The Lich Gate (Stormwind City)

Putress ... Kel'Thuzad, two of the darkest names in the Forsaken's stigmata. But they were not members of the Forsaken; they were the masterminds and executors of the conspiracy. Though they are dead, their influence has never disappeared, nor ever will. It is difficult for me to erase these influences, but I have tried. I have tried because I want the world to truly believe this was a conspiracy, and that it had nothing to do with the Forsaken.

However, although I tried, I couldn't do it on my own.

In the midst of this hardship, I experienced for the first time the true power of the Forsaken. I always wanted to be involved in every battle, as if to say that the Forsaken couldn't accomplish anything without me. But in reality, this was a sign of insecurity—my insecurity about them, and my insecurity about myself. They believed in their leader, they followed my Will, and they remained steadfast even when the Forsaken's reputation suffered a devastating blow.

What do I have to fear?

Stormwind City

A somber atmosphere permeated the entire Stormwind Keep. Varian King Wrynn tore the battle reports from the front lines to shreds, his furious roars echoing throughout the halls and corridors. The King gasped for breath, knowing that what exhausted him wasn't the Ghost Wolf roars, but the feeling of the plague lurking around him at the Lich Gate. His good friend, Bolvar Fordragon, Stormwind City's most respected regent, was missing. No one had seen his body, but he was most likely dead. Many of the Alliance's finest Warrior had perished not in battle against the Scourge, but in a conspiracy—at the hands of a group of completely overlooked enemies.

"The Forsaken!" Varian's eyes were bloodshot. He would never forget the name written on that report, and he wanted nothing more than to tear that organization to shreds.

"Your King." A soldier entered the hall and Varian. "Mathias Shaw, the leader of SI:7, has arrived."

"Let him in!"

Stormwind City "The Gilded Rose" Inn

Orison heard someone knocking on the door of the hotel. She was not open today because the hotel was out of food and drinks.

The innkeeper didn't respond to the knocking, because she heard five knocks, followed by three more after five seconds. Three seconds later, Orison tiptoed to the door, ready to open it. When the third knock sounded again, Orison opened the inn door and, without even looking at who it was, said, "Come in quickly."

"You're not being followed, are you, Ms. Foxton?"

Taresa tidied her hair slightly and replied with a smile, "SI:7 personnel can't monitor everyone in Stormwind City, Ms. Orison."

The hotel owner nodded. She was being too sensitive, but such caution was the right thing to do, given the extreme danger of their work.

"You usually come here as a guest. What made you want me to close the hotel today? What happened?"

Taresa's expression gradually turned grim and dejected. She had received a message from the Forsaken a few days ago and was thinking of telling the head of Stormwind City's intelligence network, but it had to be her personally.

"There's some bad news about Northrend. I believe the Alliance leadership knows about it, but the King may have kept it from them to avoid causing panic."

"What exactly is it?"

"The Lich Gate!"

Orison was somewhat confused by the word; it sounded like a place.

"The Lich Gate are the gateway to the Scourge's main base. Not long ago, the combined forces of the Alliance and the Horde reached that place..."

"The attack failed?"

Taresa shook her head. "Worse!" The blonde girl's face paled even more. "Total annihilation."

Orison gasped. This was undoubtedly a huge blow to the Alliance.

"The Lich King is actually this powerful?"

"No, it's not the Lich King." Taresa's words confused Orison again. If it wasn't the Scourge's master, then who was it? Could it be the Horde? Thinking about it carefully, it was possible that the Horde would betray the Alliance at the last minute.

"It was an Undead named Putress!" The blonde girl clenched her teeth. "He unleashed a plague on the armies of the Alliance and the Horde, killing almost everyone, and he also... he called himself Forsaken."

For a fleeting moment, Orison felt dizzy, as if she had lost her breath, and forgot how to think. Her eyes were fixed on Taresa, and countless emotions surged through her mind. How should she react? The being she had been assisting had committed such a heinous act.

Orison was about to unleash a torrent of abuse, but Taresa anticipated her reaction and preemptively covered the innkeeper's mouth with her hand.

"Don't get agitated!" Taresa said anxiously. "I haven't finished speaking! This is a conspiracy, a conspiracy by the Lich King."

"It could also be a lie told by the Witherer to cover up their actions!"

"Are you out of your mind! How dare you utter that name in Stormwind City!" Taresa slapped Orison across the face. The two women glared at each other, feeling the heat of each other's breath. "Listen to me, Orison. I've seen the Witherer, and I know who he is. I understand him; he's not the kind of person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. After the Lich Gate incident, he immediately wrote to all the Forsaken, telling them the truth: the Lich King used his servants to impersonate Forsaken and attack the Alliance and Horde warriors in order to use them as pawns. If we believed that, we would have fallen right into the enemy's trap, do you understand?"

After her explanation, Orison remained furious. She stopped blaming the Forsaken, but remained skeptical of Taresa's words. Her husband had died at the hands of the Scourge, and she had only agreed to become a spy if the Forsaken promised to destroy the Lich King. But what had happened now severely shook her faith in the Forsaken.

"What will the Alliance do?" she asked.

"The Witherer need our help more than ever, Orison," Taresa replied. "The Forsaken are now fully exposed to the world, and burdened with sin. Both the Alliance and the Horde will soon launch a thorough investigation into this hidden force. The Witherer have asked us to monitor the Alliance's actions and warned us not to expose ourselves. You... are you willing to accept the mission?"

"This has always been my mission," Orison said in a low voice, "But this time I refuse to carry it out." Her words made Taresa uneasy.

"I will not betray the Witherer. I will make all the spies in Stormwind City go into hiding. Tell the Witherer that he must explain what happened at the Lich Gate with concrete actions."