Deep in the southern deserts, where ancient magic still thrives in hidden places, a witch named Morwen discovered an infant abandoned near a sacred stone circle. The child’s dark skin bore strange markings that seemed to shift in moonlight, signs the witch recognized as portents of shadow-walking potential. She claimed him for training, naming him Caelum after the void between stars.
His childhood unfolded in a remote compound where other shadow walkers trained their apprentices. The witch taught him to embrace darkness rather than fear it and understand shadow as a fundamental force of nature rather than the absence of light. His earliest memories involve learning to dissolve his physical form into shadow, feeling the icy embrace of the shadow realm against his essence.
Training proved brutal but effective. The witch taught him to kill efficiently, move unseen, and manipulate both shadow and mind. Other instructors came and went, each adding to his education in death and deception. They taught him languages, poisons, and combat techniques, but most importantly, they taught him to view himself as a tool rather than a person, an instrument of change rather than a being with attachments.
“Gah!” Crescent blanched. “By the Old Gods, Caelum, must you appear like that? You could try using a door, you know.”
Unlike earlier, when I had seen little of the shadow walker, he stepped from the deepest shadow this time, revealing dark skin, pockmarked cheeks, and eyes brown like sand that took in the room with a glance. Caelum, as Mr. Walsh had called him, wore the dark trappings of an assassin, not looking that different from myself, with all the usual blades and such at his belt or over a shoulder. So far, my presence remained hidden from him.
- THE ASSASSIN’S CODE
His first kill came at age twelve, a test of his developing abilities. The target never saw him emerge from the shadows behind her chair. The witch praised his efficiency while reminding him that emotion had no place in their work. Each subsequent assignment reinforced this lesson, training him to view death as a transition from one state to another.
Caelum learned to walk the shadow realm in stages, first touching its cold edges and then venturing deeper into its lightless expanses. The shadow realm existed parallel to the physical world, allowing those skilled in its navigation to cover vast distances in moments or observe unseen. But it exacted a price, trying to pull shadow walkers deeper, tempting them to lose themselves in its endless dark.
His formal training ended when he killed his first witch instructor, a traditional rite of passage among shadow walkers. The act symbolized independence, proving he could survive without guidance. The witch had expected the attempt, but Caelum’s method proved surprising, using shadows to strangle rather than conventional weapons. She died proud of his innovation.
Freedom brought wealth as Caelum sold his services to those who could afford them. His reputation grew through successful executions and manipulations, each job completed with cold precision. He learned to negotiate contracts, understanding that his unusual abilities commanded premium prices from those desperate enough to seek shadow walker services.
Caelum travels the shadow realm between contracts, exploring its depths and learning its secrets. The endless dark speaks to him, offering glimpses of possible futures and paths not taken. These journeys help maintain his abilities while providing an escape from the physical world’s complications. Yet he never stays too long, knowing the shadow realm seduces the unwary into a permanent residence.
His work requires him to maintain multiple identities across different regions. In some places, he appears as a merchant. In others, a scholar or soldier. Each persona serves as a convenient facade, allowing him to move freely while gathering information for contracts. Only his dark skin and the shifting shadows in his sand-colored eyes remain constant across these identities.
Caelum views his role in the world with philosophical detachment. Where others might see evil in assassination or manipulation, he recognizes necessity. Order requires chaos to evolve. Stability needs disruption to avoid stagnation. His actions serve a larger purpose, maintaining balance through calculated disorder.
Caelum’s shadow-walking abilities set him apart from ordinary assassins. He can appear inside sealed rooms, bypass any security, and vanish without a trace. These powers make him particularly valuable to those seeking to eliminate well-protected targets. Yet he maintains strict professional standards, refusing contracts that might draw too much attention to shadow walkers as a group.
Through years of contracts and shadow-walking, Caelum has remained true to his training, viewing himself as an agent of change rather than a mere killer. His services come at great cost, but his reputation for reliability and discretion ensures a steady flow of high-paying contracts from those seeking to reshape the world through the selective removal of key pieces.
FIRST APPEARANCE
Caelum first appears in The Assassin's Code (Assassin Without a Name Book Three).
