Marcus held his breath and fell silent.
The muscles on his face twitched with pain, sweat trailing down his cheeks.
— "That... black-armored one... he is not human."
His voice came out faintly, but the entire hall listened attentively.
— "He wasn't just a warrior. With every step he took, the ground shook, towers crumbled... and lightning struck."
— "Lightning?" a priest gasped.
Marcus nodded.
— "The other one..." He fell quiet for a moment, then caught his breath and whispered,
— "In the blink of an eye, our soldiers lay on the ground. His movements were not something human beings should possess. His sword... struck like ice, so cold. When he looked at me... I felt like I was staring into death itself."
People in the hall swallowed hard. Some began to pray, while others whispered,
"This cannot be happening."
The Pope looked up toward the sky through the window.
It seemed as though dark clouds had begun to gather.
— "They have truly returned..." he said quietly, falling to his knees.
— "The spirits of the Thirteen Dark Knights have stirred once more... and begun to destroy our peace..."
How did the nation's Arch General, Guardian of Light — Bell — fall?
As Marcus's tale continued: "Bell, they…"
Marcus bit his lip silently and closed his eyes before speaking.
His voice trembled as he barely managed to say:
— "Bell… he was our light. The purest soul of the Holy Temple. When he raised his sword, the heavens themselves would clear..."
The hall remained silent. Marcus continued:
— "But the black-armored one stopped him. Their battle... it was not a battle meant for mankind. Time itself seemed to stop. Even the air was still. One thing was certain: the name Bell... in that moment, became history."
— "How?" a general asked in panic. "How does a Guardian of Light lose?"
Marcus trembled slightly and closed his eyes.
— "Bell… began to doubt in his heart."
— "Why?"
— "Because he recognized him."
Everyone was stunned.
— "Bell recognized the man behind that black armor. He knew who it was..."
— "Who was it?" voices rose in chorus.
Marcus simply said:
— "A man who once swore an oath to the light... Bell's old companion."
Marcus fell silent again, staring at the stone walls of the temple hall.
Tears welled in his eyes, and his voice caught as he said:
— "That black knight... it was Sephist."
The hall erupted in uproar.
— "It can't be… he was loyal to God, Bell's beloved!" cried a priest in shock.
Marcus opened his mouth.
— "Yes. Once, he was a knight of God. He had sworn to the light. But... his wife was executed in the name of 'purity,' and his daughter vanished at the age of sixteen. He lost everything. And we gave him no light. We left him alone."
— "And then?" the general asked.
— "He chose the darkness. And Bell... raised his sword against him."
Marcus's voice trembled:
— "They fought. Love and vengeance clashed. Bell never withdrew his sword. But Sephist... as if no longer human, as if a soulless warrior... he struck him down."
— "He killed Bell?" asked a young priest in disbelief.
— "No."
— "He broke Bell's heart. Bell died in spirit. His light faded. He simply collapsed… and never rose again."
Marcus, gasping, collapsed to his knees.
Clutching his blood-stained shirt, he whispered: