The secret passageway closed behind me, leaving us in darkness, and I ran smack into a wall.

"Ow. Son of a bitch, that hurt!"

A slim, cold hand reached, grabbed my wrist, and pulled. "I can see wha's in the dark. Follow."

She led me through twists and turns before another door appeared. Thankfully, this one was not locked. I stumbled from the passageway, blinking as my eyes adjusted to the dim light. The room before me was vast, filled with glittering treasures that stretched as far as I could see.

"That's the lord's hoard," Churl said, her voice tinged with awe. "He gave up on it. Don't know wha's in his head. Coulda fought, and saved all this."

I gaped at the piles of gold coins, jewel-encrusted weapons, and ornate armor. "This is... incredible."

Churl nodded. "Dark Lord's been collectin' for decades. Spoils of war, tribute, stolen."

My gaze swept across the room, taking in the arcane staves leaning against walls and chests overflowing with gems. The sight stirred strange memories that were not mine—memories of how I'd amassed such wealth through conquest and terror. My fingers tingled, and I was urged to reach out and touch the magical artifacts that practically hummed with power. But I clenched my fists. I didn't know what any of this stuff was, or what it could do.

A particularly ornate dresser caught my eye. Atop it sat a small, unassuming jewelry box. For some reason I couldn't put my finger on, I was drawn to the box, so I approached and carefully lifted the lid.

Inside, nestled among other expensive-looking trinkets, was an amulet that drew my attention immediately. Its intricate metalwork framed a blood-red gem that seemed to pulse with an inner light.

"What's this?" I asked, lifting the amulet by its chain.

Churl's eyes widened. "The Heart of Shadows. Dark Lord never used it. Said it was cheatin'. Not sure what the old codger meant."

I held the amulet up. The blood-red gem caught what little light there was in the room. It felt warm in my hand, almost alive. Unbidden, another memory came to me.

"This artifact is powerful, but flawed." Morthisal's voice echoed in my mind. "To depend on it, I'd have to wear it constantly. One slip, one removal, and my true identity would be revealed. No, I need something more stable. A permanent solution."

Whispers of his memories still tugged at the back of my head. The Heart of Shadows was the item that had begun his research into soul exchange—the ultimate disguise, as he would have called it.

“Get out of my head,” I muttered.

“You alright, boss?” Churl asked.

"Yeah. No. I’m not sure. Anyway, you mentioned portals. Where and how?" I asked Churl as I looked around the room. This wasn't The USS Enterprise, and there were no visible transporters.

Churl’s eyes widened as she yanked open a lid on the wall, revealing a segmented box. "That's the Codex of Portals," she whispered reverently. "All them scrolls can take you somewhere else."

I peered inside and found twenty-five neatly arranged compartments in a five-by-five grid, each containing a delicate, rolled-up scroll. Make that twenty-four. One of them was missing. Thalindra’s doing, was my guess. “And these activate the portals?" I felt a twinge of excitement.

Churl nodded, pulling one out. "Reckon each spits ya out somewhere. Not sure where they'll drop ya without bein' able to read the runes."

Shit. How was I supposed to read them? When we entered this room, a hint of memories had surfaced, but they had faded. I examined a scroll and studied the intricate symbols and the barely visible glow that hinted at its enchantment. "I guess we'll have to take a leap of faith."

Churl grabbed a particularly ornate staff and held it out to me.

"What? What am I supposed to do with that?" I asked, still overwhelmed by the room full of riches.

"Take it. ‘Twas your favorite," she insisted.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

I hesitated. All these powerful items surrounded me, but I had no idea how to use them. What good was a magic Staff of Wossit when I had no clue what Wossit did? For all I knew, it could level a mountain, or fix my hair.

But a strange feeling crept over me as I stood there, surrounded by glittering treasures. It was like an itch at the back of my mind, a faint whisper of forgotten knowledge. I found my hand reaching out for the staff almost of its own accord.

"I... I guess it couldn't hurt," I muttered, surprised by how natural the staff felt in my grip. The smooth wood seemed to mold perfectly to my palm, almost as if it had been crafted specifically for me. Or for Morthisal, I supposed.

Like every role-playing game I'd ever played, I knew one thing to be true. Collect everything that isn't tied down. You never know when it will come in handy. As the sounds of battle grew closer, a new urgency filled me. Survival instinct kicked in, and I found myself eyeing the piles of treasure with new interest. "We should probably take some of this stuff, right? Just in case?"

