The temple sat nestled in a cleft of jagged rock, half-buried in the shadows of the Black Hills. Only a single, cracked stone pillar, worn smooth by time, marked the entrance. Few dared to approach this place, for even the wind refused to carry its name.
Inside the temple, Onius kneeled before the altar, his head bowed in silent prayer. Flickering sconces illuminated the chamber, casting wavering shadows across the smooth stone walls. At the center of the altar rested the sacred tome, bound in black leather, its pages filled with the cryptic symbols of the Dark One.
Onius’s soft voice, filled with intensity, rose from the silence. “Oh, Great Lord of the Void, hear my prayer. The time of your awakening draws near. Grant me the strength to guide your children to glory. Let the world tremble before your return.”
He fell silent, waiting for the familiar, icy whisper that had guided him since he was a boy. The voice of the Dark One, distant and ancient, seemed to stir from the depths. But tonight, no whisper broke the silence.
Onius frowned. He could not afford to doubt when the cult was on the brink of its greatest moment. He had meticulously orchestrated every move, building a network of allies, spies, and assassins across the continent. After years of patience, he had gathered what he needed for the final ritual—a relic many thought lost.
The Black Star.
The Great Library of Theryn once held the relic in its deepest vaults. Legends claimed it had slipped through the veil long ago, a fragment of the Dark One’s prison, infused with the power to weaken the barrier between worlds. Onius had pursued it for years, and now, at last, it was within his reach.
He rose from his knees, the robes of his office rustling as he moved. His fingers brushed against the cold surface of the altar before he turned toward the far side of the chamber, where a stone door led to the sanctum of the cult’s most devoted followers. The air hung thick with the scent of incense and melting candle wax, both familiar and comforting.
As he approached, the door groaned open, revealing a young acolyte—Alaric—waiting just beyond. His wide eyes shone with reverence, though a nervous air surrounded him.
“High Priest,” Alaric said, bowing low. “The acolyte has delivered the Black Star. It awaits you in the ritual chamber.”
Onius nodded, suppressing the excitement that threatened to crack his calm exterior. “Good. Prepare the others. The time is upon us.”
Alaric hesitated. “There is something else, High Priest.”
Onius turned his stony gaze toward the boy, his voice steady but edged. “Speak.”
“There’s a woman,” Alaric stammered. “She claims to have knowledge of the Star. She seeks an audience with you.”
“A woman?” Onius arched an eyebrow. “I gave no orders to bring outsiders here.”
Alaric shifted. “She found her way to the temple on her own. She said a vision drew her here.”
Onius felt a flicker of unease, but curiosity overpowered it. Few ventured close to the Black Hills, and even fewer survived the treacherous journey to the temple. If this woman reached the gates on her own, she had luck or some other power on her side.
“Bring her to me,” Onius commanded.
Alaric bowed once more and rushed away, leaving Onius alone with his thoughts. He returned to the altar, his fingers tracing the symbols carved into the surface. Visions were uncommon but not unheard of among the cult. The Dark One communicated in strange and unpredictable ways. Sometimes, his influence touched even those outside the faithful.
A few minutes later, the chamber doors opened again. Alaric entered, followed by a woman cloaked in tattered robes. She kept her head low as she approached, though Onius could feel her eyes upon him.
“Leave us,” Onius said. He waited until the door shut behind Alaric before he spoke again. “You are bold, seeking an audience in a place not meant for you.”
The woman raised her head, her face partially hidden by the hood of her cloak. Still, Onius noticed a hint of light skin and platinum blonde hair. Her icy blue eyes gleamed with an unusual brightness. When she spoke, her soft voice carried the weight of something ancient. “I was drawn here, not by my will, but by his.”
Onius felt a chill crawl down his spine. “The Dark One speaks to you?”
“I have seen his prison,” she said. “I have felt the cracks forming. The Black Star is the key, but there is another who would see it used for his own ends.”
Onius stiffened. “What do you mean? The Black Star belongs to the faithful, to me.”
“Does it?” She stepped closer, her eyes never leaving his. “There are those within your sect who question your leadership. They whisper in the shadows, conspiring to take what is yours.”
Onius’s hand tightened into a fist. “Names. Give me their names.”
The woman smiled, a slow, knowing smile. “You already know who they are.”
Onius’s mind raced. He had always been aware of the dissent simmering beneath the surface of his carefully crafted order, but he had never let it concern him. He had believed his control absolute. Yet this woman, a stranger, claimed to know about his cult’s treachery.
“Why come to me?” he asked. “What do you gain from this?”
“I seek the same thing you do,” she replied. “The end of all things. The Dark One’s return will be glorious, but only if you are the one to lead us there.”
Onius studied her, the weight of her words settling in his mind. He had dedicated years to bringing the cult to this point, sacrificing everything for the Dark One’s return. If traitors existed among them, he would expose them. He would allow no one to stand in his way.
He moved toward the woman, towering over her cloaked figure. “If you speak the truth, I will reward you beyond measure.”
The woman’s smile never wavered. “I seek no reward. Only the fulfillment of the Dark One’s will.”
Onius nodded slowly. “Very well. Stay here. I will see to this myself.”
The woman bowed her head, but as Onius turned to leave, her voice sounded again, soft and filled with warning.
“Be careful, High Priest. The shadows you command may one day rise against you.”
Onius paused, gripping the edge of the door. He glanced back at her, her face half-hidden in the shadows.
“They will learn what it means to defy me,” he said, and with that, he left her standing alone in the darkness.
The ritual would proceed as planned. The Black Star would serve him and him alone. His loyal followers would purge any traitors, and when the time came, Onius would stand by the Dark One’s side as the world descended into eternal night. Nothing could stop him.
Not even the shadows he had created.
This story featured the following characters from the Assassin Without a Name series:
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