Chapter 31: Vow of Blood
A heavy silence hung over the riverbank, broken only by the rushing water and the labored breathing of exhausted horses. The liberated men stood hesitant; they were free from their shackles, but not yet from the void of purpose. One of them stepped forward—a broad-shouldered man with the marks of chains still etched into his wrists like tattoos of pain. He did not kneel. He stood before Edward with stoic resolve and said, "I will not be a slave again... but if you are going to break those who broke us, then I am with you."
Edward looked at the faces around him. He didn't see slaves; he saw men without a homeland searching for a cause. He said slowly, "Following me means you will be branded enemies of the Family. You will have no shelter in any district they support." The man replied bitterly, "We never had a shelter before." Others began to step forward; it wasn't a traditional oath of fealty, but the alignment of an army rising from the ashes. Edward raised his voice: "From this night on—no masters, and no slaves. Whoever stands with me, stands as a partner in war."
In the shadows, Tula appeared quietly, watching the distant city where lights began to shift like disturbed dust. Edward spoke with a prophetic tone: "The city will divide... and from tonight, the underworld will no longer be one."
In the Auction Hall
The shouting died down after the Family representative pledged to return the money. The nobles departed, leaving the hall nearly empty except for the echoes of deception. The trembling guard came forward and recounted what he had seen: the darkness, the watch, and Tula with the glowing eyes. The representative did not mock him. He looked at a small bloodstain on the floor and said calmly, "This is bigger than magic." He then ordered his soldiers to seal the area and forbade any talk of what had happened.
In the Family Stronghold
The representative entered the stone palace in graveyard silence. Inside the Inner Council, three elders sat around a long table lit by heavy candles. He summarized the situation: the auction failed, the gold was stolen, the nobles were refunded, an incomprehensible force intervened, and Silas was the one behind it.
A heavy silence ensued before one of the elders spoke with chilling gravity: "Silas does not steal... Silas establishes." Another added, "He is dividing the market." The eldest raised his head and asked about Silas's influence. The representative replied that half the harbors, several warehouses, and the liberated slaves were leaning toward him.
The elders exchanged glances. The eldest said slowly, extinguishing a candle with his finger: "Then we are not facing a thief... we are facing the beginning of a schism. Support our districts with gold and steel, and send an indirect message: that the underworld is not divided... except by blood