The Thorn

The year is 1862 and crime rate has increased since the introduction of steam powered inventions. Celestine, an investigative reporter, now is on the smuggler Sabines airship on track to head to St. Veradis. As the Elite have something hidden underneath that can chanage the world. Celestine hopes that her beloved Rose is there, as she has been captured by the Elite. Now, deep beneath St. Veradis, Celestine stands before a colossal vault. Its guardian, the Warden, remains motionless, an unshakable sentinel. Realization sinks in: Rose isn’t here, and Celestine isn’t strong enough to face him. Defeat begins to settle in. Then, shadows spill into the chamber. The Elite’s deadliest assassins, the Faceless, emerge, surrounding her. But instead of attacking, each drops to one knee, facing the great entrance. A figure steps inside. Celestine’s breath catches. She has heard whispers, rumors that the Faceless had been gathering to escort someone known only as the Thorn, the true leader of the Elite. She had expected a monster, a stranger shrouded in menace. Instead, she sees Rose. Celestine’s mind rebelled. This couldn’t be Rose. Not her Rose. And yet every detail screamed truth: the tilt of her head, the way her gaze seemed to pierce through skin and bone, the unspoken familiarity that burned hotter than the vault’s heavy lanterns. The Faceless rose as one, forming a ring around The Warden. The air seemed to vibrate, heavy with the promise of violence. Celestine’s pulse thundered in her ears. If she stayed, she’d be crushed in their inevitable clash. If she fled, she might never reach Rose again. Then Rose’s eyes, no, the Thorn’s eyes, met hers. In that moment, Celestine felt the ground tilt. This was an invitation. A test.