The copper-colored water was as cold as ice. Aarav's teeth were chattering, but it wasn't just from the cold. It was the chill of betrayal that had frozen him to the bone.
Rohan.
The name echoed in his mind like a cracked bell. How? Why? A sea of questions raged inside him. Hiding in the shadow of the broken boats, he tried to control his breathing. With every exhale, a plume of steam escaped his lips. He felt the compass hidden under his shirt. Its red throb beat against his chest like a sick heart.
'Calm down, Aarav. Think.' He told himself. Kael's training hadn't just taught him how to wield a sword; it had taught him how to remain calm under pressure.
He peeked out from behind the edge of a boat. Up on the deck of the *Starling Gale*, Rohan stood like a conquering king, his sword still drawn. Liora stood helplessly, her face white with fear. The three pirates were blocking the way up from the dock.
"Where did you go, Aarav?" Rohan's voice echoed across the cove. "Are you going to hide? Like you always do? Come out! Or maybe I'll carve a little mark on your friend's pretty face."
Aarav's hands clenched into fists. He knew Rohan was capable of it. He was capable of anything.
'Where are Mara and Kael?' He was worried about them. Was Grak also part of this conspiracy? Had they too walked into a trap?
No. He had to trust. He had to trust his friends.
He looked around. Smuggler's Cove was a dump. Broken crates, torn ropes, and a strange stench coming from every direction. But he had to find his way through this filth. His plan had changed now. It wasn't enough to just find Grak. He had to deal with Rohan, too.
He slipped out of the water and melted into the shadows, like a ghost running from its own past.
---
Meanwhile, Mara and Kael were walking through a narrow, dark alley. Suspicious eyes watched them from every corner. Every face here told a story—of betrayal, of defeat, or of the stubborn will to survive.
"I really don't like this place," Mara said quietly, her hand on her steam-gun.
"This place doesn't like you either," Kael replied without emotion. "Grak's forge is just ahead."
They stopped in front of a heavy, iron door marked with the symbol of a broken anvil. Kael knocked—one long, two short, then one long again. It was a code.
After a few moments of silence, a small slat in the door slid open, and two eyes peered out.
"What do you want?" a heavy, rough voice came from inside.
"Grak, it's me, Mara Vance. You owe me one," Mara said directly.
The slat closed. A few moments later, the grating sound of iron bolts being drawn echoed, and the door creaked open just enough for them to enter.
The scene inside was a sight to behold. It was a blacksmith's forge, but unlike any they had ever seen. Strange and deadly weapons hung on the walls. The air was thick with the sharp smell of molten metal. And in the center of the forge stood a giant of a man, with muscles like stone. His long, brown hair was tied in a braid, and iron rings were woven into his beard. This was Grak.
"Vance," Grak said in his booming voice. "I thought you were dead. Looking at your face, it seems you certainly tried."
"Your face is no bouquet of flowers either, Grak," Mara retorted. "I need your help. Now."
"You've chosen a bad time, Captain," Grak said, picking up a heavy hammer. "The whole of Iron Reef is on high alert these days. The Shadow Syndicate's dogs are roaming everywhere. I hear their Master is looking for a special new toy."
Kael, who had been silent until now, stepped forward. "A boy. Black hair. His name is Aarav."
Grak looked them both up and down. "So he's with you. You're inviting death. The bounty on that boy is so high that every petty thief and pirate here is thirsty for his blood."
"Who is this Shadow Syndicate?" Mara asked. "The last time I was here, there were just different pirate crews. Where did this 'Master' come from?"
"He didn't come from anywhere. He was always here, in the shadows," Grak explained. "In the last few months, he either bought out all the crews or eliminated them. He uses strange magic, dark magic. And he has a new lapdog. A boy from the outside world, just like yours. But his eyes aren't filled with fire, they're filled with poison."
Mara and Kael exchanged a look. Their suspicions were correct.
"That magic is why we're here," Mara said, stepping closer. "We have a Tide Compass. It's been corrupted by Shadow Aether. We need to get to your Heart-Forge to cleanse it."
Grak laughed loudly. "The Heart-Forge? Are you mad? That's beneath the Citadel! Not even a bird can fly there. The Syndicate has made it their headquarters!"
"You owe me a favor, Grak," Mara's voice turned cold. "I saved your life when the Kraken mistook your boat for its child's plaything. I'm calling in that debt today."
Grak's face turned serious. He put down his hammer. In this world, debts and favors were worth more than blood.
"Alright," he said with a long sigh. "A debt will be paid. There's only one way to the Forge. An old, forgotten path... through the steam tunnels. But they're..."
