I shake my head. “Don’t. It’s fine.” Then I focus back on the menus in front of me. “Cipher? Any chance you’re willing to help me?”
“All the information is in that menu that I’d be able to give you,” he answers. “I would suggest reading them all thoroughly.”
My chest expands with the deep breath I take to prepare myself. This feels like the biggest decision I’m ever going to make within the Harrow, and I approach it like that. Cipher warned me to be careful, and doesn’t agree with Locke’s choice even if he doesn’t seem surprised by it. If I’m going to survive long enough for Dox to get in the Harrow, I’m gonna need to make sure I select wisely.
So, I start the arduous task of reading every little detail.
SHADOW WALKER
Shadow Walkers manipulate absence rather than light, stepping through gaps in perception and space where attention fails. They specialize in infiltration, precision strikes, and disengagement, thriving where enemies cannot clearly see or remember them.
Corruption does not make Shadow Walkers louder or crueler; it makes them harder to find, especially to themselves. Loneliness is a Glitch trait.
Core Ability Modifiers: Agility and Luck
Nope. I have no plans to be lonely at all once Dox gets here, so the Shadow Walker glitch is out. That’s easy enough. Maybe they’ll all be this simple to decide between.
WRAITH KNIGHT
Wraith Knights bind martial discipline to death-adjacent forces, becoming armored conduits of lingering will and unresolved violence. They fight as front-line juggernauts, absorbing punishment while delivering decisive, spectral-infused blows.
Outside of combat, their emotions dull, pain recedes, and purpose narrows. Corruption turns oath into obsession, and armor into something that no longer comes off.
Core Ability Modifier(s): Vitality
“Wraith Knights sound miserable,” I say out loud, looking over at Locke. His eyes are closed, and after a moment, I realize he’s sleeping. I roll my eyes. “Alright then. Just you and me, Cipher.”
“As it should be,” Cipher replies. “Continue reading. You’re doing well.”
“Ah, yes. Because it’s my sole purpose to please you,” I mock.
“Not your sole purpose, no,” he fires back. “But you do so please me, Vespera.”
I find it difficult not to flush at his words, my face heating up as I try my hardest to focus on the menus and not his words. I clear my throat and continue reading.
CARRIONIST
The Carrionist knows only sickness and decay. Many find their smell unbearable . . .
“Gross,” I say. “I don’t think that one’s for me.”
“Good choice,” Cipher adds. “Continue.”
“Leech,” I read out loud, softly so I don’t wake Locke up. “Leeches survive by taking what others cannot afford to lose. Through touch, proximity, or sustained contact, they siphon vitality, strength, memories, and even emotions, turning stolen essence into power.” I stare at the words. “That sounds . . .”
“Miserable?” Cipher offers.
“Hollow,” I reply instead. “I don’t think that one is for me either. I hope there’s at least something that speaks to me. So far, these all seem like terrible options.”
“Keep going,” Cipher orders. “You’ll know when you find it.”
I could tell him not to order me around, but he’s right. There are so many menus and I need to select one of them. I have to keep going if I’m going to make any progress.
SIREN
Sirens wield voice and presence as weapons, bending emotion, desire, and perception through song, tone, and silence. Their power thrives on attention as every listener becomes a thread they can pull.
Beware, the more a siren is heard, the less they are believed, and corruption twists their song until it no longer knows the difference between admiration and dominion.
