By the time I entered the Regent’s courtyard, the night had already devoured the city.

  Lanterns flickered across the marble paths, their reflections trembling in the ponds scattered between them. The moonlight shimmered over the still water, where black-and-pearl white fish drifted lazily beneath the surface.

  For all the Empire’s brutality, the man still managed to make serenity look expensive.

  The Regent stood by one of the ponds, coat draped perfectly, a thin trail of smoke curling from the cigarette in his hand.

  He didn’t turn as I approached.

  “Do you often stand around watching fish at midnight,” I asked, “or is this one of those eccentric noble hobbies?”

  He exhaled through his nose. “Watching how they get along,” he said simply.

  I tilted my head. “Do they?”

  “At the start, no,” he said. “But it didn’t take them long. Even I was a bit surprised. Though, it was my goal from the start.”

  I sighed. “Why did you call me here, Regent? I was beginning to think I’d get a full night’s sleep for once.”

  He finally turned, the moonlight catching the edge of his sharp features. “You won’t,” he said. Then, with a faint gesture toward the bundle I carried under my arm: “Put it on.”

  I blinked. “Here? Now?”

  “Yes. It’s time you learned how to use it.”

  Well, I can’t say it doesn’t look cool.

  I quickly opened the package - revealing a coat, gloves, a mask, and a hilt with seemingly no blade attached.

  I unfolded the black cloak and slipped it on. The fabric was heavier than I expected, reinforced with subtle runic stitching that hummed faintly at the touch. When I adjusted the sleeve, I noticed a small hidden pocket sewn along the inner lining, attached to a mechanism that connected to a string tied around my ring finger beneath the glove.

  “Is this for the blade?” I asked.

  He nodded. “To hide it until needed. You use your ring finger to release it into your hand.”

  I drew the hilt from the package. The blade was retracted, its surface engraved with thin sigils that pulsed faintly like veins under skin. A dull gray gem sat embedded in the guard.

  The Regent motioned with two fingers. “Cut your palm. Let the gem taste your blood.”

  I hesitated, then did as told. A small line opened across my hand - I let the blood drip over the stone.

  The gem shimmered - gray bleeding into red, then black as they swam together - before settling into a faint marbled hue.

  “Now it’s bound,” the Regent said. “Your blood claims it.”

  He took a slow drag from his cigarette. “Remember: as an Inquisitor, you wield only the shadows. Your other gift - the Pathway of Fate - belongs to the other you. The two must never cross into each other’s worlds. If you ever use that second power while masked, it could be traced back to you. And I don’t think I need to tell you what happens to an Inquisitor whose identity is revealed.”

  I wiped the blood off my hand and nodded. “So that’s why you wanted me,” I said quietly. “A double-Pathway Inquisitor. Convenient for secrecy.”

  He smiled thinly. “Exactly. The perfect weapon to stand on both sides of the Empire.”

  I eyed him a bit, giving it some thought. “So how do Inquisitors use divine energy? Since all three I’ve seen so far aren’t Pathway users.”

  The Regent smiled with a questioning gaze. “Who said we aren’t Pathway users?”

  I looked at him, my eyes sharpening. “The divinity you harness feels… dead. The power Mary and I wield feels sentient in a sense. Yours feels like a husk. I think it was quite obvious, no?”

  The Regent smiled before lightly laughing. “It would make sense that you could see that, since you’re a Veilwalker.”

  I played with the hilt of my sword, my tone staying casual. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

  The Regent took a drag from his cigarette before replying.

  “It will remain unanswered - for now.”

  He gestured at the hilt, the gray gem now dyed faintly green and black. “Now - feed it. Just a little energy.”

  I focused, letting a trickle of power seep through my veins. The blade answered immediately. Shadows and red threads curled out of the hilt, unfurling into a full edge wreathed in faint crimson shadows that pulsed like living veins.

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  The Regent’s eyes glinted. “Now stop.”

  I cut the flow; the weapon folded back into nothing.

  “Good. Again, but only shadow.”

  I obeyed. The blade blossomed again - this time pure darkness, no red. The Regent smiled, pleased.

  “Impressive control. Typical of a Veilwalker,” he said. “But rare to see in someone this young.”

  He flicked the ash from his cigarette. “Now, the mask.”

  I reached into the bundle and lifted it. Matte black, rimmed in silver - mechanical seams along the jawline, twin vents where the mouth should be. I hesitated for a heartbeat, then pressed it to my face.

  It sealed itself with a soft hiss.

  The world dimmed. Vision narrowed through thin black glass, tinted enough that even moonlight turned to steel.

  When I spoke, my voice came out lower, mechanical - filtered through the vox inside.

  “This is pretty... interesting.”

  Even I barely recognized my own voice.

  The Regent nodded, satisfied. “Simple design. A mask for lower ranks. But it hides your face and modulates your voice. That’s all you need for now.”

  I flexed my jaw beneath it, feeling the strange pressure around my skin. “Uncomfortable.”

  “You’ll get used to it,” he said. “Now - show me your stance.”

  I stepped back, the cloak settling around my legs. My right hand flicked down; the hidden blade dropped cleanly into my palm. Shadows pulsed, igniting along the edge as I flowed into a ready stance. My left hand drew the pistol from its holster - silent, smooth.

  The Regent clapped once, quietly.

