Heartripper

Haunted by snake-filled nightmares, Isla slips into Nightshade’s streets, itching for action as she waits for the next storm. Her nightly hunts targeting abusers have multiplied, and offerings of warm food begin appearing on her rooftop perch from a woman she once saved. When Isla confronts the follower, Sairsha, the woman asks to learn self-defense. Isla reluctantly agrees, gifts Sairsha a dagger, and teaches basic tactics, warning that the blade should be a last resort.

Sairsha keeps inserting herself into Isla’s routine, eventually coaxing Isla toward a nearby bar. Inside, the room stills as patrons recognize Isla’s work and whisper a new title—“heartripper.” Gratitude replaces fear; a man thanks her as Sairsha seats her. Isla drinks little, wary of exposure, ready to portal away or summon Grim if needed, but mindful that calling him could spark bloodshed. Despite her caution, a nightly pattern forms: patrol, then brief visits to the same bar.

As they talk, Sairsha describes the bar’s tight-knit, purpose-driven community and praises the ruler’s fairness and direct aid—his hands-on protection during the curses, even building tunnels and delivering provisions himself. Isla recalls his wounds and courage and quietly reconciles the ruthless ruler with the protector his people revere, noting the exception he made for her.

Later, in her room, Lynx wakes Isla with insistent growls and points her to the window. When she parts the curtain, prepared to fight, Isla is stunned: Oro stands outside, filling the frame, his sudden arrival shattering the uneasy rhythm she has built.