Day 36 After Eralthar | Loryan – Inner Square / Vornath – Black Hunt's Outer Ring
The siege didn't begin with cannon fire.
There were no catapults, no arrows, no clash of blades.
The siege…
began with a whisper.
A strange silence settled over the streets of Loryan.
People no longer spoke—they stared.
And behind every stare, a word hid itself:
"Who?"
Valerian's interrogation of one had been enough.
Trust gave way to fear.
And before the enemy ever reached the walls,
the people had begun to tear down their own.
In the high hall of the Stone Stronghold, Valerian stared at the map.
Still, no siege towers.
But three signal towers had gone dark.
Supply lines were failing.
Well guards had vanished.
Helvar entered.
"They haven't shot a single arrow," he said, "but we're already running short."
Valerian asked,
"Who's distributing the food?"
Helvar paused.
"Why do you ask?"
Valerian's brow furrowed.
"Because this war begins in our stomachs."
Meanwhile, in the Black Hunt's tent, Morn Velk laughed.
"Valerian's army still stands…
but his stronghold has started to rot."
He marked a new line on the map.
The inner circle was now sealed.
That night, a child ran screaming through the streets of Loryan:
"My father is gone! He's not at home!"
Then a woman cried out:
"My neighbor disappeared!"
Soon, every street echoed with similar voices.
No bodies.
But people were vanishing, one by one.
Just before dawn, Valerian stepped into the square.
Behind him stood Helvar and the remaining five of the Oathbound.
He climbed the dais and addressed the people:
"Our enemies haven't struck our walls yet.
Because first… they want us to strike each other.
And we're already doing it."
The crowd was silent.
"No one came from outside.
But someone inside…
is taking us one by one.
This is not just a war.
It is a trap meant to make us forget who we are."
His voice echoed.
But only one sentence truly stayed in every mind:
"Someone inside…"
Night of Day 36 After Eralthar | Loryan – North Gate / Vornath – Black Hunt Tent
Following his speech, Valerian returned to the Stone Stronghold.
In the Oath Room, he declared a state of emergency to the gathered commanders:
> "Night patrols for every district.
House-to-house checks.
Wells, grain stores—under watch.
And until the leak is found… everyone will be questioned."
Helvar raised his voice:
"The people already see each other as threats.
Now you'll make them enemies!"
Valerian didn't answer.
But his eyes said it clearly:
"If I remain silent… we'll all become the enemy."
That night, fires burned in Loryan's streets.
Guards patrolled with torches.
Doors were knocked on, faces examined, some taken.
But at the North Gate… a voice rang out.
"Open the gate!"
Guards readied weapons.
A man knelt before the doors.
He held a package in his hands.
His mouth was gagged.
A note pinned to his chest:
> "While they stay silent, we speak.
This is only the beginning."
They opened the package.
Inside—
a severed hand of one of the missing men from Loryan.
When Valerian heard of the scene, he paused.
Then unsheathed his sword.
Turning to Helvar:
"Anyone who stays silent tonight… won't see the morning.
If there are no answers…
there will be fire."
At the same time in Vornath, Morn Velk stood tall.
The circle had closed.
His agents were within the walls.
Fear had infiltrated the hearts of the people.
He turned to his second:
"Now is the time.
We won't light the first flame.
They… will burn themselves."
And that very night, in Loryan's eastern district, a granary went up in flames.
No one knew who did it, or who saw it happen, or who tried to stop it.
But when the fire lit the sky,
Valerian stood atop the stronghold and whispered:
"The first spark… came from within."