(short chapter)
The Ember Syndicate's influence had grown, but with power came new challenges. In the heart of the capital, whispers of a mysterious figure known only as the Cinderborn began to surface.
Tales spoke of a battle-scarred orphan with supernatural resilience, someone who had survived the Church's purges and now sought vengeance.
Thorne Blackwood, ever the strategist, saw potential in this enigmatic figure. He dispatched Ruby and Lysena to locate and recruit the Cinderborn, hoping to bolster the Syndicate's ranks with someone who had firsthand experience of the Church's brutality.
Meanwhile, Kaela's latest invention, a device capable of detecting hidden chambers, led the Syndicate to a secret vault beneath the Church.
Inside, they discovered forbidden relics and documents detailing the Church's darkest secrets. Among them was evidence of an impending purge targeting the Syndicate's allies.
As the Syndicate prepared for the worst, Ruby found herself ambushed by a group of assassins. Though she fought valiantly, she sustained injuries that left her questioning her own mortality.
The attack served as a stark reminder of the dangers they faced and the lengths their enemies would go to eliminate them.
Thorne, witnessing the toll their mission was taking on his closest allies, began to question the cost of their crusade.
Was the Syndicate's vision worth the sacrifices they were making? As the lines between right and wrong blurred, the Syndicate stood at a crossroads, with the Cinderborn's arrival promising to tip the scales in their favor—or doom them all.
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*End of Chapter 11*