Streets of Ravetham

Kaelen followed Valerian down into the mansion’s basement, where two of Valerian’s servants—a maid with elegant, wolf-like features and a tall, broad-shouldered butler with fox-like ears—opened the heavy iron doors. The doors groaned as they revealed a descending staircase that led deep underground. As Kaelen stepped into the crypt, he was struck by how vast it was, an entire hidden world beneath the surface of Ravetham.

The crypt stretched for miles, resembling more of an underground city than a mere resting place for the dead. The air was thick with mystery and power. Kaelen saw beings here he had only heard of in legends—Oni with human-like features, covered in intricate facial tattoos, their horns curving forward. Unlike Tieflings, they had no tails, but they radiated a primal brutality. Next to them were ghouls, their pale skin crawling with insects they controlled with ease. Their eyes darted around, full of hunger; Kaelen had heard they were known to feast on fairies and pixies. Further down, vampires glided through the streets with quiet elegance, while drow whispered in the shadows. He even spotted a rare Kitsune, its fox-like features concealed by an ornate mask, standing by an altar as if she were guarding something sacred.

The crypt, Kaelen realized, was a hidden marketplace for the darkest dealings of Ravetham—a black market for the supernatural.

In the center of it all, a necromancer stood at an altar, performing a dark ritual. He poured blood into a black metal coffin, the liquid vanishing upon contact, leaving behind a hypnotic, red haze. The sight was unsettling, yet Kaelen kept his composure as Valerian approached the necromancer. Without hesitation, the maid and butler stripped Valerian of his clothing with a practiced grace, leaving him bare before stepping into the coffin. As the necromancer chanted, the coffin rose, floating on Valerian's telekinetic command.

Kaelen felt the pressure of his father's immense power in the air, a demonic energy that wrapped around him like a vice. It made his muscles tense, a reminder of how far his own abilities paled compared to Valerian's. The crypt's inhabitants subtly directed their attention toward him, their auras probing and evaluating him in a way that made his skin crawl. It reminded him of Loren, always careful with her empathic abilities around him. Here, there was no such restraint.

The necromancer led the way deeper into the crypt, with Valerian floating beside him in the coffin. They reached a massive iron door, which opened into a sprawling underground cave revealing rows of sports cars and armored vehicles, as well as a sleek, black jet that looked like something out of a high-tech military hangar. Its design was angular, stealthy, like a cross between a bomber and a luxury aircraft. The cave itself was enormous, shaped like a tunnel that stretched into the distance.

Without a word, Kaelen followed as they boarded the jet. Kaelen’s eyes widened when he saw the necromancer take the pilot’s seat in the jet. He could feel Valerian manipulating the jet with his telekinesis, the metal humming under the weight of his control. It was a strange sensation, feeling his father’s power course through the aircraft. The jet flew fast, almost unnaturally so, the interior remaining quiet despite its speed. Inside, the jet was more of a high-end apartment than a vehicle, with multiple rooms, including a fully furnished bedroom, a kitchen, and even a shower. Despite the comfort, Valerian remained inside his coffin, his presence a constant but unseen force throughout the journey.

As they soared through the skies, Kaelen’s phone buzzed. It was Loren. “Kaelen, I’ve already reported the crime to the authorities. Delphinus won’t be able to spread his lies. But there’s more. One of Bankhands’ goblins claimed you paid them to kill Cygnus. Luckily, Vex confessed, telling the authorities that he beat you up around that time, but they’re still looking for you, even questioning me.”

Kaelen exhaled, thankful for Loren’s quick thinking. She’d managed to clear his name, at least for now.

Before he could fully process her words, another call came through. Rachel. “Jason’s gone rogue,” she said, clearly frustrated. “I banned his teammates from hanging out with him, but it didn’t work. Now Mason’s out hunting him down.” Her voice softened. “Kaelen, I’m sorry I never told you about your mother. I owed it to her to keep you safe. She was like a sister to me, and I’ve always loved you like my own son.”

Her words hit him harder than he expected. Kaelen swallowed, his voice rough as he replied, “You’ve always been there for me, Rachel. I’m sorry for being reckless, for causing all this.”

Rachel let out a small laugh. “It was bound to happen. No one can stay hidden forever, not even Red Dot. That’s why he wears a mask under his helmet.”

As the call ended, Kaelen felt a strange sense of peace wash over him. Rachel’s words had lifted some of the weight he had been carrying, though he wouldn’t admit it.

The jet landed soon after. As Kaelen disembarked, the suffocating heat of the landscape hit him instantly. Before him stood a massive volcano, its peak spewing molten lava and ash into the air. The ground was cracked and charred, the remnants of a battle littered across the scorched earth—destroyed military golems and mechanoids, their twisted metal forms scattered like forgotten relics. Aircraft wreckage lay smoldering in the distance, evidence of a long-lost conflict.

And towering above it all, a titanic creature loomed, its form obscured by smoke and ash.