Three Months Later – The City of Solmar
For the past three months, Elara had lived like a ghost.
Since the Sigil's disappearance, she had taken extreme precautions to avoid detection. She moved only when necessary, stayed in the darkest corners of the city, and ensured that the Divine Order's priests and inquisitors never caught wind of her.
But she could feel the tension in the air. The Order was looking for something—or someone.
She wasn't naïve. The Sigil's appearance had likely sent ripples through the Order's hierarchy. She had expected them to search for the clues relentlessly. But as time passed, she began noticing something more sinister.
Rumors began to spread. People were vanishing.
At first, the disappearances seemed sporadic. The city had always been a dangerous place for refugees—criminals, slavers, and even corrupt guards sometimes preyed on them.
But these vanishings were different. More frequent. More systematic. And it was happening under the Order's watch.
When Kael came to her, his expression was grave. "Elara... we need to look into this."
She had already decided. They had to find out what was happening.
---
For weeks, they watched the movement of city guards, followed whispers in the alleys, and questioned merchants who dealt with refugees. The more they learned, the clearer it became—these disappearances weren't random.
Someone was taking people. Hundreds of them. And then, one night, they found it.
A hidden passage beneath an abandoned warehouse on the city's outskirts.
Elara and Kael crouched in the shadows, watching as hooded figures escorted groups of refugees underground.
Elara's pulse quickened. "This is it."
Kael exhaled slowly. "If we go down there, there's no turning back."
She nodded. "Then let's not get caught." They slipped into the shadows and followed.
The air grew damp and stale as they crept through the tunnels. The passage led to a vast chamber, its walls lined with iron-barred cages.
And inside those cages—
Dozens, no—hundreds of refugees sat huddled together, their faces gaunt and hollow. Some were too weak to move, while others stared blankly at the flickering torches. The smell of blood, sweat, and something darker clung to the air.
Kael gasped and clenched his fists. "God..." Elara didn't respond. She was too focused on what lay ahead.
In the center of the chamber, priests of the Order moved methodically, their white robes stained with golden sigils. They were drawing intricate altars on the stone floor, their hands glowing with golden energy.
A prisoner strapped to one of the altars.
He was convulsing violently, his veins pulsing with black energy that writhed beneath his skin. The priests surrounded him, their hands raised in prayer.
One of them—a senior priest with golden embroidery on his robe—stepped forward.
"The corruption within you taints this world," he intoned. "May the Holy Light cleanse your soul." And then—
He plunged his hand into the prisoner's chest. Elara bit her lip to keep from gasping.
The man's screams tore through the chamber as his body arched violently. Golden light flared, wrapping around the priest's hand as he slowly pulled something out.
A dark, swirling mist—demonic energy—was being forcefully extracted from the prisoner's body.
But something was wrong.
The man's body began to shrivel, his skin sinking in, his bones protruding through his flesh. His eyes bulged, his mouth stretched open in a silent wail.
He burst into dust.
The priest let the extracted energy hover between his palms for a moment before sealing it into a glass container.
Elara felt a chill crawl down her spine. Kael, beside her, had turned deathly pale.
"They're extracting life force," he whispered. "This isn't just about demonic energy. They're draining them dry."
Elara's stomach twisted. The Order was using these people as fuel.
---
A pained scream echoed from another part of the chamber.
Elara turned her head—
Another priest stood in front of a different prisoner, this one bound in thick chains, his body wracked with black veins of corruption.
Unlike the others, this man had not yet collapsed into himself. He still had some strength left.
The priest leaned forward. "You carry the taint of the Abyss," he murmured. "Tell us where the others are, and your death will be swift."
The prisoner spat at him.
The priest's expression remained calm.
And then—he lifted a branding iron from the nearby brazier, its tip glowing red-hot.
Elara turned away as the man's screams filled the chamber. She didn't need to watch. She already knew how cruel the Order's methods were.
Kael, on the other hand, was frozen in place, his breath shallow. For a moment, Elara feared he might rush forward.
She grabbed his wrist. "We can't help them." Kael didn't move, his fingers trembling slightly. Then, something else caught Elara's attention.
---
In one of the farther cages, a man slumped against the bars. His body was frail, his breathing labored—but when his eyes met hers, they widened.
His lips parted and he spat an unexpected word "Lucian…?"
Elara's heart stopped. Kael's head snapped toward her. "What did he just say?"
The dying captive's lips curled into a weird smile. "Darkness… it lingers around you… I knew it… you came…"
A shiver ran down Elara's spine. His eyes burned with recognition—but not of her.
Of Lucian's mark. The mark she still carried from their pact. Then, suddenly—
He laughed. A broken, unhinged cackle that sent shivers through the chamber.
The priests turned in that man's direction. Their chanting ceased. Elara's pulse spiked. No, The priests had heard him. They were looking for Lucian and they would hunt her next. It's time to go.
Elara grabbed Kael. "We're leaving. Now." The priests began moving.
Elara whispered an incantation—shadows coiled around them. And in the next second they were gone.
They didn't stop running until they reached an abandoned rooftop near the merchant district.
Kael staggered, his breathing ragged. "Elara… what the hell was that?!"
She didn't answer.
Kael turned to face her, his jaw clenched. "That man—he knew something. He knew Lucian. Who is he? And why is the Order hunting him?"
Elara looked away.
Kael took a step closer. "What aren't you telling me?"
She exhaled slowly. "Drop it, Kael. I can't tell you now is not the time"
He stood frozen in place. For the first time since they had met, doubt crept into his expression. He had seen what the Order was doing.
He had felt the weight of their cruelty. And now—
Smiling bitterly to himself, he wasn't sure if fighting alongside Elara was the right choice anymore.
Or if it was a mistake.