Days passed. The celebration continued.
More people arrived—nobles from every corner of the Empire, foreign emissaries draped in silk, warriors whose names echoed in taverns and courts alike.
All gathered under one roof, invited to celebrate the summoned heroes.
All smiling. All laughing. All unaware of the storm quietly brewing beneath their feet.
Deep underground, far from the clamor of feasts and fanfare, the dungeon of the imperial palace echoed with screams.
Weeping. Curses. The sound of flesh meeting steel.
The cells were full—mostly filled with people wearing servant's clothing, but few appearing like guards were among them. One such guard kneeled shackled in the corner of his cell. Mostly stripped of his uniform, his body was a patchwork of bruises and open wounds.
Yet despite his state, the guard remained unbroken, smiling defiantly at his captor.
"You really think I'll tell you anything? Just kill me. It'll save us both the time"
"Tsk…" The interrogator frowned. He had inflicted every form of pain he could think of, but physical torment alone wasn't enough. The man still refused to talk.
"It really seems like he plans to stay silent to the end" The interrogator muttered, glancing toward the entrance of the cell—where Sarah stood, arms crossed, her expression like ice.
"You are a traitor" She said coldly. "Do you know what we do with traitors?"
She stepped closer, her voice dropping low.
"We will kill you. We will dismember your body and we will display the pieces for all to see—to make you a perfect example for anyone foolish enough to raise a hand against the Empire"
"Hah!" The man scoffed and spit onto the ground. "The Empire you are so proud of is built upon mountains of corpses. What's the difference if you add one more?"
He leaned forward. His eyes burned with conviction.
"Blood will be repaid with blood. There will be another to take my place. There will always be another"
"That is true" Sarah replied, drawing her sword in one smooth motion. "You vermin multiply like rats, hide like rats, act like rats… but if I just keep killing you, eventually it should do the job, no?"
"Go for it" The man smiled, eyes locked on her blade without a trace of fear.
"So this is where you've been hiding"
Just as Sarah raised her sword to strike, a voice echoed down the corridor.
She turned with a scowl. "How the hell did you even find this place?"
Michael stepped into view, hands casually in his pockets, eyes scanning the blood-stained dungeon with mild curiosity.
"Was every guard on break? I ordered them to keep you away"
"You would be surprised" He said, shrugging. "Turns out if you walk with enough confidence and keep repeating 'I'm the hero' they just let you through"
Sarah narrowed her eyes. She exhaled, irritated, and sheathed her sword. Then she stepped out of the cell and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him a few paces away from the others.
"So?" She asked in a low voice. "Did you come here just to sightsee, or do you have an actual reason?"
"A bit of both" Michael said, his voice light—almost amused. "I see you've been keeping yourself busy, at least judging by the pile of half-dead bodies on the floor. Would you care to explain?"
"There's not much to explain" Sarah replied coldly. "That Eleanor of yours had to get into the palace somehow. Seeing as she wasn't on the guest list and no one claims to know her, I started investigating the servants—those responsible for keeping uninvited guests out"
She paused, her expression tightening.
"To put it mildly, I stumbled onto an entire rabbit hole of spies" She gestured behind her, toward the rows of prison cells—each one filled with broken bodies, bruised faces, and blood.
"Every confession led to another name. Another link. People who spent years building false identities, infiltrating their way into the palace. Some were posing as servants, others as minor clerks and even guards"
Michael raised an eyebrow. She continued:
"Their target wasn't just you. It seems the heroes as a whole were being watched—tracked, studied. You just happened to be the first one they tried to eliminate and failed to do so"
She glanced over her shoulder, her voice even colder now.
"Which led to this"
Michael looked past her and studied the faces of the prisoners. Some appeared barely older than teenagers—younger than him, and he had only turned twenty-three this year.
It was hard to believe they were all spies.
"So all of them are traitors?" He asked, his voice did not betray any emotion.
Sarah didn't answer immediately. Her pause was telling.
"Well… not exactly" She admitted. "Some weren't fully aware of what was happening. They passed along information. Overlooked certain matters. Turned a blind eye in exchange for money. However, that doesn't change the fact that they worked for the enemy"
Michael's gaze lingered on one of the younger prisoners—a bruised girl curled in the corner of her cell, too frightened to meet anyone's eyes.
"Is that so?" He murmured.
He didn't argue but he did not look convinced either.
Then his tone shifted—casual, but sharp.
"So then let me ask—does this 'enemy' have a name? Have you found the mastermind yet?"
"Almost" She said. "Everyone we interrogated had ties to one name. We even found correspondence coming to and from Edenbrau, confirming his involvement"
She exhaled, annoyed.
"But not a single letter mentioned who the messages were meant for inside the city. That's what I've been trying to uncover—until a certain someone decided to interrupt my investigation"
She threw him a pointed look.
"In case it wasn't obvious, the man I was questioning oversaw all operations inside of the palace"
"Really?" Michael asked, his tone full of doubt. "Because from where I stood, it looked like you were just about to kill the guy"
Sarah's eyes narrowed.
"Anyway" She snapped. "I don't need you here throwing a tantrum. So would you kindly remove yourself and let me do my job?"
