El stood motionless, hollow and depthless, as if the battlefield had carved something out of him that could never be restored.
He slowly lifted his head and looked toward the moon.
The pale light hung above the ruined field like a silent witness. It illuminated broken armour, scattered weapons, and the countless shapes that once possessed breath and will.
El gazed at it for a long moment before speaking.
"Destruction is too quiet," he murmured in a solemn voice. "Too slow. Too hidden. Too unpredictable. Too frightening to truly behold."
His eyes remained fixed upon the distant silver glow.
"Silence is what remains when life disappears. It is the graveyard of voices and the only companion of the living who survive."
A faint breeze drifted across the battlefield, carrying with it the cold scent of iron and dust.
El continued, his tone distant.
"When someone falls short of glory, death carries them away like dust on the wind. Gently. Quietly. Like a calm river that never turns back."
"And once that happens, life begins to lose its meaning."
He paused.
"Isn't that right, moon?" he asked softly.
The moon, of course, offered no answer.
"Aren't we too fragile for this world?"
"Aren't we too…"
He suddenly stopped.
The unfinished words faded into the empty air.
El lowered his head slightly as realization crept across his expression. He had begun speaking to the moon like a grieving fool.
The marks.
Their influence was subtle but never absent. They weighed upon the mind just as heavily as they empowered the body.
He released a cold sigh.
Then he answered his own question.
"Yes."
For a brief moment, the battlefield returned to silence.
El turned his gaze toward the distant end of the ruined field.
With a simple gesture, he summoned Ben El.
A small ripple stirred within the air.
Then the little creature appeared.
"Papa!"
Ben El rushed forward immediately, wriggling with excitement. Its small tentacles stretched outward as it wrapped itself around El with unrestrained affection.
The sudden warmth broke the stillness surrounding him.
El looked down at the tiny being clinging to him.
"Little one," he said quietly, his tone softer now. "Would you like to go for a walk?"
Ben El's entire body seemed to brighten.
"Yes, Papa!"
El allowed a faint trace of warmth to return to his expression.
Then, together, they began walking across the silent battlefield.
The moon watched from above as father and child moved slowly through the remnants of war.
Neither of them spoke.
Yet the silence no longer felt quite as empty.
Soon, the neared the other side of the battlefield.
"This is the end of the walk Ben El, go play with the shadows in Silence," El spoke in a soft manner.
The little creature nodded its white head and softened the grip of its tentacles around El's hand. Then he completely left, disappearing back into the Silence.
Before El, stood Leon, Elias and Ciel each seated on stools made from the bronze sand.
Just then, a bright interface appeared before El's eyes.
== << [| QUEST |] >> ==
Name: New Lead
Objective 1: Infiltrate the Organisation | Done!
Objective 2: Learn more about the ritual of descent | Done!
Objective 3: Kill all the ritualists | Done!
Objective 3: Spread the gospel and perform miracles| Pending! / Optional
| Rewards |
10 000 SWC: Gold tier | Fragment of ??? | ????
== << [|----------------|] >> ==
"It is only the miracles and the gospel that remain. That should not take long," El whispered.
"Hello, Great One," Ciel greeted. He rose immediately and bowed his head slightly.
"Hello, Ciel," El replied.
He then turned toward Leon and Elias, who had already stood to greet him.
"Have you told him the good news?" El asked.
"Of course," Elias answered. "He knows."
"Good," El said. Then he turned his gaze back to Ciel.
"Although all may fall in the end, it is the one who stands highest at the last moment who is counted as the victor of the war. Is that not so?"
"Yes," Ciel replied.
"We will be leaving now," El continued in a calm voice. "You shall send me a letter every month. I will read it each time. Once every year I will visit you, and once every two years you may accompany me on an adventure."
He paused briefly.
"I must also pass a message to the Mysterious One of the Grey Castle."
"What message do you wish to send?" Ciel asked. A disheartened look crossed his face. "Why are you leaving? Can you not stay?"
His voice rose as he dropped to his knees and kowtowed in reverence before El.
"Hah."
El released a soft sigh and shook his head slightly as he looked down at him.
"An alliance," he answered.
"I must spread the gospel and perform miracles. Hope must be stirred."
His tone remained cool and untroubled.
After that, Ciel, the Mysterious One of the Black Castle, did not press further. He lifted his head and looked at El with quiet understanding.
He rose slowly and brushed the bronze grains of sand from his robe, letting them fall lightly to the ground.
Ciel stepped forward and gave El a brief embrace.
Then he glanced back at Elias and Leon. Both offered small smiles in return, although Elias's smile was shorter and empty of warmth. Leon's, however, carried sincerity.