Silk And Shadow

Chapter 1

"He wore shadows like a second skin, a smile like a blade sheathed in silk."

The night pressed down with a suffocating silence, broken only by the occasional whisper of wind that twisted through the gnarled branches. In the shadowed alleyway behind the merchant's district, darkness pooled thickly, turning each corner into a hidden threat. It was the kind of place where men disappeared, swallowed by shadows that told no secrets. The moon kept its distance, leaving only the barest traces of starlight to guide the unwary.

Kaelith Xandros did not need the light.

He stood at the alley's edge, the folds of his cloak merging seamlessly with the darkness, as if the night itself had granted him passage. A ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips, just enough to suggest amusement. His gaze swept over the scene with the precision of a blade's edge, catching every shift in the shadows. There was no fidgeting, no restless movement-just a stillness that made the darkness seem less certain, as though even the shadows feared his presence.

Just a few paces away, a man knelt on the slick cobblestones, each breath a ragged wheeze that cut through the silence. Blood smeared his lips, dark and gleaming in the faint starlight, pooling beneath him in uneven circles. His face was deathly pale, his eyes wide with the raw edge of fear, as if he could see something waiting for him just beyond the darkness.

Kaelith tilted his head, considering the man with the same detached curiosity he might give a broken piece of glass. When he spoke, his voice was soft-almost kind, the tone a murmur that curled through the shadows. "I warned you."

The man choked on his own breath, struggling to speak past the blood that bubbled in his throat. "I-I didn't... I didn't think-" His words dissolved into a wet, desperate cough, his hands scrabbling against the cold stones as if he could somehow drag himself away.

Kaelith's smile deepened, but the kindness in it never reached his eyes. He crouched down, close enough that the man could see the unwavering calm in his expression. "No, you didn't," he said, his voice carrying a hint of regret that felt strangely sincere. "That's why you're here."

The man's eyes darted frantically, wild with desperation, as if hoping that someone-anyone-might materialize from the darkness to save him. But the shadows remained silent, unmoved. There was never anyone when Kaelith orchestrated these moments. He had ensured that long before the man had even realized he was in danger. Kaelith did not make mistakes.

A soft sigh escaped Kaelith's lips, as if he were chiding a stubborn child. "You thought you could steal from House Xandros," he said, his voice barely more than a murmur, the kind that could be mistaken for kindness in a different setting. "You thought that because I didn't strike immediately, you had somehow slipped past my notice. But you see..." He paused, leaning down, bringing himself to the man's eye level, his shadow falling over the bloodstained cobblestones. "Patience is not the same as inaction."

Kaelith's face was close enough that the man could see the faint amusement playing in his eyes, the way his smile twisted, more wolf than human. "And now," he continued, his tone almost sympathetic, as if he regretted the man's ignorance, "now you understand."

The man's breath hitched, a pathetic, gurgling sound in the back of his throat. He trembled, his mouth opening as if to beg, but no words came. Kaelith's smile widened, a flash of teeth in the darkness. He tilted his head, studying the man's pallid face with a kind of distant curiosity, as if the dying man were a riddle that had just revealed its final piece.

"Consider this a lesson," Kaelith whispered, his voice dropping to a low, almost tender tone. His smile never wavered. "One you'll not live long enough to pass on."