The man held a long, dark lacquered box that appeared even darker in the pale light.

The package was fashionably wrapped in a dark silk with several strange runic inscriptions running across its exterior.

Morgan stared at the large package curiously for a few moments then nodded.

"Here, let me help with that?" 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

The man smiled.

Morgan recognized him as one of the foremost officers of the Tharn but most of them looked so identical that it was quite difficult even to tell them apart.

" There’s no need."

The man deftly maneuvered through the narrow doorway deftly setting the package down.

"He instructed me to tell you to use these for your trip. You’ll need them."

Morgan nodded, his gaze drifting to the dark box once more in curiosity.

"The same goes for you, Miss Raven. There’s a set for you as well. Please follow me."

Raven nodded her eyes gleaming in anticipation.

"Well, let’s see what we’ve got here."

A moment later, Morgan gently tried opening the box. The moment his hand made contact with the box, the runes inscribed on its surface came to life.

For a brief moment, he felt a violent surge of power flow through him, seeping into his very being almost as though it were searching for something.

Morgan faded drawing his hand back in shock but even then he still felt the foreign energy rampage through him for several moments.

With the strange reaction, a violent heat erupted from his body emanating throughout the room.

Morgan fell to his knees feeling a subtle change slowly unfolding within him. His body suddenly felt much stronger and faster than before.

The room slowly came into focus, all his senses feeling even more heightened than they had been a moment earlier.

"Wow...what the hell..."

A low hum rang throughout the small expanse of the room and the dark cover came undone with a hiss.

Within it, meticulously inlaid in a cushion of a silky velveteen material, a set of dark leather armour sat, neatly folded and arranged together with a set of tenebrous vambraces studded with dark crystal.

Even without touching it, Morgan could tell that it was no ordinary armour.

He gently ran a hand across its surface feeling the cool texture beneath the palm of his hand.

The material bore an obscure muted sheen that seemed to glisten faintly in the darkness.

The edges were trimmed with a thin dark silver band that promised both flexibility and was optimized for soundless movement.

Morgan closed his eyes for a brief moment.

When he opened them, a faint glimmer of white fire ignited in their depths revealing several runes inscribed within the fabric of the armour.

"He really went all out with this one..." he murmured.

From what he could tell, the runic inscriptions were a source of augmentation for the wearer of the remour.

He gently took out the armour, starting with the tenebrous chest piece.

He slowly passed his arms through it feeling its comfortable weight settle against his torso.

The armour immediately shrank, fitting his body snugly.

Next, he donned the dark gothic vambraces. The intricate symbols inscribed in the dark leather glowed, pulsating with an azure light for a few moments.

With the addition of the vambraces, Morgan felt a substantial surge of power coursing through his entire being.

Morgan gasped losing himself for a few moments in the electric feeling.

Even without his abilities, he felt he could easily go toe to toe with most of the obscure creatures they’d encountered in Tenebris.

"So the runes can be used in this way as well..."

"Indeed, my Lord," a cold familiar voice spoke in his ears.

Morgan threw a furtive glance at his shadow, staring at it silently for a few moments.

"Sarenus?"

A moment later, despite the warm sunlight streaming through the window, the small room grew darker, the temperature dropping by several degrees.

In the depths of his shadow, brilliant white flames ignited.

A fiery maw opened widening into a jagged smile.

The drayghar separated from his shadow retaining its dark formless shape for a moment.

The next, it’s inky dark form. soreaf put rippling across the room forming a dark winged form that fluidly moved, shifting across the floorboards.

The shadows in the room shifted restlessly around Sarenus with every movement.

Morgan stared at him for a few moments, feeling a mixture of shock, disbelief, and joy.

"How?"

Sarenus’s wolfish smile widened even further.

" This new armour of yours, I felt the power within it resonate within the Void World. It awoke me from my slumber. From what I can tell your wounds are completely healed...how?"

Morgan sat down staring at Sarenus evenly for a few moments.

"By my own guess, this was Velagrew’s work. He healed me."

Sarenus’ form rippled, shrinking down into an identical inky black version of Morgan.

"Well, that makes sense. He wielded that kind of power after all. Let me guess—"

The drayghar smoothly glided across the floor, fluid moving up the wall.

If anyone entered the room, it would appear as though Morgan’s shadow had a second shadow reclining next to the wall.

The flames that passed for Sarenus’ eyes narrowed in contemplation.

"He’s interested in the tyrannical Void World ability you wield?"

Morgan nodded.

"How did you know? Couldn’t it be because I’m a lightspawn?"

Sarenus scoffed, shaking his head slightly. He moved gliding across the length of the room until he stood next to the door.

"If you were merely a lightspawn, chances are you’d be dead. Velagrew and Alsterius weren’t on the best of terms the last I knew."

Sarenus waved his hand dismissively.

"But who knows?"

What about Kazarax?

"He still slumbers. But he should wake soon enough."

Morgan remained silent for a few moments feeling the added boon of the Drayghar’s power added to his own.

"Velagrew’s realm," Sarenus murmured.

"It had been aeons since I last set foot in this place. Back then, I was one of Alsterius’s foremost stewards. It doesn’t feel like uts has changed much."

He sighed, his eyes gazing over.

"Quite nostalgic isn’t it?"

Just then, the door slid open.

Raven stared at him for a few moments, then glanced around the room.

"Who are you talking to?"

For a few moments, the room went silent.

Morgan spared her a curious glance then deftly stood fastening the last pieces of armour around himself.

A dark hooded robe remained within the case.

With a gentle flourish, Morgam slid his arms through the sleek material, completing the set.

The coat effectively hid the rest of the armour from sight and masked it from prying eyes.

The armour emanated an electric blue light resonating with the other pieces of dark armour instantly augmenting both his physical strength, speed, and even durability.

With all the pieces of armour assembled, his presence underwent a qualitative transformation.

He could feel the umbralis coursing through him much more clearly and with even greater potency.

"You heard me talking to someone?" Morgan calmly asked, meticulously donning his leather boots.

Raven glanced around the room curiously for a few moments before shrugging.

" I must be hearing things..."

She was similarly decked out in a beautiful dark crimson armour that fit her petite figure snugly.

Strapped to her back, to elegant delicate sais glinted with a promise of pain and sharpness.

Sarenus quietly chuckled, his laughter resounding in Morgan’s mind.

" Poor girl. You haven’t changed a single bit..." the drayghar murmured.

Morgan rose to his feet, smiling faintly.

"Of course I have, I’ll have you know I’ve grown taller. And I’ve definitely put on some muscle."

A few moments later they’d made their way down the stairs and into the streets below.

The Tharn soldier from before was their escort, suntky guiding them through the city.

Despite the warm sunlight, Moreus was still covered in a blanket of fog.

Large carriages slowly moved through the streets pulled by large horned beasts with intricate crests exquisitely carved into their exterior.

The Tharn swiftly moved through the streets going about their daily business.

The coats they wore effectively hid the armour they wore beneath from view effectively keeping them inconspicuous and also allowing them to move through the city without drawing any unwanted attention to themselves.

At the centre of the city, the market bubbled with business, several merchants from other strongholds and the native traders fiercely haggling over the prices of exotics from other regions. Several merchant caravans made several trips in and out of the city bringing in goods, creatures, and even people.

In a distant corner of the marketplace, the rhythmic melodic ringing of a blacksmith’s hammer constantly rang out every time the blacksmith struck the anvil.

Morgan had discovered a while back that other than the Tharn, humans actually lived in this isolated realm cut off from the rest of the world which had raised several questions in his mind.

Who were the people? How had they come to live in this place? And more importantly why they were living confined to the realm between.