The tunnel opened into a vast, echoing chasm beneath Osric — a world buried beneath the world. The air was thick with the scent of burning stone and decay, and faint orange light flickered from molten cracks in the rock below.
From their ledge high above, Lucifer and Morvain gazed down upon the abyssal pit — and what writhed within it.
The creatures were unlike anything born of mortal soil. Their bodies were long and sinewed, shaped from black mist and molten veins. Some crawled on limbs that bent the wrong way; others slithered like serpents of ash. Their eyes burned with dim red light — not of anger, but of eternal hunger. When they moved, they left behind trails of smoke that hissed like whispers.
Lucifer's lips curved into a grin. "So," he said softly, voice echoing off the dark walls. "What do you think?"
Morvain's face drained of color. His eyes widened, heart pounding. "Wh… what are those things?"
Lucifer tilted his head, feigning innocence. "You mean them?" He gestured lazily toward the shifting horde below. "My dark armies."
"Armies?" Morvain stammered. "They… they look like monsters."
Lucifer chuckled, low and cold. "They're few now — thanks to your foolish master. He feared what he couldn't control."
Morvain clenched his fists. "He came to you for help."
"And I gave it," Lucifer replied smoothly. "But help is always… expensive."
He turned his gaze back to the pit, his eyes gleaming like two stars in shadow.
"What plan do you have for them?" Morvain asked hesitantly.
Lucifer's smile widened, cruel and knowing. "A future siege," he said — and his laughter rolled through the cavern like thunder, stirring the slumbering beasts below.
The echoes of his laughter carried upward — fading into sunlight.
---
Above ground, the world was alive again.
On the open training field, the morning wind swept across the green hills. Birds chirped in the distance, and sunlight glimmered on dew-streaked grass.
Olivia stood in the center of the field, wearing a simple white tunic tied with a crimson sash, her feet bare on the earth. Her wooden training stick looked far too small to be taken seriously, but the way she held it — firm, determined — made even Leofric raise an eyebrow.
He stood before her, arms folded, trying not to smile. "You sure that little twig can save you?"
Olivia puffed her cheeks. "Wilfred said a real warrior starts with focus, not weapons."
Leofric chuckled. "He would say that."
They were training on the same field where Leofric had once faced Wilfred — and lost. The memory still burned in his chest, a reminder that strength alone wasn't enough.
"Clarity," he muttered to himself, gripping his sword. "That's what she said I lacked."
Edith sat nearby, watching with quiet amusement while Wilfred observed from the shade of an oak tree.
Leofric turned back to Olivia. "To begin, tell me — what is the essence of combat?"
Olivia tilted her head, thinking hard. "Um… hitting the other person before they hit you?"
Leofric barked a laugh. "Not quite."
"Then what is it?" she asked, crossing her arms.
He scratched his head. "Uhh… well—"
Wilfred's calm voice cut through the air. "Combat, at its heart, is not about taking life — it's about understanding its worth."
Olivia's eyes widened slightly. "So… fighting teaches you to value life?"
"Exactly," Wilfred replied. "The purpose of combat is not destruction — it's control. Power guided by heart."
Leofric nodded. "And that's what I'll teach you."
He stepped back, drawing his sword. "Now, Olivia — show me what you've got."
Olivia raised her stick with a grin that was both nervous and brave.
They circled each other, the breeze carrying the rustle of grass and the whisper of memory. Leofric lunged gently — testing her. She dodged, barely. Again and again, he pressed, each move faster than before.
At first, she stumbled — then something shifted. Her movements became more fluid, her eyes sharper. When Leofric struck again, she twisted, letting his blade pass her by and tapped his side with the stick.
"Got you!" she shouted, triumphant.
Leofric blinked — then burst into laughter. "You did!"
From the oak tree, Wilfred's faint smile deepened. "She learns fast."
The sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the field.
And far below the earth, in the cavern of the dark armies, Lucifer's voice murmured through the stone:
"Let her learn. She will need it."
While Leofric and Olivia continued their training, the wind shifted softly across the field. Wilfred rose from where he stood and, with a faint shimmer of light, lifted gracefully into the air. His cloak fluttered as he landed beside Edith, who was standing a short distance away, quietly observing the lesson.
Edith flinched slightly, her hand over her chest. "Ah—! You startled me for a moment."
Wilfred smiled, clasping his hands calmly behind his back. "You'll grow used to it, in time."
She exhaled, letting out a nervous chuckle. "I hope so. You move too silently for someone who can fly."
A faint smile curved his lips. "In this world, Edith, every soul has a purpose to fulfill — and every step we take, seen or unseen, brings us closer to it."
Edith nodded slowly, her gaze following Olivia as the little girl struggled to maintain her balance during one of Leofric's exercises. "You're right. Watching her… reminds me of the days when Queen Hilda was still expecting her." Her voice softened. "Back then, I didn't understand why so much protection surrounded her birth. But now… I see it. She was born for something greater."
Wilfred's expression grew thoughtful. "And that purpose will not be an easy one. The winds are changing — darkness stirs once more."
Edith folded her hands before her, her eyes steady despite the weight in his tone. "Then we'll stand by her. Just as we did for her mother."
Wilfred turned his gaze toward the horizon, where sunlight spilled gently across the field. "Yes," he said quietly. "We must protect her—not because she is destined, but because she is ours to guard."
Edith smiled faintly. "Guardians till the end, then."
Their eyes met for a brief, knowing moment before they both looked back at the training ground—where Olivia's laughter echoed softly across the wind, mingling with Leofric's calm instructions.