Chapter 42: The Breath
Elian Thorne's brow furrowed in the fluorescent glare of Cellblock C. "Only the Silhouette can become Patriarch?" Until this moment, the Shadow Gambit had been an abstract specter—a ritual whispered in Umbra's criminal undercurrents. Now, answers sliced through the haze like a monomolecular blade. Lucian Reed, his restraints clinking softly against the concrete floor, recognized the Prime native's confusion. "The Thorne Syndicate predates the cataclysm that birthed Umbra. In its earliest incarnation, Silhouettes were disposable assets." He leaned forward, the shadow panther Felis stirring at his knee. "They selected rootless Syndicate descendants for the role, granting mere fragments of contemporary authority. Silhouettes wallowed in darkness, executing morally bankrupt operations until
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