The road to the city was narrow, hemmed in by dry hills and wind-twisted trees. Dust rose with every turn of the carriage wheels, drifting through the air like a yellow haze that announced their arrival long before the walls came into view.
The news had already arrived ahead of them.It always did.
When the carriage crossed the stone bridge, the bells did not ring to welcome visitors. They tolled as if announcing a funeral.
The gates stood open.But no one waited to receive them.
The main square was full… and empty at the same time. People watched from balconies, from half-open windows, hidden behind curtains that barely stirred. Some priests muttered hurried prayers; others simply bowed their heads.
A child pointed."Mom… is that…?"
The woman yanked him back inside and slammed the shutters closed.
The carriage came to a stop.
The silence weighed heavier than any army.
The door creaked open.
Lusian stepped down first.
The wind lifted his dark cloak just enough to reveal the hilt of his weapon. He wore no armor. He no longer needed it. His eyes swept over the city with a calm, dangerous focus, mapping escape routes before even deciding to stay.
Something in the air shifted. A faint murmur of dark magic crawled between the cobblestones, and the shadows seemed to stir for no apparent reason.
He exhaled."Nice place," he murmured, without emotion.
Elizabeth stepped down behind him, as elegant as ever, ignoring the superstition-laden stares. Her posture was straight, proud… almost defiant.
Emily was the last to descend. The fallen saint kept her head covered, but her mere presence made the air feel heavier. A pair of believers recoiled upon recognizing her; one even dropped his rosary.
A merchant shut his shop without hesitation.
A local soldier, driven more by duty than courage, approached. His hands trembled as he held the ceremonial spear.
"T-This city…" he swallowed, "…welcomes peaceful travelers."
Lusian looked at him in silence.The soldier felt sweat run down his back.
"We're only here to rest," Lusian said at last. "If we're not disturbed… we won't cause trouble."
No one in the square truly believed those words.
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
The devil had arrived.
Elizabeth glanced at Lusian with a crooked smile."They'll send word," she whispered. "Priests… nobles… heroes… someone will want to claim your head."
"I know."
"Then why come here?"
Lusian turned his gaze toward the distant mountains beyond the city. His eyes darkened for the briefest moment.
"Because I need them to know where I am."
Elizabeth understood too quickly.Emily did as well.
The world's fear needed a face.And Lusian had just given it one.
A crow cawed from the rooftop of the town hall.Dry leaves fell without wind, as if the world itself were holding its breath.
Somewhere far away, in temples that had never shared prayers, several gods felt the same thing at the same time.
Presence.Threat.Living heresy.
Prayers began to change direction.And for the first time in centuries, some gods felt something akin to fear.
Lusian started walking toward the nearest inn, as if none of it mattered.
But each step echoed in the silence like a declaration of war, and the dust beneath his boots shimmered with a faint, dark glow that no human could comprehend.