The air inside the fortress was
thick with an unspoken energy
, as if the very walls held secrets waiting to be uncovered. The grand tour had already left Theia stunned, but Seraphis wasn't finished yet.
"Alright, everyone, follow me," Seraphis said, her tone filled with a quiet authority. "I’ll show you one more cool place."
The twins
perked up immediately
, exchanging eager glances. Theia, still absorbing everything she'd seen,
crossed her arms
and followed with curiosity.
Seraphis led them down a dimly lit hallway, the torches casting flickering shadows against the stone walls.
The air grew cooler
, and the ground beneath them shifted slightly as if descending deeper into the mountain. Theia remained silent, her trained eyes noting every detail—the narrow passage, the faint hum of magic lingering in the walls, the smoothness of the stone beneath her boots.
After a few minutes, they reached a pair of
massive iron doors
. Seraphis placed her hand on the center, and with a low rumbling sound, the doors
swung open
effortlessly.
What lay beyond left Theia
speechless.
The Central Command
A
vast chamber
stretched before them, its ceiling arched high above like the halls of a
royal palace.
The floor was made of
polished obsidian
, reflecting the dim light of the chandeliers hanging from above.
At the center of the room stood a
long, grand table
, large enough to seat
a war council
. The chairs surrounding it were carved from
dark wood
, each adorned with intricate engravings of
ravens in flight
.
Against the far wall, a massive
map of the entire continent
was spread out, marked with
symbols and notes
that Theia didn’t yet understand.
"This…" Theia trailed off, scanning the room. "This looks like the central command of a kingdom."
Seraphis smirked. "I like to call it Central Command. It’s where I strategize, plan, and oversee everything."
Theia stepped forward, running her fingers along the
detailed markings
on the map. "This is an incredibly accurate representation of the continent," she said, impressed. Then, she raised a brow. "Why only the continent? Why not map out the entire world?"
Seraphis
shrugged
. "I don’t plan on venturing across the whole world just yet," she replied. "For now, the continent will do fine."
Theia
nodded thoughtfully
, then suddenly turned to Seraphis with a
serious expression.
"You know what?" she said, her voice measured. "I have a question for you three. Well, mostly for you."
Seraphis tilted her head. "Shoot."
Theia hesitated for a moment, then exhaled. "I know this might be a bit weird… I mean, we just met, but…" She
crossed her arms
, then finally asked,
"Can I live here?"
Seraphis and the twins blinked.
"This place is damn good," Theia continued. "Better than my place. And, honestly? I have to pay rent. This would be a massive upgrade."
Seraphis smirked. "I can do you even better," she said, stepping closer. "How about you join the family?"
Theia narrowed her eyes. "Why do you want me to join?"
Seraphis placed her hands on the table. "Not right now, but in the near future, I plan on creating my own
Guild
—one that operates outside the constraints of the Assassin’s Guild." Her gaze sharpened. "And I need a foundation. You’d be the perfect one."
Theia chuckled. "And what’s in it for me?"
Seraphis smiled knowingly. "Plenty of things," she said. "For starters, I may not be a master craftsman, but I’m damn good at making weapons. And from what I can tell…" She gestured at Theia’s
daggers
. "You didn’t forge those yourself, did you?"
Theia hesitated.
"Exactly," Seraphis continued. "I can make you blades.
Custom weapons
suited to you."
Theia pursed her lips, considering.
"And then," Seraphis added, "there’s
the uniform
."
She gestured to the black and red outfits she and the twins wore. Theia studied them for a moment before
nodding approvingly.
"Not gonna lie, they look good. Better than what I’m wearing."
"And they’re not just for show," Seraphis said. "They’re enhanced—
self-repairing, reinforced, magically durable.
"
Theia raised a brow. "Alright, sounds tempting. But what’s the catch?"
Seraphis’s
expression darkened slightly
. "There is one," she admitted. "Once you accept, you will be magically bound. You can quit, you can retire, but you can
never betray the family.
"
Theia felt a
chill run down her spine.
"I’m sure you’ve heard what happens to traitors," Seraphis added, her voice low.
Theia
shivered.
Despite being a
legendary assassin
, there was something about Seraphis that sent a
deep, primal fear
through her.
After a long moment, she sighed. "Fine."
Seraphis
smirked.
She pulled a
dagger from her belt
, the blade glinting under the dim light.
"If you want to join the family," she said, "you must drink my blood."
Theia blinked. "What?"
Seraphis
sliced her palm
, letting her blood
drip into a small metal cup
on the table.
"You’re not a vampire, are you?" Theia joked.
Seraphis chuckled. "No. But you’ll find out what we are soon enough."
Theia
hesitated
, staring at the cup. Then, with a sigh, she grabbed it and downed the blood in one swift motion.
Instantly,
heat spread through her entire body.
A
strange energy
surged in her veins, her vision flickered, and suddenly—a
wave of memories
crashed into her mind.
A Vision of the Ravens
Theia saw
everything.
The truth of what Seraphis and the twins really were.
They were not just assassins.
They were
Ravens.
And Seraphis was the
White Raven—the mother of them all.
Theia
watched, helpless
, as visions of the past played before her eyes—ancient battles, hidden knowledge, and a power unlike anything she had ever known.
Then—
darkness.
Awakening
Hours later, Theia jolted awake.
Her heart
raced
, her hands trembling slightly. "What the hell did I just see?"
Seraphis stood nearby, arms crossed. "You saw the truth."
Theia swallowed. "You’re not human. You’re not elves. You’re Ravens."
Seraphis
nodded.
"And now, so are you."
Theia stared at her own hands. "Does that mean…?"
Seraphis
smiled
. "Yes," she said. "You can turn into one too."
She reached into a
dimensional bag
and pulled out a
black uniform with red accents
. A
matching black mask
rested on top.
She handed it to Theia.
"Welcome to the family."
Theia
slowly put it on
, feeling the weight of her new reality.
She glanced down at the red accents. "What’s with the red?"
Seraphis smirked. "You have an affinity for fire," she said. "So I thought it suited you. And when you transform… your raven form will have a
red feather.
Maybe two. Depends."
Theia clenched her fists.
She was no longer just an assassin.
She was something
more.