THRONE OF ASHES

Shadows in the Dark Alley

Heavy rain poured over the cobblestone streets, now drenched in mud and blood. Aureliana, once a thriving trade center, had become nothing but ruins, filled with corpses and flames flickering in the distance.

Aldric ran through the narrow alleys, his breath ragged, his cloak torn. The sound of iron boots and crackling torches grew closer. The Black Legion would not stop until they saw his head roll on the ground.

Suddenly, a cold hand grabbed his arm, yanking him into the shadows.

“Stay quiet or die,” whispered a woman’s voice behind him.

Aldric instinctively drew his dagger, pressing it against the stranger’s throat. But before he could get a clear look at her face, a smaller blade was already resting beneath his chin.

"A second slower, and you’d be dead," she whispered.

Aldric held his breath. Their eyes met in the darkness—sharp green eyes, filled with both cunning and threat.

Outside, footsteps drew near. "He's around here! Check every corner!"

The woman moved swiftly, pulling Aldric into a dilapidated house on the verge of collapse.

“Listen carefully,” she hissed. “Don’t move until I say. They can smell fear.”

Aldric didn’t reply, pressing himself against the cold wooden wall.

Through a small gap in the door, he could see ten soldiers in gleaming black armor under the rain. Their eyes were cold, their faces scarred from battle.

One soldier stopped right in front of their hiding place.

He took a deep breath, then unsheathed his sword. "Open this door."

Aldric tightened his grip on his sword, ready to fight. But the woman beside him merely smirked and raised a small vial filled with black powder.

“Trust me or die,” she whispered, blowing the powder through the door gap.

A moment later, the soldier outside coughed violently, his body trembling. "W—What is this?!"

He stumbled back, his eyes turning red, tears streaming down his face.

"Magic!" he gasped, his voice filled with terror.

The others hesitated, stepping back. In the distance, a commanding voice barked, "Forget it! They’re headed for the market! Move!"

The soldier cursed, wiping his face roughly before retreating with his squad.

Aldric let out a quiet breath of relief but turned to the woman with suspicion. "What did you do?"

She gave a faint smirk. "Just a little black pepper and dried mushrooms. People always fear what they don’t understand."

Aldric narrowed his eyes. This woman was no ordinary citizen.

"Who are you really?"

She studied him for a moment before lowering her hood. "My name is Selene Valtora. I can get you out of this city—but only if you're smart enough to listen."

Aldric chuckled dryly, wiping the blood from his temple. "I don’t trust strangers. Especially ones who know too much."

Selene stepped closer, her voice as sharp as a blade. "Trust me, or you’ll see your head mounted on the city gates before sunrise."

Aldric remained silent. This woman spoke with the certainty of a killer.

He exhaled slowly. "Fine. But if this is a trap, I’ll make sure you die first."

Selene smirked, her shadow nearly blending into the darkness. "If this were a trap, you wouldn’t even have the chance to draw your sword."

The air in the room grew colder.

Aldric glanced outside. This city was no longer his home.

And this woman might be his only way out.

The rain showed no signs of stopping. The wind pierced to the bone, carrying the stench of death from the silent alleyways.

Aldric followed Selene through the narrow passage, their steps measured, nearly soundless. In the distance, the voices of imperial soldiers still echoed as they interrogated terrified citizens.

They reached a stone wall that looked no different from the surrounding buildings. Selene ran her fingers across its surface, searching for something.

"You won’t find an exit here," Aldric whispered.

Selene glanced at him briefly with a blank expression before her fingers found a gap between the stones. With one pull, a hidden door creaked open, revealing a stone staircase descending into darkness.

"We're not leaving," she said coldly. "We're going down."

Aldric hesitated.

"You want to descend into the belly of hell?" he asked.

Selene gave a faint smile. "Better to face demons underground than executioners up above."

Footsteps approached. Aldric had no choice. He stepped inside, letting the darkness swallow him.

---

The Underground Tunnels of Aureliana

The air inside was more stifling than Aldric had imagined. The damp stone walls were covered in ancient carvings, some already concealed by moss and cobwebs. The flickering torch in Selene’s hand cast eerie shadows across the walls.

"What is this place?" Aldric asked, moving cautiously.

"A secret passage," Selene replied. "It used to be a smuggling route. Now, it’s the only way out of the city without our heads ending up on a pike."

They kept walking, following the uneven stone path that sloped downward. The faint trickle of water could be heard in the distance, blending with an eerie, unfamiliar sound.

Aldric halted, raising a hand. "Wait. Do you hear that?"

Selene nodded, her gaze sharpening. "We're not alone."

A faint whisper echoed through the tunnel. A breath… the sound of dragging footsteps… something massive shifting in the darkness.

Aldric unsheathed his sword. The torchlight flickered ahead, revealing a shadow moving at the far end of the tunnel.

Then, the sound drew closer.

A low growl rumbled.

"s**t," Selene cursed. "I was hoping we were only dealing with humans."

Aldric braced himself. "What is it?"

From the shadows, something emerged—a towering figure with pale, grayish skin, hollow eyes like bottomless pits, and a gaping maw lined with jagged teeth dripping with black ichor.

The creature snarled, then charged toward them.

"RUN!" Selene shouted.

Aldric didn’t need to be told twice. They spun around and sprinted as fast as they could, the creature’s footsteps thundering in the narrow tunnel.

"You never mentioned monsters down here!" Aldric shouted.

"That’s not a monster!" Selene shot back. "It used to be human!"

Aldric tightened his grip on his sword.

Used to be human? Then what the hell is it now?!

The creature let out a piercing howl, and the darkness around them seemed to close in.

They weren’t escaping hell.

They were descending deeper into it.