Churl nodded vigorously, already picking out a few glittering gems.

I looked down at my robe, noting the deep pockets. Well, when in Rome or an evil overlord's treasure room, as the case may be. I began carefully selecting items, trying to balance value and portability. A handful of the smallest, most brilliant gems, including a vivid blue palm sized gem that sparkled with an inner light. A ring that seemed to glow when slightly turned. I could stuff my pockets, but I suspected arriving somewhere completely weighed down with loot might be a good way to get robbed, and maybe stabbed. Bad enough I looked like shriveled gray prune skin, no need to draw even more attention to myself.

Part of me still couldn't believe this was happening, while another part–a part that felt older, more cunning–whispered that this wasn't so bad, and where was the harm? We might not even make it out of here alive. We might as well die rich, even if it was a temporary situation. The whole being loaded part, just to be clear.

"Okay," I said, patting my pockets. "Now, about those portals you mentioned..."

Churl struggled with a large, ornate object, trying to sling it over her shoulders. I shook my head. "Give it up," I told her. "We can't carry everything."

She tossed it aside with a loud sigh.

My eyes fell on the scrolls. Each one was a potential escape route and a gamble since we had yet to learn where they went. I reached out, grabbed one randomly, and unrolled the scroll, expecting to see gibberish. Instead, the symbols swam before my eyes, twisting and morphing like living things. My head throbbed, a pressure building behind my eyes as if my brain was rewiring itself on the spot.

"What the hell?" I muttered, blinking rapidly.

Suddenly, the runes snapped into focus. The foreign script was as clear as English, yet I knew I'd never seen this language before. It was like trying to remember a dream – the knowledge was there, just out of reach, but undeniably present.

My mouth went dry as I began to speak, the words tumbling out. My voice, more resonant than I remembered, filled the treasure room. The sound sent chills down my spine – it was my voice, but also not mine.

"Veil of shadow, gate of night," I said, the translation echoing in my mind even as the foreign words left my lips.

Each syllable felt like fire on my tongue, a searing heat that spread through my body. I wanted to stop, to shut my mouth and throw the damn scroll away, but I couldn't. Something else was in control now.

"Open now by ancient right," the incantation continued, my new voice growing stronger, more confident with each word. The air around us began to shimmer and twist. Churl's eyes widened, darting between me and the disturbance forming in the center of the room.

"To realms beyond, both far and near," I intoned, eyes wide as I realized what was happening. I was opening a portal. How the hell did I know how to do that?

"A path of darkness shall appear."

As the final words left my mouth, a swirling vortex of deep violet energy materialized before us, crackling with power. The edges rippled and pulsed, casting an eerie glow across the treasure-filled room.

I staggered back, gasping for breath. My whole body tingled like I'd stuck my finger into an electrical socket. "Holy shit." I gasped, staring at the portal in disbelief. "Did I just do that?"

Mesmerized by the sight, I reached for a couple more of the Voyager Scrolls. My fingers closed around the delicate parchments and hastily stuffed them into my robe pockets. Better to have options, I thought. Never knew when one of these magic thingamabobs would come in handy.

"Churl," my eyes were still fixed on the portal, "any idea where this thing leads?"

The goblin shook her head, her eyes wide with fear. She crept ahead of me and studied the shimmering opening. "No idea, boss. Could be anywhere."

Great. We were about to leap into the magical equivalent of a mystery grab bag. But with the sounds of battle growing closer, we had no choice. I steeled myself for whatever lay on the other side. "Well, here goes nothing," I muttered.

As I moved to step into the portal, disaster struck. My foot caught on the hem of my robes. I stumbled forward, arms windmilling in a desperate attempt to regain my balance, and ended up smacking into the wall. Some of the treasures I'd gathered flew out of the robe's pockets.

From beyond the secret passage, voices sounded. They were angry, vengeful, and, I suspect, calling for my blood. The heroes had found my chambers. They were coming for me. For him, not me. Morthisal, you dick!

I scrambled to my feet, grabbed the staff with one hand, picked up Churl by the collar with the other, and lunged toward the portal.

I plunged into the swirling vortex. The world around me dissolved into a whirl of purple energy.

The last thing I heard before the portal snapped shut behind us was the crash of my chamber's secret door being broken down. Then, silence was followed by a roar that threatened to rip my head apart.