The road beyond the town stretched longer than Frank expected. Stone paths replaced dirt, and the air slowly changed—from quiet and familiar to loud and restless. By the third day, the outline of the city appeared on the horizon.
Tall walls of iron-gray stone rose into the sky, etched with glowing runes that pulsed faintly at dusk. Towers crowded the skyline, lanterns burning even before night fell.
Frank stopped at the hill overlooking it.
"So this is it," he murmured.
The City of Aurenfall—a crossroads of trade, power, and secrets. Bigger than his town. Louder. Sharper. And far less forgiving.
As he entered through the gates, the noise hit him all at once. Merchants shouting prices. Carriages rolling over stone. Armed guards scanning faces with cold precision. People here didn't look away from danger—they lived beside it.
Frank adjusted the folded coat under his arm and walked forward. He felt small, but not weak.
Almost immediately, he sensed it. Eyes on him. Not curious—measuring.
"Country boy," a voice scoffed nearby.
Frank ignored it and continued until a sudden shove knocked him off balance. A young man in city leathers sneered. "Watch where you're going."
Frank straightened slowly. He didn't raise his stick. He didn't apologize either. He simply stood.
The man hesitated, something in Frank's calm making him uneasy, then walked away muttering.
Frank exhaled quietly. Different rules here, he realized. Same principle.
A NEW ALLY
By nightfall, Frank found shelter near a small training yard tucked between taller buildings. Steel clashed within—sparring, disciplined and intense. He paused, watching from the shadows.
"You've got good posture for someone who doesn't know where he's standing," a woman's voice said behind him.
Frank turned quickly. She was older than him by a few years, wearing light armor marked with the city crest. Her eyes were sharp, but not unkind.
"I'm not here to fight," Frank said.
She smiled faintly. "Everyone in Aurenfall is."
"My name's Rhea," she continued. "You're not from here."
"No," Frank replied. "I'm looking for someone. Caelum Vire."
The smile vanished.
Rhea's posture stiffened. "That name gets people killed."
"Then I'm in the right place," Frank said quietly.
She studied him for a long moment. "If you're serious, you'll need more than courage. Caelum commands factions. Enforcers. He doesn't fight like you do."
Frank met her gaze. "Then I'll learn."
Rhea nodded once. "Training yard opens at dawn. If you're still here, we'll see what you're made of."
THE COST CONTINUES
That night, Frank sat alone on a rooftop, city lights flickering below like stars fallen to earth. He unfolded the coat once more, fingers brushing the worn fabric.
"I didn't run," he whispered. "I kept standing."
The grief was still there—but now it fueled him.
Far away, in a tower of glass and shadow, Caelum Vire received word.
"He's entered Aurenfall," a subordinate said.
Caelum smiled slowly. "Good. Cities reveal who people truly are."
Frank looked out over the unfamiliar streets. This city would test him—his strength, his resolve, his identity.
But he had already paid the price of standing.
And he would not stop now.
"There he stood… and now, the world would try to break him."