Shadow Heir
Silence pressed heavy between them until Rafa’s voice dropped into a quieter, more personal tone.
“I wasn’t always this man you see,” he began, eyes distant as if recalling a past too painful to hold close. “Once, I believed in the Creed’s cause—believed their vision of order and strength. But the deeper I dug, the more I saw. The cruelty masked by rituals, the sacrifices hidden from the world. When I tried to expose them… they hunted me. Branded me a heretic. I lost everything. Now, I chase knowledge to undo what they’ve done. Or at least, to survive.”
Eolan felt the shadow pulse at his feet, responding to Rafa’s confession as if it recognized a kindred darkness.