The vitaecer stepped out, the old wooden door creaking shut behind him. Emily and Hound were left in silence, a silence that carried the weight of unspoken words and shared tension. Their gazes locked, as if each was trying to pry into the other's thoughts.
Emily broke the quiet, stepping closer to the bed. “I want to go home,” she stated firmly. “You’re the only person I know from Rivermirror, and I understand you have your own needs. Name your price, Hound.”
Hound smirked, a wry chuckle escaping his lips. “I love your newfound confidence,” he said, his tone dripping with mockery. “Or I could sell you to the closest brothel for the same price you’d offer me.”
Emily’s jaw tightened. “This is how you repay me for saving your life?”
“Relax,” Hound said, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. “I was joking. I’m not that shameless. I’ve got something to take care of. I’ll find you after.”
“Find me how? I’m coming with you.”
“Suit yourself,” he replied, his voice laced with irritation as he stood and began gathering his things.
The vitaecer lingered outside the clinic, puffing on a cigar infused with ether. The thick, black smoke curled around him like a shroud. His bloodshot eyes turned toward them as they exited. “Word around town is Puck’s dead,” he said, his voice raspy. “What really happened?”
Hound paused, his gaze unwavering. “I had a vision. This is the future I see best suited for myself.”
“Care to elaborate?” the vitaecer asked, his curiosity piqued.
“I’d rather not,” Hound replied curtly. “What do I owe you for the treatment?”
The vitaecer took a long drag from his cigar. “The child. If you killed him, no one would know your business. Knowing you, he’s likely to wind up dead in the streets anyway. Perhaps his vitality could serve better purposes here.”
“He’ll be at your doorstep by tomorrow,” Hound said coldly before walking away, Emily trailing behind him.
The market of Rivermirror bustled with life. Merchants shouted their wares, horses clattered down cobblestone streets, and a dusty wind carried the mingled scents of spices and decay. Emily struggled to keep pace with Hound, her curiosity bubbling over.
“Does your skin peel off when you use your abilities?” she asked, her voice laced with genuine concern. “And why do you need to inject yourself with ether to use them? Also, where are we even going?”
Hound didn’t break stride. “I told you, I have business to attend to. If you’d rather wait with the vitaecer, feel free.”
“I’m not asking to annoy you,” Emily shot back. “I’m asking to help. You do know I’m a student at the academy, don’t you? Ether and magic are kind of my thing.”
Her declaration caught Hound’s attention, but he kept his expression neutral. “How would you help if I told you we’re on our way to kidnap the boy who saw us with Puck last night? He’ll be taken to the vitaecer, where he’ll likely be experimented on until he dies.”
Emily froze for a moment, processing his words. “He’s just a kid,” she protested. “He doesn’t understand the consequences of spreading rumors.”
“He had a Seer tattoo,” Hound countered.
“And what does that mean?”
“He’s part of an organization that sells information for profit,” Hound explained. “They’ve been watching me for a while now. Leaving him alive isn’t an option.”
Emily’s voice softened, her tone pleading. “There has to be another way.”
Hound ignored her as they took a sharp turn, arriving at Blackstone, a renowned store for battle wear, weapons, and ether-infused gear. Two guards in rare, glimmering armor flanked the entrance, nodding to Hound as he passed.
Inside, the air was thick with the metallic tang of ether. The walls were lined with gleaming weapons and intricate armor. Emily’s eyes widened as she took in the sight.
“How much money do you have?” Hound asked.
Emily blinked, startled by the question. “Not enough to afford anything here.”
“Aren’t you from a House?” he pressed.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she snapped. “I didn’t exactly plan a vacation to Rivermirror.” She handed over the last of her coins with a reluctant sigh.
Hound approached the counter without hesitation. “I’ll take a binding rope. Highest quality I can afford.”
The cashier’s expression turned curious. “How did the doll serve you?”
“It got the job done,” Hound replied flatly.
As they turned to leave, a group of four entered. Each bore the Seer’s distinctive tattoo: a vibrant blue teardrop stretching from the corner of their left eye to their lips. The air grew heavy with tension.
Emily offered an awkward wave, attempting to diffuse the situation. The Seers didn’t respond.
“Run after me the moment we leave,” Hound whispered. “Violence is forbidden in here, so they won’t try anything. Outside is another story.”
“Who are they?” Emily asked, her voice low.
“Seers. They’ve been tracking us since we left the clinic.”
The door opened, and they bolted into the crowded market. As if on cue, the Seers gave chase.
