Six years later…
Night cloaked the Forgotten Shore in its usual gloom, but this night was different.
The heavens rumbled with fury. A thunderstorm raged across the sky, and lightning crackled through the storm-wracked clouds, tearing brief holes in the darkness to cast pale light down upon the ancient ruins of the Dark City below. For moments at a time, the broken spires and collapsed stone arches were outlined in cold white light, ghostly and skeletal. Then, darkness returned, heavier than before.
Konrad stood on the highest point of an old watchtower in the eastern quarter of the city, an isolated relic of a long-lost age. He wasn't standing, exactly—he was hanging from one of the tower's iron support arms, gripping a length of rusted steel chain with one gloved hand.
The bright castle could be seen in the distance. Standing on the hill in the center of the dark city, ancient stubborn and beautiful.
His crimson cape was flowing like a red river, its edge snapping and fluttering violently in the wind.
Rain poured down, soaking his jet-black hair, long and unruly, was plastered to his pale face, and rivulets of water ran down his neck into the collar of his [Mantle of Night].
Over the years, his face has become —sharp, harsh, unforgiving. A blade, not a mask. His black eyes, fathomless and calm, stared out into the storm. He also experienced a growth spurt, making him almost seven foot tall. He is even taller than Tessai.
The wind howled like the cries of dead ghosts. The cold didn't bother him.
He was watching.
Far below, monsters prowled the streets of the ruined district— dark shapes shifting between collapsed buildings and shattered archways. The labyrinthine ruins writhed with activity, as if stirred by the electric rage of the storm. Somewhere out there, hidden beneath an ancient cathedral was what Konrad sought.
The cathedral itself was massive—once a place of worship of a nameless godess, now a fortress of silence. It was withered, damaged and its twin towers had long since fallen. But even in ruin, it was grand—a monolith of faith long buried in time and horror.
Konrad was looking for a safe way to the roof of the cathedral.
He had been watching the cathedral for half an hour now, calculating, measuring. He watched the movements of the monsters that roamed the narrow roads of the dark city.
Konrad didn't want to enter the cathedral through the grand entrance. After all the ruined cathedral is guarded by the Forsaken Knight—a Fallen Devil clad in black ceremonial plate, its wielded a steel sword like an executioner's tool. The knight was bound to the cathedral, a revenant of corrupted piety, forever patrolling the perimeter like a ghost of war.
Konrad could kill it. If he wanted to.
But not tonight. That wasn't the mission. There was no value in fighting for the sake of it. He was here for something else.
Finally, he saw what he was looking for. A section of roof had collapsed in such a way that it formed a jagged opening above the eastern nave of the cathedral. Hidden from the Forsaken Knight's patrol, high above the ground, it was the perfect entry point.
He climbed down the tower, his movements fluid, silent. When his boots hit the rooftop, he was already moving. Like a specter unchained, he made his way across the broken roofs of ancient buildings. His path was erratic, unpredictable, each step carefully placed to avoid weak supports or loose stones. Every jump, every crouch, every sprint was calculated.
It took him twenty minutes to cross the ruins and reach the cathedral. Rain continued to pour, drenching him, but he didn't slow.
He arrived at a roof connected to the cathedral and began climbing. The broken masonry offered plenty of handholds, and Konrad moved with the grace and strength of a seasoned predator. He reached the rooftop, then the hole— it was jagged, its edges lined with broken beams and twisted rebar.
He slipped inside.
He landed soundlessly on a wide stone support beam, high above the cathedral floor. He crouched, listening. The interior of the cathedral was mostly intact, though it had fallen into ruin. Dust and broken glass coated the pews. Old blood stains could be seen here and there. Water dripped through the ceiling. The stained glass behind it long gone. There was a stone statue of a nameless deity.
But something was off.
There was a significant amount of true darkness nestling in the corners of the grand hall.
"Well, I am seeing this after a long time." Konrad clicked his tongue.
Konrad's eyes tracked along statue's hair. His sight—sharpened by six years of survival and enhanced by his abilities—caught something small and subtle: a balcony.
It was half-hidden behind what had once been a choir loft. The balcony was really high above the floor, making it impossible for any creature to climb on it by accident. Falling down would certainly kill a normal human.
There were marks on the stone. Recent.
Someone lived there.
Konrad jumped.
He landed softly on the balcony, rolled, and came up in a crouch. There was a small chamber there. He entered without hesitation.
The chamber, was situated in the upper part of a ruined cathedral, the entrance hidden behind a tall statue of some unknown goddess.
Inside the room was beautiful and spacious. The stone walls were engraved with intricate patterns, creating an atmosphere of sanctity and elegance. The furniture was made out of pale polished wood.
The room had no windows, however, there were light wells cunningly hidden here and there. But the ingenious system of mirrors that was supposed to bathe the hidden chamber in sunlight was long destroyed, leaving only darkness inside.
There was a small balcony where one can be allowed to observe the grand hall of the temple over the goddess's shoulder, concealed from sight by the strands of her stone hair.
There was a smell. Faint smoke. Someone had been here recently. But they were present. Maybe went on a hunt.
Anyway, after not finding the owner, Konrad decided to invite himself in.
Konrad looked around. He didn't touch anything. He simply observed. He isn't that rude to go through the possession of others without permission.
Whoever lived here had been here for a while. They were careful, clean, methodical. Not just another scavenger.
Satisfied, Konrad sat on the edge of the bed. He leaned back against the wall, eyes closed. He wasn't hiding. He wasn't waiting to ambush. He was just… waiting to talk.
Hours passed. The storm outside intensified. Thunder rolled across the dark sky, shaking the cathedral's bones. Lightning flashed again and again, illuminating the ruined city like a stuttering flame.
Then, at last, he heard it.
A shift of weight. A soft creak of the balcony railing.
The host had returned.
Konrad didn't move. He opened his eyes.
A shadow landed on the balcony. Clad in dark cloth, face hidden beneath a hood. The figure paused, sensing the presence inside the chamber.
Konrad met the shadow's gaze with his own.
The figure stiffened.
"Who are you?"
Konrad stood slowly, rising to his full height. Rain still clung to him, glistening on his armor.
"Ave Dominus Nox!"
(We have come for you!)
The storm howled.
The shadow flinched for a moment. Then immediately got into a combat stance. The weapon memory shimmering into their hand.
And the hidden chamber held its breath.