  “Efficient,” he said. “And the pistol - unusual for our order. But unpredictable is good. Keep it that way.”

  He took another drag, watching the faint ripple of light across the pond.

  “The Inquisition will provide your ammunition,” he continued, “and your missions. Your first task comes soon. But for tonight - consider this your official introduction, something I’ve neglected for a bit too long.”

  I straightened, letting the shadows fade as I retracted the blade back into the sleeve.

  “Wonderful,” I muttered, voice still distorted through the mask. “Midnight strolls and lectures. Truly, my evenings just keep improving.”

  The Regent chuckled quietly, smoke curling in the cold night air.

  “Get used to it,” he said. “Inquisitors never sleep.”

  He took one last drag, the ember glowing faintly against the darkness, before flicking it into the pond.

  A ripple cut through the still water. One of the black fish darted up and swallowed the burning stub whole before sinking back down again.

  I blinked behind the mask, mouth curling. “...That’s mildly disturbing.”

  The Regent didn’t seem bothered. “Don’t worry,” he said, watching the water settle. “The black ones are resourceful. Scavengers by nature. They survive on what others discard.”

  He smiled faintly, almost proud. “That’s why I prefer them. The pearly white fish - a symbol of purity - swim beautifully, yes - but the black ones endure. Even if most would call keeping them together… heresy. I see beauty in their connection.”

  I stayed silent, staring at the ripples fading across the surface.

  Inwardly, I sighed.

  What the hell is he even talking about?

  The Regent finally turned, catching my expression with a small glint of amusement. “You ready?”

  “For what-”

  The pistol appeared in his hand before the sentence finished.

  Instinct took over. I blinked, the world folding into shadow. When I reappeared, I was behind him - sword drawn, blade of darkness already half-swung toward his neck.

  Steel met steel.

  His sword was already there, blocking mine with ease.

  The impact sent a shudder up my arm. My shadows consumed his, curling greedily along the edge - but his didn’t stop. His darkness stretched infinitely, a pit without end, swallowing mine just as quickly.

  Our blades locked, shadows writhing like living things between us. The Regent’s smile widened, almost fanatical in its delight.

  “So,” he said softly, eyes glinting through the smoke, “you’ve ascended.”

  I gritted my teeth, pressing harder. “You could’ve just asked, you know.”

  He pushed back, forcing my guard open and hurling me across the courtyard with a surge of Divine force. I hit the ground, boots sliding, the grass shredding beneath my heel as I steadied myself.

  “Ask?” The Regent chuckled, already pulling another cigarette from his coat. “Asking never tells me the truth. But when a man’s life is on the line - then I see who he really is.”

  I dusted off my sleeve, shadows receding. “Ever heard of just training like a normal mentor?”

  He lit his cigarette, inhaling deeply before exhaling a lazy stream of smoke. “Leave that to Arthur. His job is to teach you how to fight.”

  He gestured toward me with the cigarette, the tip glowing like an embered eye. “Mine is to make sure you kill before your enemy can fire the first shot.”

  I sheathed my sword, the shadows dissolving completely. “Efficient. I’ll give you that.”

  The Regent turned back toward the pond, his reflection rippling among the drifting fish. “Efficiency,” he said, “the golden mean between decadence and excess, is what separates the living from the dead.”

  I rolled my eyes behind my mask, already sick of the man’s cryptic metaphors.

  My mind went back to something I’d been meaning to ask.

  “Another thing. Her Highness wants me to come to the Aurelis Academy with her - and to join her faction.”

  The Regent smiled, seemingly pleased by the news. “That’s great. I was going to get you to accompany my niece anyway as an Inquisitorial bodyguard of sorts - by force, if necessary.”

  My brows scrunched.

  Nice to know.

  I sighed before continuing. “But here’s the kicker, and the reason I’ll probably say no. She wants me to be her personal assistant. And to top that off, her Ecclesiarchal servant - as part of the Church.”

  The Regent’s eyes went blank for a second before his smile twisted into laughter.

  I stood there awkwardly as he laughed - a genuine, amused laugh, as though he found the whole thing hilarious.

  After a moment, he wiped the tears from his eyes. “My day just keeps getting better. Not only will my niece have a Veilwalker in her faction and a secret Inquisitorial bodyguard, but now I’ll have an agent infiltrating the Church itself.” He grinned widely. “Damian, you’ve been a blessing. Truly.”

  My expression soured completely. “So I’m guessing ‘no’ isn’t an option?”

  The Regent smiled. “Guess.”

  I sighed, heavier this time. “Never mind. I won’t bother.”

  The night went quiet for a moment. Even the wind seemed to hesitate. Then he spoke again, tone lower now - businesslike.

  “I do have work for you.”

  I adjusted my coat, sliding the mask off; the suction released with a hiss of steam. “I expected you would.”

  He half-smiled, gaze still on the pond. “You’ll return to Halrigg. Find him.”

  I frowned. “The shipyard worker I investigated?”

  “Mm.” A faint nod. “The one and only.”

  I waited. “And what do you want from him?”

  The lantern light shimmered across the pond - white and black scales gliding beneath the surface, reflections swallowing one another.

  He smiled faintly - the kind of smile that made me wish I hadn’t asked.

  “You’ll be asking him a question for me,” he said. “One I can’t wait to hear the answer to.”