Chapter 1 — The Map Beneath the Candlelight
Rain hammered against the stained-glass windows of Avenhall Abbey, each drop echoing like the steady march of fate. In the dim library, Elias Verne bent over a brittle parchment—its ink faded, edges singed. He had stolen it from a merchant caravan the night before. And now, as the storm raged, the map seemed almost alive, its lines twisting like veins of gold beneath the candlelight.
The map bore one name: The Vault of Kings.
According to legend, it lay deep within the ruins of Orlath—a city swallowed by war two centuries ago. Gold, jewels, weapons… but what Elias wanted wasn’t treasure. It was truth. His father had died branded a traitor for defending Orlath’s secrets. The map might prove otherwise—or bury Elias beside him.
The abbey doors creaked. A cloaked woman entered, soaked and fierce-eyed. Her voice cut through the quiet.
“Elias Verne. You’re difficult to find.”
“I try,” he said, folding the map. “Who are you?”
“Captain Seraphine Alder,” she replied, tossing a seal onto the table—the emblem of the King’s Vanguard. “You’re wanted for theft, forgery, and treason.”
He smiled faintly. “You forgot blasphemy.”
Seraphine leaned closer. “Tell me why the Crown’s spies were carrying this map before you slit their purse.”
“Because,” he said, rolling the parchment tight, “they’re digging for the wrong thing.”
And before she could speak again, Elias struck the candle, plunging the room into darkness—then leapt through the window into the storm.
