, he reached out with his senses, feeling the wards — alive, intricate, like threads of light stretched across the courtyard.
cass peeked over his shoulder. "looks like magic spaghetti. you sure you know what you're doing?"
rowan's eyes glowed faintly gold. "just watch."
step by step, he guided them across the courtyard. the divine mana hummed, stabilizing the unstable wards long enough to slip past. each movement required concentration, patience, and precise control. even a slight tremor would have triggered an alarm.
they reached the side gate, marked by a single phoenix emblem carved into black stone. rowan exhaled quietly, lowering his glow, and signaled the others to move.
"inside," mira whispered, "is where the real challenge begins. the phoenix family doesn't guard the outer walls for protection. they guard it to see who survives long enough to enter."
lynx's eyes narrowed. "so, it's a test… or a trap."
"both," mira said. "they want to know if you're a threat. if you are, they'll send everything they have to stop you before you can learn their secrets."
cass rubbed his hands together nervously. "well, nothing like a little danger to spice up your night, huh?"
rowan's jaw tightened. "we're not here for fun. every step we take, we get closer to the truth about the phoenix family, about my father, and about… what's really inside me."
the trio stepped through the gate, shadows swallowing them. behind, the capital gleamed like a cage of gold and light, beautiful from afar but deadly up close. every step forward pulled them deeper into the heart of corruption, deeper into the phoenix family's world — and deeper into a storm they might not survive.
rowan flexed his revolver hand. divine mana whispered in his veins, a promise and a warning. he glanced at lynx and cass.
"stay sharp," he said. "they'll know we're coming. and when they do… we hit harder than they ever imagined."
above them, the phoenix estate's golden spire pierced the night sky, a blazing symbol of power and control. somewhere within, secrets waited — about the phoenix family, the loki crystal, and the fate of a world built on blood and mana.
and for the outlaws, the real journey had only just begun.