"Listen up," I said, my voice cutting through the room like a blade through silk, sharp and steady. "I gathered you all here today for one reason: to rebuild the Shadow Hand."


    I let the words settle, hanging heavy in the air—ten pairs of eyes locked on me, each one a storm of thought. "The rest of you—aside from Alythiel and Laboritus—are all that''s left of the original Shadow Hand." I let that hang for a breath, the weight of loss sinking in—eight survivors from dozens, a ragged remnant. "I challenged Kaelen for the right of Grand Shadow. I won. If any of you have a problem with that, there''s the door."


    My gaze swept over them all, daring a challenge. Varra and Laboritus exchanged a glance—twin pillars of resolve, their silent sync a language of its own. "If my brother is in, so am I," Varra said simply, her voice warm but firm, shield clinking faintly as she shifted.


    Mavik let out a deep chuckle with a playful smile, tusks gleaming in the torchlight, his massive frame leaning forward. "Someone''s gotta be the ace in the hole when we need to blow our way out of a situation. I''m in."


    Drennar smoothed the front of his coat with a faint smirk, fingers brushing dust from the lapels—ever the showman, even covered in dirt. "Well, someone has to make the deals around here. Looks like I''m the one to do it."


    Nysera practically bounced in her seat, green eyes wide with glee, her wiry frame vibrating with energy. "Ooh! The team''s getting back together! I''m in, I''m in, I''m in!" Her voice was a high-pitched barrage, echoing off the stone walls like a goblin firecracker.


    Kaelen, ever calm, gave a cool nod—scar twitching faintly, his presence a quiet storm. "You already know I''m in."


    From the shadows, Corven smiled faintly, iron eyes glinting with that predator''s amusement. "We have a deal," he said, voice smooth as venom. "I''m in."


    Finally, my gaze settled on Alythiel, her silver hair catching the dim light like a beacon in the dark room. She met my stare with quiet determination, moonstone eyes steady. "Solari," she said, her voice soft but carrying, a thread of steel beneath it. "I told you—I''m with you. Even if I don''t agree with this path, I''ll walk it beside you. But hear me now..." She stepped closer, eyes unyielding, piercing me to the core. "I won''t let you slip into the darkness. I won''t let you become the monster you fear most."


    The room was dead silent—even Nysera''s usual chatter stilled, her mouth snapping shut mid-breath. The weight of Alythiel''s words pressed against my chest, a vow and a warning twined together.


    I gave a faint smile, one that didn''t quite reach my eyes—more resolve than warmth. "Good. Because we''ll need all the strength we can get."


    I turned back to the others, the air thick with anticipation. "Some of you already know this. The one who betrayed us—the one who tried to wipe us out—was Telegarani. He struck down Arcainius while his back was turned."


    I took a slow breath, letting the weight of it hit them—the betrayal a bitter taste I couldn''t shake. "It''s believed he''s a double agent for Nox Arcanus."


    I clenched my fists and slammed them on the table, the wood shuddering under the force, a crack of thunder echoing in the room. "We''re going to find them. And we''re going to end them."


    "Here''s the plan," I said, cutting through the room''s tension like a blade through fog. "We need more members as well as intel on Nox Arcanus. We''ll divide into teams based on your skills and specializations. If you don''t like it, voice your concerns after I assign everyone."


    I let the words settle for a heartbeat, watching their faces—some eager, some guarded, all waiting. "Kaelen, Varra, Laboritus, and Mavik—you four will focus on recruiting new members. We need to fill the ranks again."


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Mavik''s grin was already stretching wide, tusks gleaming as he cracked his knuckles with a pop. "If they refuse, we can blow them up." His deep rumble carried a gleeful edge, like he was itching for an excuse.


    Nysera clapped her hands excitedly, nearly toppling off her crate. "Oh, we are going to have so much fun!" Her voice ricocheted around the room, a goblin giggle trailing it.


    Alythiel shot them both a flat look—brows arched, lips pressed thin—but didn''t say anything. Not yet, though I could feel her judgment simmering.


    I continued, undeterred. "Nysera, Corven, and Drennar—you''re gathering intel on Nox Arcanus. Find out where they''re hiding, who''s backing them, and anything we can use to smoke them out."


    Corven gave a lazy nod from the shadows, his pale form leaning against the wall like a ghost—iron eyes glinting with quiet interest. Drennar smiled thinly, brushing a speck of soot from his sleeve, his smirk promising deals already spinning in his head. Nysera wiggled in her seat like a child about to cause trouble, green fingers twitching as if conjuring illusions on the spot.


