Witcher: The Half Elf

At nightfall, Wayne abruptly sat up in bed. Careful not to disturb Syanna, who was deeply asleep from exhaustion, he dressed in plain, inconspicuous clothing and quietly left his room. His destination lay outside the city, in a secluded forest they had agreed upon earlier.

As he entered the dense woods, a slender figure cloaked in shadow emerged from the trees. She stepped forward, revealing her striking features beneath the hood, her eyes alight with admiration. Her voice carried a seductive undertone as she pressed herself close to Wayne, her scent laced with the most exquisite perfumes available on the market.

"Master, what is your command?" she purred, her tone both reverent and eager. "Your servant is always at your service."

Wayne gently but firmly placed his hands on her shoulders, keeping a polite distance as he spoke in a serious tone.

"Sabrina, I've told you before, we share an employment arrangement, not one of servitude. There is no need to call me 'Master.'"

"You and Síle both deserve better. Once I've mastered the chaotic power coursing through me, I promise to find a way to free you from its hold. You will live a normal life again."

Despite his earnest reassurance, Sabrina—once the proud advisor to the Emperor of Kaedwen—knelt before him, her gaze filled with twisted adoration.

"You don't need to free me," she said, her voice trembling with fervor. "Serving you is my honor, my purpose, my very reason for being. You give my life direction, and I would do anything to fulfill your desires."

Her tone was almost worshipful, and her actions soon matched her words. Sabrina reached out, her hands moving toward his belt.

Wayne frowned, sighing heavily. He placed his palm gently on her head, channeling controlled chaos magic into her. With precision, he targeted the lingering corruption within her, sealing its influence for the moment.

Minutes passed, and Sabrina's frenzied expression faded, replaced by one of shame and gratitude. She looked up at him, her voice heavy with emotion.

"Thank you, Wayne," she murmured. "I underestimated the residual power of the dark magic. Being away from Kaer Morhen has allowed its corruption to seep back into me. For a moment, I nearly became like the others—mindless, obedient to the chaos."

She hesitated, then added in a quieter voice, "Perhaps I should not have left the safety of Kaer Morhen. Staying close to Síle and the others might have spared me this."

Wayne's expression softened as he helped her to her feet. "Don't despair, Sabrina. This is not your failing. Being in close proximity to the members of the Dark Sorcerers Society has likely exposed you to more concentrated sources of hellish corruption."

He paused, his tone growing resolute. "It may be too risky for you to remain undercover. Your mission to infiltrate the Dark Society might have to end prematurely. Your safety is paramount."

But Sabrina shook her head, her resolve unbroken. She placed her hand on Wayne's arm and said firmly:

"No, Wayne. This organization is far more dangerous than we initially thought. It's growing rapidly, and someone powerful is pulling the strings behind the scenes. If we don't act now, they will become a threat to all humanity."

Her voice faltered slightly, but her determination did not waver. "Before I leave, I must gather as much information as possible—locations, identities, their inner workings. If I leave now, my credibility among them will be destroyed, and I may never regain this position of trust."

Wayne studied her for a long moment, then nodded. "Very well, but you must be cautious. Limit direct interactions with high-ranking members. Focus on gathering intelligence. When the time is right, we'll strike decisively."

Their conversation shifted to the specifics of the Dark Society's structure. Sabrina revealed troubling details:

The organization had over fifty active sorcerers, with more than a thousand core members. They had formed an alliance with fallen demons and hellish creatures, a relationship that made their ranks virtually untouchable in the wilderness and ruins they inhabited. Their influence was expanding rapidly, far surpassing the Brotherhood's estimates.

Fortunately, despite the number of sorcerers in the Dark Society, most of them have had their minds corroded by hellish magic, leaving their intelligence greatly diminished. Scattered across the northern kingdoms, they lack cohesion and a unified structure, making them less of an immediate threat.

According to Sabrina's findings, the core members of the Dark Sorcerers Society are currently focused on two primary objectives.

The first is to break the spatial seal in the Kingdom of Kaedwen, which currently prevents the dark world from reconnecting with this plane. If successful, it would allow more infernal powers to infiltrate this world, potentially tipping the balance of power.

The second task remains shrouded in mystery. The innermost circle of the Society has been tasked with locating newborns said to possess special souls. It is rumored that these souls house fragments of their masters' spirits. Once enough of these unique newborns are gathered, their masters can supposedly be resurrected and return to this world.

When Wayne heard this, his thoughts immediately turned to the fragmented soul of Demon Lord Baal. After the destruction of Baal's soul clone, dozens of shards had scattered across the world. It seemed likely that this mission was connected to that event.

To be honest, the prospect of facing another manifestation of Demon Lord Baal left Wayne uneasy. His victory against the demon lord's clone had been due largely to Baal's arrogance and underestimation of his opponents. The demon lord had not taken the warriors of this world seriously, allowing Wayne to capitalize on his misjudgment with a series of well-timed gambits.

If another fragment of Baal were to rise, prepared and fully aware of Wayne's abilities, it would undoubtedly be an exceptionally difficult battle.

After sharing this intelligence, Wayne shifted the conversation to the purpose of their meeting.

"Princess Pavetta of Cintra has gone missing. Evidence suggests she was kidnapped by a member of the Dark Sorcerers Society, likely a sorcerer. Do you have any leads on this?"

Sabrina, still seated, took out a white handkerchief to dab at her face, wiping away remnants of her earlier tears and reapplying her smeared makeup. She tilted her head slightly, considering the question for several moments before answering.

"From the information I've gathered, there are at least two core members of the Dark Sorcerers Society operating near the Kingdom of Cintra. Both are fallen, corrupted during the fog incident."

She paused, her expression thoughtful. "I don't know their exact locations, nor am I personally familiar with them. However, I could make inquiries and gather more intelligence. The current state of the Dark Sorcerers Society is disorganized, and many of its core members are not particularly sharp."

"If I infiltrate and start asking the right questions, I should be able to uncover something useful."

Wayne nodded, appreciating her initiative. He reached into his space bracelet and withdrew a metal sphere, roughly the size of an egg. Intricately engraved with complex magical runes, the device glimmered faintly in the moonlight.

Placing the artifact carefully in Sabrina's hands, Wayne's tone grew serious.

"This is a magical locator. It will allow me to track your whereabouts. If you encounter danger, crush it immediately, and I will come to your aid as swiftly as possible."