Speaker 1: Welcome back, brave listener to Dark Tails Uncovered. We've reached
the penultimate chapter of season four, and the Shadows have
never been darker. MEA's journey through Bloodline Urban Shadows has
been a spiral inter obsession, power, and the truth that
hides behind every heartbeat in the night. In Bloodlines and Bargains,
she uncovered the ancient forces behind Crimson, made choices that
cannot be undone, and stepped into a world that now
watches her every move. Now, in chapter nine, Dance with
the Shadows, it's time to face fact that what she's
become all around her, the old Bloodlined stir alliance is fracture,
and something is risen from the deep within the city's veins.
Mirror is no longer running, she's no longer hiding. She's
stepping into the dark with her eyes wide open, and
the Shadows they've been waiting for this moment. This is
more than survival. It's a reckoning, a ritual, a dance.
So let's take a breath and join her in the dark.
This is Dance with the Shadows. Chapter nine, Dance with
the Shadows. The Revenant followed them like a living shadow,
its presence oppressive but eerily silent. Every so often, Mia
glanced back to see its glowing Crimson eyes fixed on
the horizon, its gaunt form barely moving as it floated
just behind them. Caleb's tension was palpable, his hands clenching
and unclenching as they moved through the city. What's the
plan now, Caleb finally asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Mia stopped, pulling out the map Caleb hadmarked earlier. We
need to draw them out. Crimson knows them coming, but
if we can turn their focus to us, it will
give us a chance to get Ethan. The Revenant, chuckled darkly.
A bold strategy. I assume you have this strength to
match your ambition. Mia ignored it, focusing on the map.
The warehouse is the hunting ground, but if Crimson is
the is as centralized as you say. There must be
a hub nearby, something tying their operations together. Caleb nodded,
pointing to a spot in the map. There's an old
theater a few blocks from the warehouse. It's abandoned now,
but I've seen that agents moving in and out could
be the hub, and that's where we go. Mia said,
you do realize it's probably crawling with hounds, right, Caleb said.
Mia met his gaze, her voice cold. I don't care.
The theater loomed like a forgotten monument. It's grand facad
cracked and weathered. Faded posters clung to the walls, remnants
of a time when it had been alive with light
and music. Now it was silent. The only sound the
faint rustle of the wind. This place is wrong, Caleb muttered.
As they approached the Revenant, laughs softly, A fitting again
for your prey. Shall we enter? Mia tightened her grip
on her knife, she carried, stay close. No one makes
them move unless I say so. They pushed inside. They
pushed open the heavy double doors, the creek echoing through
the cavernous lobby. Inside, the air was thick with dust
and faint metallic tang of blood. Shadows clung to the corners,
darker and deeper than they should have. Caleb scanned the room,
his flashlight cutting through the gloom. This is definitely a
Crimson sight. Look at the symbols. Mia followed his gaze
to the walls, where strange signals had been carved onto
the plaster. They pulsed faintly, as if though were alive.
What do they mean, she asked. They're wards, Caleb said,
protection for their rituals. If we're seeing these, it means
was close to something important. As they moved deeper into
the theater, the oppressive atmosphere grew heavier. The hum Mia
had felt since her first encounter with Crimson was almost
deafening now by braking in her bones, Wait, the revenance said, suddenly,
it's voice low. Mia stopped, her heart pounding. What is it?
They know we're here, it said, a cruel smile spreading
across its face, and they're coming. Before Mia could respond,
the shadows around them shifted. The hounds emerged from their
glowing red eyes, piercing the darkness. There were more of
them than before, their forms larger and more defined. Rodolph, Fight,
Caleb said, his voice shaking, Fight, Mia said firmly. The
hounds lunged, their growls echo through the theater. Mia swung
her knife at the nearest one, the blade slicing through
its shadowy form. It let out a shriek before dissolving,
but two more took its place. Caleb swung his pipe,
the metal connecting with another hound. The Revenant, however, was
a whirlwind of destruction. It moved within human speed, its
claws tearing through the hounds like paper. You'll have to
do better than this, Crimson, the Revenant taunted, its voice
dripping with malice. Mia fought with everything she had. Her
must was burning her arms, her lungs aching. The hounds
were relentless, their claws then teeth, striking out from all directions.
But something had changed. The longer she fought, the more
she felt the power of Crimson had awakened in her.
Her movements became faster, more precise. The knife in her
hand seemed to hum with energy, cutting through the hounds
like it was meant for them. Caleb noticed his eyes widening. Mia,
What what are you not now? She shouted, slicing from
an other hound. When the last hounds dissolved into the mist,
the theater fell silent once more. Mia stood panting, her
knife slick with black ichore. You're learning, the Revenant said,
his Crimson eyes glowing with approval. Shut up, Mia snapped,
turning to Caleb. Where's the hub. Caleb pointed to a
door at the back of the stage. If it's here,
it'll be behind there. Mia led the way, the Revenant
training behind her like a specter. The door creaked open,
revealing a staircase that spiraled downward into the dark. That's it,
Caleb said. Mia took a deep breath, stealing herself, Let's
finish this. As he descended, the air grew colder, and
the hum and mea his chest became almost unbearable. Whatever
weighted at the bottom, she knew it. It would be
the key to everything, Ethan Crimson, the truth about what
she was becoming. The shadows seemed to close in around
them for the first time. Mio wasn't sure if they
could make it out alive. S