    I turned to Torglel and Alythiel, their presence steady at my sides. "You two are with me. We''ve got a diplomatic meeting with Tolgarn."


    Torglel chuckled amusedly, arms crossed over his broad chest, bronze clasps clinking faintly. "You think Dad would want ties to an assassin guild?" His grin was all mischief, blue eyes sparking with the challenge.


    I gave a faint smirk, a flicker of humor cutting through the weight. "I have absolutely no idea. But we''ll see."


    "We head out first thing tomorrow morning."


    I let the words hang in the air for a moment—final, resolute—before giving a final nod. One by one, they filed out of the room, voices low as they spoke among themselves about the tasks ahead, boots scuffing the stone floor. Varra murmured something to Laboritus, Mavik''s laugh rumbled, Nysera darted around Drennar like a buzzing fly—chaos already brewing.


    Kaelen lingered, his shadow stretching long across the table.


    When the last of them left, he stepped closer, his tone low and deliberate, cutting through the quiet like a blade''s edge. "Are you sure about sending Corven and Drennar with Nysera? She''s a wild card, and they''re... untrustworthy at best."


    I exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of it settle on my shoulders—a burden I couldn''t shrug off. I''d rather have a team I trusted completely, every member a known quantity, but we didn''t have that luxury—not with eight left standing in the rubble. "She has skills perfect for gathering intel," I said, meeting his gaze. "But if you''ve got a better idea, I''m listening."


    Kaelen''s gaze dropped to the floor, his brows furrowed in thought, scar pulling tight as he frowned. After a long silence, he shook his head, reluctance heavy in the motion. "No. You''re right. It''s one of her best-suited roles. Even if I hate it, they are the best three to gather information."


    He didn''t sound happy about it—voice clipped, jaw tight. Neither was I, a knot of unease twisting in my gut. But it was the best move we had, a gamble we couldn''t avoid.


    Morning arrived swifter than an arrow flying through the air, dawn''s gold creeping over the horizon as we stepped out into the chill.


    Alythiel, Torglel, and I set off for Thoringard, the three of us walking side by side—boots crunching over dirt and stone, the rhythm steady against the waking world. The sun was just starting to rise above us, casting long shadows ahead, stretching dark fingers across the path like a warning of what lay ahead.


    After a while, Alythiel broke the silence, her voice low but edged with concern—soft against the wind''s faint howl. "Can you trust that vampire to be alone with the other two?"


    I opened my mouth to respond, but Torglel cut in before I could get a word out, his gruff voice bursting through like a hammer on stone. "You''re telling me that creepy pale bigger lurking in the corner is an actual vampire?" He huffed, shaking his head in disbelief, beard swaying as he stomped along. ''Like, blood sucker and all? Then how''s he walking around in daylight like it ain''t gonna fry him like a rockfish dinner?


    Alythiel hummed thoughtfully, one finger tapping on her chin—silver hair glinting as she tilted her head. "That''s... a good question," she said, brows furrowing slightly. "How is he able to do that?"


    I chuckled, a dry sound that cut through the tension, my breath fogging faintly in the cool air. "It''s one of two reasons. He''s either lived long enough to overcome that weakness or he''s got some sort of magical protection against it."


    Torglel grunted, unimpressed, kicking a pebble that skittered across the path. "So what, he can survive in the sun like the rest of us."


    "Pretty much," I said, glancing sidelong at him. "And as for your concern," I turned to Alythiel, her eyes locking with mine, "he just wants to live his life without being persecuted for it. Our deal gives him that life."


    Alythiel frowned, unconvinced—her lips pressing into a thin line, doubt shadowing her face. "How can you be so sure of his intentions? After all, you don''t even know him."


    I met her gaze with unyielding determination, steel in my voice despite the flicker of uncertainty beneath it. "Because if he wasn''t, we''d have never made it out of that cave alive."


    The tension could be cut with a knife—thick, heavy, pressing against us as we walked. The words—as grim as they were—didn''t diminish the fact they were true, a cold reality I couldn''t dodge. The truth rarely comes clean—and I knew she didn''t want to hear it. Her silence said more than any argument could. I felt it too—the gnawing question of whether trust was a luxury we could afford, or a blade we''d handed to the wrong hand.