“A New Development”
Episode 6: Truth in the Shadows
March 25, 2025
Korrin Vale exhales slowly, keeping his hands where they are. He meets the hooded woman's gaze—or at least where he assumes her gaze to be beneath the shadow of her hood.
I followed you because I need to get inside the Thieves' Guild
, he says, his voice steady. I came to Blackport for that reason alone. If I have to prove myself, I will.
A tense silence lingers between them. The dagger doesn't move.
You're bold
, the woman replies finally, her tone unreadable. And desperate. That makes you dangerous.
Korrin doesn't flinch. I know how to be useful.
She watches him for a moment longer, then—without warning—the dagger vanishes. A flick of her wrist, and the blade disappears into the folds of her cloak.
Maybe
, she says. Or maybe you're just another fool chasing a legend.
She strides toward the massive wooden doors, which stand slightly ajar, casting a sliver of flickering torchlight onto the damp cobblestones. Before she can reach them, a shadowed figure inside peeks through the opening.
Who's this?
a rough voice asks from within.
The woman doesn't hesitate. He's with me.
A brief pause. Then, without another word, the doors creak open the rest of the way. The dim glow of torches spills into the alley, revealing the entrance to something far older than Korrin had expected.
The woman steps aside, motioning for him to enter.
Welcome to the real Blackport
, she murmurs.
Korrin hesitates only for a moment before stepping inside. The scent of damp stone and burning tallow fills his nose as a maze of corridors stretches before him, torches flickering along ancient brick walls.
Behind him, the doors swing shut with a heavy thud, sealing him inside.
He's in... But what happens next is far from certain.