The sun was setting by the time Tyler and Kaela reached the outer gates of Ashvale, its jagged blackstone walls looming like the ribs of some ancient beast. The air carried a permanent scent of ash and iron—a city forged by power, corruption, and ambition.
Tyler's boots scraped the gravel as they passed under the gate, Kaela close at his side. His mind still reeled from what had happened in the forest—the mages he'd killed, the cold fire that had awakened in his chest. The image of their bodies wouldn't leave him. But neither would the feeling of control. Of power. Of choice.
Kaela glanced at him, hesitant. "You alright?"
"Yeah," Tyler muttered. "Just thinking."
Then he stopped.
At the edge of the main road, a small procession stood waiting, blocking the path into the city. Five figures in long, tailored coats bearing the Halden family crest—a silver serpent coiled around a sword. Their leader stepped forward: a lean man in his late thirties with slicked-back gray-blonde hair and an air of smug familiarity.
"Tyler Freedman," he said smoothly, voice practiced. "Or should I say… Tyler Halden."
Kaela narrowed her eyes. Tyler's jaw clenched.
Kaela glanced at him, cautious. Tyler's jaw clenched.
The man stepped forward with a hint of reverence. "Your mother… was someone important to us. We took you in, back then, because of her. She trusted us—even in her final moments."
"And you honored her memory by treating me like I was disposable," Tyler said, his voice cold and measured.
The Halden representative looked slightly uncomfortable. "You were young. We had… expectations. And you didn't meet them then. But now, things are different."
"You're only interested because I'm worth something now," Tyler replied sharply. "You're not here because of my mother. You're here because of me."
The man gave a diplomatic nod. "You have power. The Halden name could give you everything. Wealth. Allies. Legacy—"
"No," Tyler cut in.
The man blinked. "No?"
Tyler's voice turned steel.
"You took me in for her, then pushed me aside when it was convenient. If you want me now, you give me what you took from me—status, control, respect. You want me in the Halden family? Make me its head."
Gasps echoed from the attendants. Kaela stiffened beside him, eyes wide.
The man frowned. "You can't seriously think we'd hand you the reins of—"
"Then we have nothing more to say."
Tyler turned, the blue glow of his tattoos flickering beneath his collar. His words were final.
Kaela didn't speak for a few seconds. Then she smiled.
"…I think I like this side of you."
They walked further into Ashvale's core, the city buzzing around them with a thousand voices. Flickering holograms displayed the latest in-game leaderboards. Tyler's name was already climbing. People were whispering.
But bigger things were brewing.
Elsewhere…
In a candlelit chamber deep inside the House of Crimson Flame, a cloaked woman slammed a hand on the table.
"Two mages dead in seconds. A new player. Glowing tattoos. Ancient Warrior?"
"Yes," said a scout. "Confirmed. Name: Tyler Freedman."
The woman sneered. "Put a bounty on his head. Double it if he refuses recruitment."
Meanwhile…
Tyler and Kaela stood before Ashvale's glowing Event Board, quest lines blinking before them.