Into the Storm

Morning came with a blanket of fog that stretched over the countryside. Gabriel, Lina, Kain, and Elias set off at dawn, the rising sun barely cutting through the mist. The capital city of Reith was two days away, but the journey felt heavier with the knowledge of what awaited them.

As they walked through the dense forest, the conversation started to flow, though the weight of their mission hung in the air.

"So," Kain began, glancing over at Elias, "you said you had contacts in Reith. Anyone we need to worry about? I mean, we're not exactly dressed for high society."

Elias gave a small chuckle. "I wouldn't worry. My contact is… let's just say, they're more concerned with getting paid than with appearances. You won't need to blend in."

Lina raised an eyebrow. "More mercenaries?"

Elias nodded. "In a way. Some work directly for the guilds, others for the nobility. My contact straddles the line between both worlds."

Kain rolled his eyes. "Great. Another shady character to add to the list."

Lina shot Kain a glance. "You're one to talk about shady characters. I seem to remember you running cons before we met Gabriel."

Kain grinned, unfazed. "That's different. My cons were elegant. This guy sounds like he'll slit our throats in the night if the payment's right."

Elias remained silent for a moment, then spoke. "He won't betray us. Not while I'm still useful to him."

Lina frowned, clearly not reassured. "And what happens when we're no longer useful?"

Elias's gaze remained fixed ahead, his voice calm. "Then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Gabriel remained silent, listening to the exchange but offering no input. His thoughts were elsewhere, focused on the task ahead. Breaking into the Grand Archive wouldn't be easy, even with Elias's contact. The place was known for its tight security, and the fact that they would be infiltrating a section restricted to only the highest-ranking officials made it even more dangerous.

Lina seemed to notice Gabriel's quiet contemplation. She walked a bit closer, her voice low. "You're thinking too much again."

Gabriel didn't respond at first, his eyes still scanning the path ahead. Finally, he spoke. "I'm just considering all the possible outcomes."

Lina smirked, her tone teasing. "You mean how we could all get caught and thrown in the dungeon?"

Gabriel's gaze remained serious. "If we fail, we'll be lucky if they only throw us in a dungeon."

Lina's smirk faded, and she nodded. "You're right. But we won't fail. We've gotten through worse."

Gabriel glanced at her. "This isn't like anything we've faced before."

"I know," Lina replied, her voice quieter now. "But we have each other. That counts for something, right?"

Gabriel didn't respond. He knew that trust was important, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there were too many unknowns in this mission. He didn't like walking into situations where he couldn't account for every detail.

They continued in silence for a while, the sound of their footsteps the only noise in the misty forest. The tension that had hung in the air since the previous night hadn't lifted, and it seemed that everyone was lost in their own thoughts.

After some time, Kain spoke up again, clearly tired of the quiet. "So, Elias, what's your deal anyway? You don't strike me as the typical 'let's-save-the-world' type. What's in this for you?"

Elias didn't answer immediately. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. "I have my reasons. Suffice it to say, the Covenant of Shadows is responsible for things I'd rather not remember. Stopping them is personal."

Kain let out a low whistle. "Personal, huh? Sounds like a long story."

Elias's eyes darkened slightly. "One that's best left untold. For now."

Lina gave Kain a look, silently warning him not to push further, but Kain shrugged. "Fair enough. Just trying to get to know our mysterious benefactor here."

"I'm not your benefactor," Elias corrected. "I'm just another player in this game."

Gabriel's voice cut through the exchange. "Then let's focus on winning it."

Elias glanced at Gabriel, his expression unreadable. "Agreed."

The rest of the day passed without incident. They traveled through the forest, avoiding the main roads as Elias had instructed, and made camp as the sun began to set. The fog had lifted by the afternoon, but the sky remained overcast, a light drizzle falling as they set up their tents.

As they sat around the small campfire, the conversation turned back to the mission.

"Alright," Kain said, poking at the fire with a stick, "let's talk details. How exactly are we getting into this Grand Archive? I assume it's not just a matter of walking in through the front door."

Elias nodded. "You're right. The Grand Archive is heavily guarded, especially the restricted sections. But my contact has access to the outer levels. He can get us in, but we'll need to handle the rest ourselves."

"And the restricted sections?" Lina asked.

"There's a key system," Elias explained. "Only a handful of people have access to the deepest levels of the Archive, and they carry magical keys. We'll need to get one of those keys if we want to access the records on the Covenant."

Kain raised an eyebrow. "And how do you propose we get one of those keys?"

Elias smiled slightly. "That's where you come in. My contact can help us identify someone with a key, but we'll need to 'borrow' it from them. Discreetly."

"Steal it, you mean," Lina clarified.

Elias shrugged. "Semantics."

Gabriel's voice broke through the conversation again, his tone steady. "It'll have to be a quick job. Once they realize the key is missing, the entire Archive will go on lockdown."

Elias nodded. "Exactly. We'll have to be in and out before anyone notices. Once we have the key, we'll head to the restricted sections, find the records, and leave before anyone knows we were there."

Lina leaned back, considering the plan. "Sounds risky."

"Everything worth doing is," Elias replied with a small smirk.

Kain threw another log onto the fire. "Well, I guess we're in it now. Might as well make it fun."

Gabriel didn't respond. He was already thinking ahead, planning every possible outcome, every move they would need to make. The others might have been more casual about it, but Gabriel knew the risks. This was more than just a dangerous mission—it was a gamble, one that could go horribly wrong if even one thing went off-script.

"We leave at dawn," Elias said, breaking the silence. "Get some rest. We'll need to be sharp when we get to Reith."

As the fire burned low and the rain began to pick up again, the group settled into their tents. Gabriel lay awake, staring up at the canvas ceiling, his mind still racing. The shadows outside the tent flickered in the firelight, and for a moment, Gabriel thought he saw a figure moving just beyond the trees.

But when he blinked, it was gone.

Gabriel exhaled slowly, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. He knew better than to ignore his instincts, and something told him that this journey was about to get much more complicated.

Tomorrow, they would enter Reith. And from there, the game would truly begin.