The steady glow of lanterns illuminated the common room of The Ember Hearth Inn, its flickering light casting soft warmth across worn stone walls. The hum of distant city noise seeped through shuttered windows, but within the inn, a hush had settled over the Crimson Vow.
The aftermath of the earlier skirmish and the unsettling talk with the scholar still lingered in everyone's minds.
Darius stood at the center of the room, his imposing figure calm but authoritative. His silver cloak caught the lantern light, the guild insignia stitched into the fabric gleaming faintly.
"We're not here to play hero," he began, voice low but steady, cutting through the thick atmosphere. "I know what happened earlier was unavoidable, and you all did well to handle it. But let's be clear — we have a mission."
His sharp gaze swept across the room, settling on Kieran. "Our priority is to escort Kieran safely to Solmaria. That hasn't changed."
Gaius leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, nodding. "He's right. Cindralis has its own problems. Getting tangled up in them won't serve the guild or our pay."
Kieran gave a small shrug, indifferent but agreeing. "I didn't ask to get involved with cultists."
Leon exhaled sharply, arms folded. "And what? We just ignore what's happening here?" His voice lacked its usual fire, weighed down by conflicting thoughts.
Darius met his gaze. "We don't have the time, Leon. And it's not our fight."
For a tense moment, silence hung in the room. Leon's jaw tightened, his fingers curling slightly at his sides. But in the end, he gave a reluctant nod. "...Fine. I get it."
Darius softened his tone, speaking to all of them now. "We leave tomorrow morning. Until then — rest. No wandering off, no playing hero. Keep your heads down."
The others gave their murmured agreements.
Sylva stood, stretching. "Fine by me. I could use a quiet night."
Selene sighed, slipping her staff from her back and leaning it against a nearby wall. "For once, I'll agree."
Lyra lingered a moment, golden brown eyes unreadable, before nodding as well.
Velis, standing near the staircase, gave a silent, slow nod.
Darius dismissed them with a wave. "Go get some rest. We'll move before sunrise."
One by one, the group dispersed to the rooms they'd secured earlier in the evening.
* * * * *
Upstairs, the narrow hallway creaked softly beneath their steps.
Lyra and Velis paused at the door to their shared room. The child's expression was unreadable as usual, though her crimson eyes briefly met Lyra's with a knowing glint.
Lyra sighed, unlocking the door. "Stay close tonight. No sneaking out."
Velis's lips quirked in the faintest trace of amusement. "I never do."
They stepped inside, the room modest but clean — a single window offering a view of the distant volcanic ranges silhouetted against the starlit sky.
Elsewhere, the others settled into their own rooms.
Leon sat heavily on the edge of his bed, staring at the ceiling, frustration simmering quietly beneath his skin. He understood Darius' reasoning, but it still didn't sit right.
Sylva busied herself checking the wards on her door and window, that lingering sense of dark energy gnawing at the edges of her senses.
Selene dozed easily, unconcerned as ever.
Gaius and Kieran both remained quiet, each lost in their own thoughts — Gaius with the mind of a soldier focused on duty, Kieran's sharp gaze turned toward the flickering shadows beyond his window.
Cindralis, the City of Flame and Stone, was restless tonight.
* * * * *
The quiet of the night weighed heavily upon The Ember Hearth Inn. The distant hum of the city had long faded into silence, leaving only the occasional creak of old timber and the faint crackle of dying embers in the hearth.
Leon sat alone in his room, perched at the edge of his bed, his katana resting across his knees. The blade gleamed faintly in the moonlight seeping through the window. He stared at it — at the faint, crimson sheen that seemed to pulse along its edge.
His reflection in the polished steel looked tired… and angry.
Why?
Why did it always feel like this? Powerless when it mattered most. A passenger while others made the choices. The fight earlier, Darius' cold commands, the scholar's terror-stricken face — it all gnawed at him.
And then it came.
A whisper.
"Are you angry…?"
The voice was soft, like a memory barely heard through water. Leon's breath hitched, his gaze snapping around the empty room.
Nothing.
He gripped the katana tighter, pulse quickening. "Who…?"
But the voice was gone.
The blade in his lap hummed softly once more, a flicker of crimson light pulsing across its surface… then fading.
Leon let out a shuddering breath, shaking his head. "I'm… just tired," he muttered, forcing the sword back into its sheath. His body felt heavy, the weight of frustration and helplessness crashing down on him. Sleep claimed him moments later, though his grip on the hilt never loosened.
* * * * *
Elsewhere, in a dimly lit room two doors down, Lyra sat cross-legged on her bed, her golden brown eyes locked on the figure of Velis, who sat by the window, legs dangling over the sill.
The child's expression was distant, watching the quiet streets below.
"You've been quiet all night," Lyra said softly.
Velis didn't respond.
Lyra's brow furrowed. "What do you think about this situation? About Cindralis, the cult… the Drowned Moon?"
For a moment, it seemed Velis wouldn't answer — but then her silver gaze shifted to meet Lyra's, flat and unreadable.
"Does it matter?" she murmured.
"It does to me," Lyra pressed, her voice firmer now. "I need to know what you know."
A long silence stretched between them, until Velis sighed, brushing a lock of black hair from her face. "The Drowned Moon… are remnants. Cultists who once served the previous Demon Lord. They believe reviving him will return balance to this world. Problem is — there's no Demon Lord appointed right now."
Lyra stiffened at that.
No appointed Demon Lord.
But she remembered. She and Velis had gone to the Demon Lord's castle. She had witnessed the fight between Velis and Envy, the Demon Lords Executioner. And the Demon Lord… she'd been there. A presence so ancient and powerful it made the air itself tremble.
Memories crashed into her. The scythe Envy wielded — it wasn't an ordinary weapon.
A Hero's Relic.
And then Velis' wording clicked.
"No appointed Demon Lord," Lyra whispered. "Meaning… the one we met… she's unknown to the world. Hidden."
Velis smiled faintly, watching Lyra piece it together.
"She's the True Demon Lord," Lyra breathed. "The one who appoints the others."
As she spoke, a cold weight settled in her chest. A truth too large to fully grasp. This being, ancient and veiled in shadow, had existed since ancient times — and the world had no idea.
Velis gave a light, almost childlike clap. "Not bad, Sis," she grinned, though her eyes held a cruel glimmer. "Didn't think you'd figure it out so quickly."
Lyra's hands trembled slightly. "Then… what about the Hero? The one who wielded that scythe…?"
The words left her mouth before she could stop them.
"Did… did the Demon Lord kill her?"
Velis tilted her head, smile never faltering. "No," she said, voice soft and almost sweet. "I did."
The room seemed to grow colder.
"She was strong," Velis went on, her tone thoughtful, as though recounting a fond memory. "One of the summoned Heroes. Gave me quite the fight. But in the end… she wasn't strong enough."
Lyra's throat tightened, a knot of horror and helplessness forming in her chest.
Velis slid from the window, bare feet barely making a sound on the wooden floor. She crossed the room, stopping beside Lyra's bed. Her small, pale hand reached out, brushing a strand of Lyra's dark hair behind her ear.
"You'll understand someday," Velis whispered. "Why it had to be that way."
Lyra said nothing, unable to find words.
The child turned away, moving toward her own bed. "Goodnight, Sis."
And with that, Velis lay down, eyes closing almost instantly, as though the weight of her confession meant nothing.
Lyra remained sitting there in the dark for a long time, the shadows pressing in around her, her thoughts a maelstrom.
Outside, the city slumbered — but Cindralis' darkest night had only just begun.