Cassius let his instinct guide them. He had no idea which direction Sovervale was in, but he trusted his gut, and his companions trusted him.

They moved swiftly, staying beneath the cover of trees whenever possible. When they finally decided to step out of the woods, the bustling town of Essenwall lay ahead. Aliss insisted they stop to gather supplies, arguing that their journey would take far too long without horses.

Cassius noticed that no one suggested asking the townsfolk for directions. They followed him, and he found their quiet confidence in him unsettling. After his mother’s betrayal, he learned to navigate life without trusting others. He believed his distrust was the key to his survival and success. He didn’t trust Aliss, Dreu, or even Seraphis, but knowing they trusted him, he almost didn’t want to break it. The weight of their belief wasn’t crushing, but something he wanted to uphold.

“She’s right,” Cassius heard himself say.

Dreu turned to him, and Seraphis exaggerated his wide-eyed surprise.

“Time is not on our side,” Cassius continued, ignoring Seraphis. “Now that Zenior knows a monk and a spellblade are after him, he’ll move quickly to see his plans through whatever they are.”

“Don’t forget our Seer's vision,” Seraphis added, glancing at Aliss approvingly.

“It’s too soon to start interpreting it,” Dreu cautioned, reaching inside his robes. A soft clinking sound filled the quiet woods as he pulled out a heavy bag of coins.

Three pairs of eyes locked onto him.

Cassius was surprised once more. Dreu carried far more money than expected. The sight of his well-stocked purse made their journey seem much easier.

“I’ll be taking these,” Aliss said, reaching for the purse.

Seraphis opened his mouth to object but thought better of it. Dreu simply stared at his empty palm, where the heavy coin purse had been moments ago.

Shaking his head and fighting the urge to smile, Cassius followed Aliss toward Essenwall.

Seraphis and Dreu didn’t come with them. It went without saying that their appearances would draw too much attention, and they needed to proceed carefully. If Zenior had eyes everywhere, the last thing they wanted was to leave a trail or give him a hint about them intercepting him in Sovervale.

Cassius noticed Aliss shuddering despite the bright afternoon sun. He couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or the aftermath of what she’d been through. He walked a few steps behind her, his hood drawn low. His weapons were hidden, but his dark attire carried an air of intrigue. Aliss, on the other hand, might have blended in if not for her worn-out look. 

“Everything alright?” he asked, surprising himself. How long had he felt concerned for someone else, or asked someone that? Maybe forever.

Aliss glanced at him and then shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself.

“It’s strange,” she murmured. “What they’re saying about me.”

“About you being a Seer?”

“Yeah.” Her gaze grew distant as they neared the town. “Who would’ve thought I was a wizard, too?”

“Relatable,” Cassius muttered. She smiled, hindered by all the loss and pain she carried.

The city’s noise swallowed them as they passed through the unguarded gates. Aliss leaned closer, lowering her voice.

“Listen, I don’t know about you,” she whispered, “but I don’t trust them.”

Cassius knew who she was talking about. He let his eyes drift over the town’s architecture before answering.

“I do.”

Aliss didn’t question him, nor did Cassius linger on the words he had spoken. He hadn’t lied. He did trust Seraphis and Dreu in a way. Or maybe he was willing to trust them. 

Essenwall was breathtaking. A coastal town perched on a rugged cliffside. It was unlike anything he had seen. Having spent his life in the ghettos, he had never had the chance to travel across Adaria to witness its grand landscapes or bustling settlements he’d heard so much about from the travelers. He’d never been particularly interested, but he’d been eager to step out from the shadows. Now that he had, his mission consumed him, leaving little room for admiration and leaving a twinge of regret behind.

The town featured half-timbered and stone buildings, their shingle roofs and wooden shutters worn by the relentless salty breeze. Some had balconies decorated with pots of vibrant flowers, their colors brilliant in the afternoon sun. The town cascaded down with its narrow streets and stairways connecting its many levels like veins running through a living body.

“There,” Aliss said, pointing toward a distant stable.

Skipping two streets, bakeries filled the air with the scent of fresh bread, and beside them, an oracle’s shop stood nestled between two clothing stores. Cassius looked at Aliss, catching the way her gaze lingered on the oracle’s door.

“Do you want to visit it?” he asked.

“Later,” she murmured, her voice betraying a hesitation laced with fear.

Cassius understood. They had both recently discovered truths about themselves that they needed time to come to terms with.

First, they stopped by the bakery. Cassius hovered by the windows, watching people come and go, leading routine lives without a hint of fear. Everything appeared quiet and peaceful. It's almost too perfect to be real. A chill ran down his spine, and he sensed something off in Essenwall. They needed to move quickly.

