Shadows of Ascension

Kael’s body shuddered as he stepped through the portal, the cold air of the dungeon giving way to the oppressive, metallic-scented atmosphere of the city square. The harsh neon lights greeted him once again, flickering with that familiar, almost unnatural glow. He blinked, adjusting to the sudden shift in brightness as the weight of what he had just endured settled over him.

The entrance to the dungeon, a swirling purple rift in reality, hummed faintly behind him, sealing away the dark corridors where he had fought and survived. Around him, the square buzzed with activity. Other sixteen-year-olds, some fresh out of the dungeon, milled about, their faces a mixture of exhaustion, relief, and fear. Government officials in stiff, dark uniforms moved among them, checking registrations, recording soulbound creatures, and sorting people by their new station in life.

Kael’s heart pounded. This was the part he had been dreading most—the registration.

It was common knowledge that every citizen had to register their soulbound creature immediately upon exiting the dungeon. The process was simple: an official would use a scanning device to measure the creature’s Tier and rarity, then input the data into the Council’s system. Based on that information, you would either be fast-tracked into a position of privilege or shuffled into obscurity with the other commoners.

But Kael’s situation was far from simple. The Dreitailen was a Unique Rarity creature, a classification that would set off alarms the moment it was detected. The Council of Ascendancy would take notice. They would want him—and his creature—under their control. He couldn’t let that happen.

His pulse quickened as his eyes darted around the square, searching for some way out, some excuse to avoid the process altogether. He couldn’t just refuse—the officials would never let him leave. They might even detain him for non-compliance.

A voice cut through the haze of his thoughts.

“You!” A gruff, uniformed official was making his way toward him, flanked by two guards. The official’s sharp eyes scanned Kael, clearly noting the state of him—tattered clothes, fresh blood drying on his arm, a haunted look that was no doubt etched into his features. The guards didn’t seem interested in the wounds; they were here for the creature.

“Time to register,” the official barked, waving a small, box-like device in his hand. It looked almost innocuous, a simple tool used to scan for the soulbound creature’s Tier. “Let’s get it over with.”

Kael’s heart pounded in his chest. He hadn’t figured out what he would do yet, but one thing was certain: he couldn’t let them see the Dreitailen. He forced a calm expression onto his face, keeping his voice steady as he spoke.

“I… I’m not sure where it went,” Kael said, stalling. “It hasn’t come out since I left the dungeon.”

The official’s eyes narrowed, suspicion flashing across his face. “Soulbound creatures don’t just disappear. Call it out.”

Kael’s mind raced. He could feel the Dreitailen lurking in the shadows at his feet, silent but ever-watchful. Its presence was there, coiled and waiting, but if he let it out, he’d be caught. There had to be another way.

“It's not like other creatures,” Kael said, trying to sound casual. “It’s… shy. It doesn’t respond well to crowds. It blends in with the shadows, see? You’d hardly even notice it.”

The official scowled. “Doesn’t matter how it acts. Every creature gets scanned. Call it, now, or we’ll bring it out for you.”

Kael clenched his fists. He needed to keep control of the situation before things spiraled beyond his reach. He forced a nervous chuckle, hoping it didn’t sound as desperate as he felt.

“Alright, alright,” Kael said. “I’ll call it out. But don’t be surprised if you can’t see much of it. It’s a shadow creature.”

He held out his hand, focusing inward on the bond with the Dreitailen. The creature stirred, responding to his mental call, but he kept it restrained, allowing only the faintest hint of its presence to emerge. The shadows around Kael’s feet rippled, a barely perceptible movement in the darkness.

The official frowned, leaning forward, eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. The Dreitailen didn’t fully materialize, its form too faint to discern any details. Kael kept it hidden in the shadows, just enough to convince the official that something was there without revealing its true nature.

“There,” Kael said, voice steady. “That’s all it’ll show right now. Like I said, it’s shy.”

The official’s frown deepened, but he seemed uncertain. He waved the scanner over the vague shadowy shape, expecting it to register something. Kael held his breath.

Nothing.

The scanner beeped, but no reading appeared on its screen. Kael’s heart sank. The official glared at him, suspicion written across his face.

“Something’s wrong here,” the official muttered. “It’s not registering.”

Kael’s mind raced. He couldn’t let them dig deeper. If they forced the Dreitailen into the light, if they scanned it fully, the Unique Rarity classification would appear, and it would be all over. The Council would come for him.

“Look,” Kael said quickly, trying to sound exasperated, “it’s been a long day. I’ve been fighting for my life in that dungeon, and my creature isn’t exactly the easiest to manage right now. Maybe the scanner isn’t picking it up because of its shadow-based nature. Couldn’t you just make a note of it and let me register later?”

The official hesitated, clearly unsure. Kael could see the gears turning in the man’s mind. The situation wasn’t normal, but Kael had given him enough of an excuse to make the official second-guess pushing the issue. Still, the silence that followed was tense.

“If I’m wrong,” Kael added, leaning in slightly, “you can track me down later. I’ll cooperate. But right now, my creature isn’t going to show up properly. It’s not worth holding up the line for me.”

The official glanced back at the queue of other teenagers waiting to register, many of them visibly anxious and watching the exchange. With a frustrated grunt, the official lowered the scanner.

“Fine,” he muttered. “We’ll mark you for a delayed registration. But don’t think this is over. You’ll be summoned for a proper scan later, and if anything is out of line, you’ll regret it.”

Kael nodded, feigning relief. “Thank you. I’ll make sure everything’s sorted out by then.”

The official waved him off with a dismissive grunt, turning to the next teenager in line. Kael quickly stepped away, his heart pounding in his chest. He’d bought himself some time, but the lie wouldn’t hold forever. The Dreitailen would have to be registered eventually, and when that happened, there would be questions.

But for now, he was free.

Kael moved toward the edge of the square, keeping to the shadows as much as possible, trying to avoid drawing attention. His mind buzzed with a mixture of relief and anxiety. The Dreitailen had remained hidden, for now, but he knew the Council would come for him eventually. They didn’t let Unique Rarity creatures slip through the cracks.

He would have to find a way to stay ahead of them, to avoid the scrutiny that would inevitably come. But first, he needed to figure out what to do next.

The Dreitailen stirred once more, its presence felt but unseen. Kael could sense its power growing with every moment, the bond between them deepening. But with that bond came the creeping Shadow Corruption, a constant reminder that this wasn’t just a tool he could use—it was something that could change him. The darkness that coiled within him wasn’t without consequence.

Kael’s hand instinctively brushed against the Shadowfang Dagger strapped to his belt, the cool metal reassuring in its weight. The weapon had been his reward for surviving the dungeon, and it already felt like an extension of the Dreitailen’s power. The shadows were his to command now, but they came at a price.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself as he walked away from the square. The city loomed around him, vast and indifferent, its towering buildings blotting out the sky. Draelith was a harsh world, and Kael had always known he would have to fight to survive. But now, with the Dreitailen at his side—and in his shadow—that fight had only just begun.

There were more dungeons to delve, more battles to face, and more secrets to uncover. But Kael wasn’t sure how long he could keep his secret hidden. The Dreitailen’s presence was growing stronger by the day, and with it, the danger of being discovered.

As he disappeared into the twisting alleyways of the city, the shadows clung to him, like an old friend—dangerous, unpredictable, but always there.