Lord of Shadows: Rise of the Grand Talisman

The silence in the room fractured as the weight of the Watcher's words settled.

"They come."

Julius's muscles tensed, but his mind remained calm. There was no panic—only anticipation. He had only been in this world for minutes, yet now, he was already being hunted.

And not by just anyone.

The people who had orchestrated this summoning—the ones who had expected something else—were about to discover their mistake.

He exhaled, his breath slow and deliberate. It was time to move.

His eyes darted around the room, analyzing everything he had at his disposal. Bloodstained ritual markings. A dagger. A pile of aged documents and scrolls scattered across a wooden table. The kneeling entity—the Watcher in the Dark—remained still, as if waiting for his command.

"No weapons. No allies. No way out."

His fingers traced the dagger's worn handle. It was a crude tool, likely ceremonial, but it would have to do.

Outside, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. Multiple figures. Moving with purpose.

Julius tightened his grip around the dagger. It was time to act.

—BANG!

The door to the ritual chamber burst open.

Light from the torches outside flooded the room, casting jagged shadows against the walls. A group of hooded figures stood at the threshold, their robes embroidered with intricate symbols that pulsed faintly in the dim light.

Their leader, a tall man with sharp features and cold, calculating eyes, stepped forward. His gaze locked onto Julius, scanning him from head to toe.

Then, his expression darkened.

"You're not the one we called."

Julius tilted his head, his lips curling slightly. "I noticed."

The man's eyes flickered toward the bloodstained floor, to the corpse at Julius's feet. A flicker of something—confusion? Frustration?—crossed his face.

Then, his gaze snapped back to Julius. His voice was laced with suspicion. "Who are you?"

A dangerous question. One he couldn't answer carelessly.

Julius considered his options. He could lie. He could bluff. He could claim ignorance.

Or…

He could own the situation.

A slow, deliberate smile spread across his face.

"You summoned me," he said, voice calm. "Shouldn't you already know?"

The tension in the air sharpened.

One of the hooded figures took a step forward, their hands twitching as if preparing to cast something. Magic.

Julius's heartbeat remained steady. He knew nothing about this world's magic—its rules, its limitations—but he knew this much:

He couldn't afford to be seen as weak.

The Watcher in the Dark, still kneeling at his side, finally stirred. The shadows in the room shifted, responding to its presence.

The leader's eyes flickered toward the entity, and for the first time, his expression cracked.

"You…" he breathed. His fingers twitched. "Impossible. This wasn't—this wasn't the agreement."

Julius's mind sharpened. Agreement?

Whatever they had summoned wasn't meant to be him. It was supposed to be something else entirely. Something that they expected.

Which meant…

He could use this.

Julius took a step forward. The hooded figures flinched.

Good.

"If you don't know who I am," Julius said, his voice low and unwavering, "then you don't understand what you've done."

The leader's jaw clenched. His hands curled into fists. "We were promised an emissary. A guide to the unseen path."

Julius's smile didn't waver. "Then consider me a substitute."

A ripple of uncertainty passed through the group.

Julius pressed further. "You wanted a being that could walk the space between the known and the unknown, didn't you?" He spread his arms slightly. "Well, here I am."

The leader's hesitation was almost imperceptible. But Julius caught it.

A fraction of a second. A single moment of doubt.

He wasn't sure.

And that was all Julius needed.

He stepped forward once more, his presence filling the room. The shadows coiled at his feet, moving unnaturally, responding to him.

The leader's fingers twitched.

Julius's voice dropped to a whisper.

"You don't want to know what happens if you reject me now."

Silence.

Then—

"...Stand down."

The leader's command was sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade. The robed figures hesitated, then lowered their hands.

Julius held back a smirk. They had taken the bait.

For now.

The leader exhaled, his eyes filled with unspoken calculations. "You are… not what we expected."

Julius tilted his head. "Then let's consider this an opportunity."

The leader studied him for a long moment. Then, finally—

"Very well."

Julius kept his expression neutral. But inside, he was already planning his next move.

He had entered this world as a mistake. An accident.

But now?

Now, he had control.