He helped Aliss carry their rations to the stables, his gaze subtly flicking over his shoulder every so often, half-expecting to spot someone trailing them. But no one was there.

Cassius chose a black mare, quiet and brooding like himself. Aliss picked a sturdy brown horse. For the other two, they selected strong, white steeds.

“Let’s go,” Cassius growled under his breath, seemingly having reached the end of his patience.

Aliss turned to him, and noticing the alarmed look he gave her, she nodded. “What is it?” she whispered as they stepped outside.

“I can sense someone following us, but I haven’t pointed him out yet.”

She began to turn, but Cassius hissed in warning.

“We can’t let him know we’ve noticed,” he muttered, moving briskly yet without drawing attention. “Now, here’s what we’re going to do.”

“You’re not about to suggest we split up,” Aliss cut in before he could explain his plan. Cassius resisted the urge to groan. This was why he preferred to work alone without arguments or interference in his plans.

“You’ll take the horses and meet up with Dreu and Seraphis. Tell them that something’s wrong here. I’ll head toward the manor at the highest point and then reevaluate. If we’re lucky, the pursuer will stay on my heels and leave you alone.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Aliss protested.

Cassius grinned, drawing a single poisoned dart from his belt. “I never go anywhere unarmed.”

That was all the reassurance she needed. Without hesitation, she turned toward the gates at the crossroads while Cassius veered left, making for higher ground.

Much to his relief, the pursuer followed. A slow smile crept onto Cassius’ face. Hunting was one thing, but toying with those who hunted him? That was a thrill all its own.

All of Cassius’ thoughts screeched to a halt as a familiar scent hit him.

Sulfur.

And rotting flesh.

Art above by Sakhatokan

His daggers slipped into his hands as he spun around, ready to strike, but the street behind him was empty. His heart pounded. Without hesitation, he darted into a narrow stairway on his left, taking the steps two at a time. At the top, he jumped onto a shingled roof and sprinted across, leaping from one rooftop to the next, pushing toward the highest point of Essenwall.

A grand manor loomed at the top of the cliff, its bell tower rising above fortified stone walls. It looked like it had grown out of the land from a distance.

Cassius reached the manor’s outer walls in no time. The main gate was shut from the outside, making him frown. The walls were too high to scale directly. He scanned his surroundings, urgency sharpening his focus. In no time, he found his way in. An old banyan tree grows right outside the mansion.

Wasting no time, he climbed its ancient trunk. The moment he landed on all fours inside the manor’s courtyard, the stench of rotting flesh slammed into him a hundredfold.

He froze, straining his ears.

Nothing.

Not a whisper of movement.

How could that be?

Cassius stepped through the manor’s entrance, each step measured, and his breath steady. He stopped at every turn, listening. But there was nothing. There was no sound of footsteps, no rustle of fabric, not even the scurrying of rats or other stray animals. The silence was almost deafening, wrapping around him like a thick fog, setting his nerves on edge.

Moving carefully from one hallway to the next, he peered into open doorways. The rooms were hastily abandoned, chairs were overturned, papers were scattered, and blankets were left in crumpled heaps. Yet the thin layer of dust on the floor showed no fresh footprints. Whoever had lived here had left not long ago.

If not for the stench of sulfur and rot, Cassius might have assumed the residents had fled due to some urgent crisis. But that smell, thick, putrid, clinging to the very air, told a different story.

He followed the scent as it wound through the corridors, beckoning him to follow like an unseen hand. It led him to the heart of the estate, where the air grew colder and heavier.

The dungeon gates stood wide open before him.

Cassius hesitated.

It felt deliberate, as if someone or something was inviting him in.

Was he walking into a trap? Had it been part of the plan to lure him here? It was too late to warn the others now. Cassius had come this far alone.

And alone, he would see it through. Like always.

Bracing himself, Cassius entered the dungeons. He climbed down the narrow steps into the dark. Like a hunter, his eyes adjusted within moments. The sight awaiting him in the long rows of cells stole his breath, sending a chill down his spine.

Cassius had never been afraid.

But he was terrified now; the foreign feeling had his heart clenched in its grip, refusing to relinquish it.

Silently wailing, their mouths stretched impossibly wide, were humans, men, women, and even children. Their eyes were plain white, their flesh rotting, barely clinging to their bones. Some had more intact skin, but its sickly discoloration hinted at decay. Their hair was tangled; some had torn it out, leaving raw, wounded patches behind.

They were alive, yet they were not.

Before Cassius could react, something struck the back of his head, and the darkness swallowed him whole.

Stay tuned for Chapter 16 on 08/15/25