His lifeless body slumped under its own weight as Emily looked on, her expression disturbingly blank. Another corpse—nothing more. She slowly raised her gaze from the fallen soldier to Gazier, who stood hunched forward, struggling for breath.“How much for your gun?” he asked through a pained grin, wincing at the burn of his recent backstab wound. Emily, edging closer, offered a curt reply:“I’m not selling.”She moved until she was almost within arm’s reach, studying Gazier with a blend of concern and malice. He, noticing her tense scrutiny, tried to dispel the uneasy silence:“Let’s see. You tracked me down, handled those soldiers, and showed up just in time. So, let me guess—the big, bad boss is on his way, and I’m screwed?”He tried a dry chuckle, but Emily’s face remained impassive.“Tough crowd,” he added quietly.Her anger slowly melted into grief. She rested her forehead on Gazier’s shoulder, tears flowing silently as her fingers bunched in his shirt, wrinkling it with every t
Near Gazier’s LocationA distant explosion rocked the street as part of a building facade blew outward, sending Gazier hurtling through the air. His body smashed through the wide glass windows of the adjacent structure, shards raining down around him. He crashed onto the floor inside, momentarily disoriented, only to roll to his feet in one fluid motion. Three armored soldiers appeared in pursuit, gliding seamlessly across the gap using ethereal wingsuits generated by their core-powered suits. The wingsuits shimmered, then faded away upon their landing.They quickly surrounded Gazier, forming a tight perimeter. One soldier—their leader—slung a rifle from his back and pointed it straight at him, the others following suit.“WHERE ARE THEY?” the leader barked.Raising his hands, Gazier attempted a calm smile. “I’m not sure what you’re rambling about. We could talk this out like civilized men, yeah?”The soldiers closed in, making sure he had no avenue of escape. There was a frustrated ed
Hound stood atop a small podium outside his residence, facing rows of seers assembled in strict formation. Their eyes bore faint, glowing tear marks that betrayed a shared unease. It was stiflingly quiet; the throng of onlookers included scientists kept under watch and, on the podium beside Hound, Emily and Evee—Sofie clinging to Evee’s side. Although the sun blazed overhead, the sweat on the seers’ faces wasn’t from heat, but from raw anticipation of what Hound might demand.He began pacing, shoulders tight. His gaze skimmed over the crowd, lingering on each wary face. Finally, he spoke in a low, resonant voice:“You are bound to me by oath. You live for me, and you die for me if I will it so.”A murmur rippled through the onlookers, their apprehension flaring at his words. He paused, hands trembling as if he fought to steady them.“Yet you have served me faithfully all this time. As your Baron, I offer you a choice.”Hound glanced to the side, where the scientists stood under guard,
“It feels so eerie. I remember reading about them in Hound’s book,” whispered one of Gazier’s trusted soldiers, standing far enough away that their new companions couldn’t overhear. “What did the book say to do about them?”“They were supposed to die to the moths,” Gazier replied, a wry twist to his lips as he knotted a frayed lace on his dirty boots.“WHAT?” The soldier’s voice nearly echoed in the hushed, abandoned office building they had chosen as a temporary sanctuary. Four floors high and cluttered with ancient desks and toppled chairs, it felt marginally safe so long as they remained quiet. “Then why are they here—alive?”Gazier took a moment before answering, tugging the knot tight. “I’ve decided. Fuck the book!”The soldier’s eyes went wide at those words. “Hound always said it was for the greater good—that all the killing served some higher purpose. And you believed him for a long time.”“I do believe him,” Gazier muttered, voice ragged with frustration. “But the bodies just
Claps echoed in the distance—slow, steady pulses that weren’t loud enough to draw the wax moths’ attention, yet insistent enough to pique curiosity. The black-armored soldiers moved in formation along the vine-choked walls of a derelict building, rifles raised. At a silent command from their leader, they halted at the structure’s corner, preparing for whatever lay beyond.Just as they readied themselves to rush in, the echo of shotgun shells being loaded made their hearts jolt. Instantly on alert, they realized they were surrounded by a different band of survivors—far less welcoming than the last group. Some perched on rooftops, others crouched in nearby alleys, all hidden behind wax-coated masks and training weapons on the soldiers. A dozen pairs of eyes glinted in the murk. Remarkably, that rhythmic clapping persisted, but no one spared it a glance.Time passed in a tense stalemate before they finally understood the source of the sound. Beneath the stifling hush of the apocalypse, t
Hound, gripping Binge’s horn with a vice-like hold, twisted the creature’s overgrown head and slammed it into the nearest wall, the impact sending cracks through chipped concrete. Anger radiated from Hound with each motion, his knuckles white against Binge’s twisted horn.“You know,” he began, voice lilting with derision, “I understand why you stood up to me. The Relay Core’s got you all fired up. After all, it’s the reason you’re in this sorry state.” His smile widened, eyes going bright with a twisted excitement as if savoring every pained breath Binge took.“You’ve done me no real wrong. And I’m not even mad at you,” he added, studying Binge’s snarling face from the corner of those bloodshot, vein-riddled eyes. A low, menacing growl rumbled from Binge’s throat, refusing to waver despite the pain.“It’s my nature to harm,” Hound continued, pressing Binge’s head harder into the wall until the grinding of bone on brick was audible. “And, well… being a leader takes that out of my hands