Just then, a noise came from outside. The sound of someone shouting.
"What was that?" Kael immediately drew his swords.
Grak peered through a small crack in the door. His face went pale. "Your friends are in trouble, Captain. That new dog... Rohan... he has your ship surrounded."
A curse escaped Mara's lips. "We have to go."
"You'll be killed if you go straight in," Grak said. "Come with me. There's a back way. We can surprise them."
---
On the *Starling Gale*, Liora's heart was in her throat. Rohan and his men had now boarded the ship. They had surrounded Liora. The Shadow Crystal was still in Rohan's hand, keeping her powers locked in a cage.
"Where is he, witch?" Rohan asked, grabbing her hair. "Tell me, and I won't cause you too much pain."
"I don't know," Liora said with hatred.
"Liar!" Rohan yelled. "He wouldn't go anywhere without you. I've seen you two. Always sticking together. Filthy blood."
He shoved Liora. She fell to the deck.
"Find him! Search every corner of this ship!" he ordered his men.
But before they could move, a strange sound was heard.
Hisssssssss...
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound. On the dock next to the ship, there was an old, rusted steam pipe. Steam was leaking from its valve.
'That pipe has been shut for years,' one of the pirates thought.
Suddenly, the hiss turned into a roar. The valve burst with a violent jolt, and a massive cloud of hot steam rushed towards them.
"My eyes!" a pirate screamed. The hot steam had momentarily blinded them. Everyone started coughing and shouting.
Rohan too was startled by this sudden attack. "What the..."
In that very moment, Aarav emerged from the fog. He had created this opportunity.
But he didn't go for Rohan. He held a small but heavy iron rod in his hand. He used it to strike the hand of the pirate who was holding the Shadow Crystal.
The pirate screamed in pain, and the crystal was knocked from his hand, flying into the air.
"No!" Rohan yelled.
Before Rohan could catch it, Liora, who was still on the ground, reached out her hand. Her face was no longer filled with fear, but with rage.
"Virens!" she shouted.
From the wooden deck, green, thorny vines shot out like snakes. They wrapped around the legs of Rohan and his men. One vine caught the Shadow Crystal in mid-air and pulled it towards Liora.
As the crystal came to her, Liora crushed it with all her might. The crystal shattered.
Liora's powers returned.
"You made a very big mistake," she said, looking at Rohan, her eyes now glowing with a green light.
But just then, a commotion erupted from the other side. Mara, Kael, and Grak emerged from the steam cloud like demons.
Kael moved like a shadow, his swords taking down two pirates in a single fluid motion. Mara smashed the butt of her steam-gun into another's head. And Grak... Grak swung his hammer as if it were a toy, sending the last pirate flying into the water.
It was all over in a matter of seconds.
Only Rohan was left, still entangled in the vines. His face was a mask of shock and hatred.
Aarav stood before him. The distance of two worlds lay between them.
"You... you always... you always win..." Rohan panted.
"This isn't about winning or losing, Rohan," Aarav said, his voice no longer holding fear, but a weary calm. "It's about choosing. You chose your path."
Kael stepped forward, his sword at Rohan's throat. "Tell us where your Master is."
Rohan began to laugh. A madman's laugh. "You'll never find him. He is everywhere!"
Suddenly, his body convulsed. Black smoke began to pour from his mouth, and his eyes rolled back. The vines that held him withered into ash.
"What's happening?" Liora asked in shock.
"The Master keeps his secrets," Grak said grimly. "He sacrifices his own pawns."
Rohan's lifeless body collapsed onto the deck.
Everyone was silent. Aarav looked at the corpse of his old enemy. He didn't feel hatred, just a strange sense of sorrow.
Mara stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "He's gone now. We have a bigger problem."
They all returned to Grak's forge. The atmosphere was somber.
"So, what's the plan?" Aarav asked, having composed himself.
"The plan is the same," Grak said, gesturing towards the forge's fire. "But now we have to move even faster. News of Rohan's death will have reached the Syndicate. They'll be tearing the city apart looking for you."
"The steam tunnels," Kael said. "Show us the way."
Grak unrolled an old map. "This path will take you directly beneath the Citadel, to the Heart-Forge. But it won't be easy. These tunnels are old and dangerous. And there will certainly be Syndicate guards."
Aarav looked at the red, throbbing compass. It was still the same. But now, Aarav wasn't afraid of it. He could see his purpose clearly.
"We're ready," he said, looking at his friends. He saw the same determination in their eyes.
Entering the wolves' den was one thing. But now, they were going to strike right at the wolf's heart.