In the gritty streets of Kallzara, a small wayside town where light barely touches the alleys, Revan Sorna survives by his wits—and by magic long forbidden. With the help of a shadowy tome found in forgotten ruins beneath the city, Revan can summon shadows to deceive and distract, but such power comes with a price: shadows cannot be created from nothing, and his own is lazy and stubborn, testing his patience at every turn.

Revan’s partner in crime, Cassie, is a clever con artist with a talent for ice magic and a convincing lost-girl act. Together, they make a perfect team, surviving by picking pockets, pulling cons, and running from those who would see their kind dead or worse.

Tonight’s target is an easy mark: a drunken sailor leaving The Golden Pig tavern. But when Revan’s swift theft is interrupted by a brutal punch, the simple job spirals into something far more dangerous—and far more personal.

As dark secrets from the ruins threaten to surface and enemies close in, Revan and Cassie must rely on their skills, their magic, and each other to survive. But in a town where shadow magic is heresy and trust is a currency rarer than gold, survival might just mean losing everything.

Location: Hidden fortress deep in the Cindermarch foothillsTime: Night, beneath a blood-red moon


The chamber was lined with relics stolen from lost wars—fragments of the Crown among them, glowing faintly in iron cages.


The masked woman stood before a war table etched with leyline maps, her fingers tracing paths only she understood.


"The Crown is more than power.It is legacy… and curse.But I will claim it — to reshape the world as it should be."


Her voice was steel wrapped in silk, carrying the weight of vengeance and a cold, burning ambition.


She removed her mask briefly, revealing a scarred face, eyes blazing with a storm of loss and fury.


"They took everything from me.My family. My home.The Accord betrayed us all."


Her fingers clenched a shard of a fragment.


"I will gather the pieces.Not to bind, but to break.To end the Crown's hunger — on my terms."


She turned back to the table, where lines connected factions and players — including the scholar, Kael, and the Veilborn.


"They believe they can stop me.But they don't understand — the Crown answers only to one."


Outside, the wind howled through the barren hills — a storm gathering.


The race for the Hollow Crown was no longer just about survival.


Chapter 42 - The Masked Woman’s Gambit