The Fool’s Ascension

Jarek Thorn didn't get much sleep after that.

Not that he could have, considering his bed was now a ruined mess thanks to the assassin who may or may not have just been testing him. Instead, he sat awake, staring at the ceiling, the words still echoing in his head.

"You are not ready."

Lena, as usual, seemed completely unbothered. After securing the doors and windows, she had simply sat in the corner, sharpening her sword like nothing had happened.

Jarek rubbed his temples. "So, just checking—am I supposed to be concerned that random assassins are now showing up to judge me in my sleep?"

Lena didn't look up. "Yes."

Jarek huffed. "You could at least pretend it's not a big deal."

Lena smirked. "Would that make you feel better?"

"Yes."

"Too bad."

Jarek sighed and flopped back onto the remains of his bed. "Any idea who that was?"

Lena finally paused her sharpening. "I have a few guesses."

Jarek perked up. "Oh? Do share."

Lena gave him a long look, as if debating whether to tell him. Finally, she sighed.

"There's a group," she said. "A secretive order called the Shadow Covenant. They don't follow any king or country. They answer only to the old powers of the world."

Jarek frowned. "And by 'old powers,' you mean…?"

Lena's expression darkened. "The ones who once wielded artifacts like the Heart of Ruin."

Jarek sat up. "Wait. So there are others?"

Lena nodded. "The Heart of Ruin isn't the only artifact of its kind. It's one of the Twelve Relics of Creation—each one holding immense power. Some bring life, some bring destruction. Some… do both."

Jarek swallowed. "And I just happened to steal one of the most dangerous ones."

Lena smirked. "Seems that way."

Jarek groaned. "Great. Just perfect. Anything else you forgot to mention?"

Lena tilted her head. "Maybe. But you'd probably cry."

Jarek threw his hands in the air. "Oh, fantastic. What's next? A prophecy? A hidden bloodline? Maybe I'm actually a lost prince?"

Lena snorted. "You? A prince? Please. Even the royal stable boys have more class than you."

Jarek put a hand over his heart. "That hurts."

"It should."

Jarek sighed. "Okay. So the Shadow Covenant knows about me. They're testing me. What does that mean?"

Lena leaned back against the wall. "It means they haven't decided if they should kill you or recruit you."

Jarek blinked. "…Those are some wildly different options."

Lena shrugged. "Depends on how much of a threat you become."

Jarek ran a hand through his hair. "So what do we do?"

Lena's eyes gleamed. "Simple. We find them before they find us."

Jarek stared at her. "I hate that plan."

Lena grinned. "Too bad."