"Throwing a tantrum? Is that how you see it?" Michael didn't flinch. "Let me talk to that man"
"What?" Sarah looked at him like he'd just suggested the most ridiculous thing.
"Why are you so surprised?" He asked. "If all you're going to do is kill him, you might as well let me try. Who knows—maybe I'll get something useful out of him"
"Right" She muttered. "Just go away and stop bothering me"
"How about... no?" Michael met her glare, utterly unbothered.
"You always gave off the impression of being collected. Calm. The type who does only what's necessary" He paused, voice lowering. "But now? I see it was just that—an illusion"
"Excuse me?"
"The moment something goes wrong, you panic" He continued. "You tell yourself you're making the logical choice, but the truth is... you're driven by plain emotion"
Sarah's eyes narrowed. Her voice turned sharp.
"Don't act like you know me. I don't need a lecture from a child"
Michael smiled—cold and knowing.
"You think I'm wrong?" He said, chuckling softly.
"Maybe you're right. We've only known each other a few months after all but then..." He tilted his head. "What makes you think you know me? I disappointed you. I get that. But for the love of God, stop pretending like you're better. Will you?"
Then, with a casual motion, he tapped her shoulder—just once.
And without waiting for a response, he walked past her and headed toward the cell.
Sarah stood still for a moment. Then she sighed... and quietly followed behind. Placing herself just outside of the cell to listen to the conversation.
"Oh my, what an honor" The shackled man lifted his head slightly, blood drying along his jaw. "To think that one of the great heroes themselves would pay me a visit. Truly—"
"You have a name?" Michael cut him off.
The man smiled.
"What does it matter to you?" He asked. "I won't tell you anything, so just kill me already"
"He goes by the name Edwin, but that's probably an alias" The interrogator commented from the corner, arms crossed.
"Oh… Edwin" Michael echoed, pausing for a moment. "Then let me ask you this—why?"
"Why?" He appeared confused by the question.
"Yeah. Just why. Why did you do what you did? What's your motivation?" Michael elaborated a little. "I'm not here to torture you or judge you. I'm just... curious"
Edwin scoffed.
"Is it not obvious? The so-called Holy Empire is rotten to the core. They conquer, they oppress and use divine providence as a cheap excuse to push their agenda. They fool people, weaponize people's faith to commit atrocities. Need I go on?"
"Not really" Michael said simply. "So you hate the Empire. That's why you became a spy"
He nodded slightly. "I'm sure there's more to it, but I get the gist"
"Still…" Michael stepped closer. "Something doesn't sit right with me"
"And what's that?" Edwin narrowed his eyes.
"You say you oppose the Empire because of the way it manipulates and hurts people" Michael said, his brow furrowing. "But from what I've seen, your methods aren't any different. You manipulated people. Bribed or blackmailed them. Pushed them to act out of fear, anger. You weaponized their emotions for your own gain. Need I go on?"
He tilted his head, voice calm—cutting.
"Tell me, Edwin... what's the difference?"
"LIES!" Edwin screamed, his voice cracking. "THE EMPIRE IS EVIL! EVERYTHING I DID WAS FOR THE GREATER GOOD! DON'T COMPARE ME TO THEM!"
'What the hell is up with that reaction? Something so obvious did not pass his mind? It's clear that this guy is not right in the head but I can work with this'
Michael smiled. Not with cruelty but with something far more unnerving—ecstasy.
He knelt in front of Edwin, gaze sharp.
"The greater good, huh?" He said softly. "Then be quiet for a moment. Just listen"
He paused and the dungeon spoke in echoes.
Weeping. Grunts of pain. Broken voices murmuring through the stone halls:
"I did nothing wrong… Why am I here?"
"My mother was sick… I just needed a little bit of extra money. Please, please…"
"You have no right to keep me here… I'll appeal to the Emperor himself… You'll see…"
Michael leaned in closer, his breath just inches from Edwin's ear.
"Is this your greater good?" He whispered.
Edwin shuddered. "Lies…" He muttered—weaker now. "That's all your doing… I never meant to implicate any of them"
Michael's tone softened, almost compassionate.
"Ours? But wasn't it you who pulled the strings? The bribes? The threats? Is it not because of you that these people are here? I am honestly surprised it bothers you that much. A second ago you were ready to die for your beliefs but now? I suppose the realization that you are no different from the Empire you swore to destroy hurt your pride a little"
"Lies…" Edwin said again, voice trembling.
'Torture did not break you but some words calling you out crumbled you to this extent? I almost feel sorry for you. Almost'
Michael stood up.
"Then again, maybe you're right" He said with a sigh. "Maybe it's not your fault. Maybe it's the fault of that man in Edenbrau—sitting comfortably and sipping tea while you take the fall"
He turned, just slightly.
"You're just another victim but don't worry—when we bring him here, I'll make sure to take revenge for you"
"What!?" Edwin's eyes shot wide. He jolted forward, chains rattling. "How did you find the priest!?"
Michael's smile widened.
"The priest? We didn't"
He turned back with a spark in his eye.
"But thanks to you, we just might"