Around a crackling campfire in one of the outer settlements ringing the Bright Castle, hushed voices rode the night wind.
"Have you heard the latest?" a rugged hunter muttered to his companion, leaning closer to the flames.
"No. What are they saying now?"
"They found more bodies deep in the Dark City. Gunlag's men, again."
"Gods... sounds like the Devil has struck once more."
Sitting nearby, a small group—Nephis, Cassie, Effie, and Caster—listened in silence. These rumors had been echoing through the slums for three full weeks now.
Changing Star reflected carefully on the words carried by the wind. For a while now, tales of this mysterious entity—the "Devil"—had been plaguing her thoughts. At this point, the wild rumors regarding his identity ranged from a vengeful ghost of the First Bright Lord's cohort to a highly intelligent Nightmare Creature wearing human skin. Yet, the strangest detail of all was that the primary target of these assassinations, Gunlag himself, hadn't paid the slightest attention to this so-called Devil, completely ignoring the mounting casualties within his own ranks.
But there was another matter demanding her attention. Another mysterious individual whose name was being whispered both in the grand halls of the Castle and the muddy streets of the outer settlement. A Sleeper with the miraculous ability to repair Memories, enchant them at will, and even weave Echoes from scratch. A faceless craftsman who went by the name of Faraam.
"What do you think?" Nephis asked softly, turning to the blind girl sitting beside her.
Cassie hesitated, taking a moment to process the scarce information they had. "I... I have no clue, Neph. All of this—the Devil, Gunlag's utter silence—none of it was in my visions. It is as if, at some point, Fate simply stopped following its predetermined path and began to unravel at random."
Changing Star weighed her friend's words carefully. Cassie's visions had been an invaluable compass since the moment they set foot on the Forgotten Shore. However, recently—roughly four weeks ago—those visions had become so fractured and uncertain that they were practically useless.
Cassie suffered deeply because of it. For her, those premonitions were the only true value she felt she could offer in her fragile state. Losing them had caused a tragic, renewed loss of self-confidence.
"I'm sorry," the blind girl whispered, lowering her sightless eyes to the dirt, her voice trembling slightly.
Looking at her, so despondent and lost—just like the very first time she had met her—Nephis felt a rare flicker of uncertainty, not quite knowing how to comfort her.
Smack.
"Oh, don't sweat it, little doll!" Effie boomed, delivering a hearty, bone-rattling pat to Cassie's shoulder while simultaneously tearing a massive chunk of roasted meat from the bone in her other hand.
At the huntress's forceful display of affection, Cassie nearly tipped face-first into the dirt.
"You've had a million chances to wash your hands of this mess and back out, and you never did," Effie continued, chewing loudly. "So if your spooky powers aren't working right now and Fate has decided to throw a temper tantrum, don't overthink it."
The valiant huntress spoke with sincerity. Over the past few weeks, the two had grown quite close. Enduring the horrors of the Dark City side by side had forged a sisterly bond between them. They might not have shared the profound, silent connection Cassie had with Nephis, but they were true friends nonetheless.
"Thank you, Effie," Cassie said, offering a smile so sweet and genuine it could melt stone.
"Aww! If I were a man, I would've kissed you right now, my little doll," Effie declared, genuinely overwhelmed by the sheer cuteness of it.
Yet, beneath her sweet smile, Cassie's heart still ached with a much darker, unspoken guilt. A stinging pain that threatened to devour her from within.
"Lady Nephis," Caster intervened, elegantly placing a hand over his heart and offering a shallow, textbook bow. "If you wish, I can organize a hunting party to track down this 'Devil'."
Nephis turned her stoic gaze toward him, studying the proud Legacy for a long moment.
"No," she said simply, shaking her head.
"There is no need. As long as he limits himself to slaughtering Gunlag's men and no one else, he might even prove to be a potential ally in the future. And if he isn't... and everything they say about him is true..." She paused, her voice turning terribly cold and pragmatic. "You wouldn't stand a chance against an opponent capable of doing all that from the shadows."
It wasn't meant as an insult or a provocation; it was simply a careful, scrupulous observation of facts.
Hearing this, Caster's dazzling smile cracked ever so slightly at the edges, though he managed to swallow his injured pride and hide his irritation.
Changing Star turned her gaze back to the crackling fire, a faint shadow dancing within the silver flames of her eyes. Deep down, she had a very strong suspicion about who this supposed 'Devil' really was. A sudden, urge of pride washed over her, making her smile at the fire.
'Sunny,' She thought, the name echoing through the temple of her mind.
She had trained him; she had taught him how to survive, and now he was a lethal force of nature. She secretly claimed his lethality as her own merit.
Yet, the mysterious blacksmith was a completely different matter. Forge, repair, and enchant Memories? From what she know, Sunny did not possess these abilities. Those skills were simply impossible for a slum rat from the outskirts to possess.
So... who in the Spell was Faraam?
***
Meanwhile, within the grand halls of the Bright Castle...
Bang!
"Again! It happened again!"
A hulking giant of a man slammed his massive fist against the heavy oak of the round table, his face twisted in fury. This was Tessai, one of the five lieutenants under Gunlag's direct command, and secretly, one of his most ambitious conspirators.
Seated around him were the most powerful figures of the Forgotten Shore. At the head of the table sat Gunlag, the current ruler of the Bright Castle. Flanking him were Harus, his loyal executioner and rabid attack dog; Kido, the stoic master of artisans; Gemma, the immortal leader of the hunters and pathfinders; and finally, Seishan, the enchanting matron of the handmaidens.
Looking at their indifferent faces, Tessai ground his teeth.
"How can you all sit there so calmly?! I sent seven hunting parties—my best men—to track down that filthy rat of a Devil, and what did we get in return?! NOTHING!!!"
His outburst failed to produce the desired effect.
Gunlag didn't even twitch. At his side, Harus bared his teeth in a silent snarl but said nothing. Kido and Gemma remained perfectly still. Seishan, however, moved with slow, deliberate grace, gently setting down her porcelain teacup and offering a silent gesture to the handmaiden behind her for a refill.
"Oh, Tessai. My fiercely loyal Tessai," the Bright Lord finally spoke, his deep voice echoing metallically from behind his golden visor. "Do you truly believe I haven't considered this? This Lord is not blind. If I have remained silent, it is because I have already deduced the truth: this entity is simply invincible within its own territory."
"Invincible in its territory," Tessai repeated, leaning over the table, bracing himself on both hands. "Fine, then! The solution is simple! We set a trap and smoke the bastard out, right now!"
"The King makes the decisions here," Harus growled, glaring daggers at the giant.
The two men locked eyes. Thick veins pulsed on Tessai's forehead, his gaze burning with sheer, unadulterated hatred. It was this cur that constantly prevented him from making his move and dethroning Gunlag once and for all.
Before either could escalate the situation, Seishan intervened, her voice as enchanting and smooth as silk.
"Gentlemen, there is no need to bicker. After all, this 'Devil' has never once attacked the castle itself. Furthermore, since there are no surviving witnesses, who is to say your men weren't the ones who provoked it first? And what makes you so certain it is even human to begin with? We have no reliable information on this creature."
Tessai snapped his gaze toward her, sneering.
"Oh, is that right? How convenient that such insinuations come from you."
"What do you mean?" The Princess of Song narrowed her crimson eyes, a silent warning daring him to cross the line.
"Rumors say a man was recently seen entering your private quarters in various occasions. So tell me, my dear leader of the handmaidens... who's to say you aren't in league with him?!"
The tone of his voice was deliberately mocking and provocative—the attitude of someone ready to pick a fight.
"Enough!"
Gunlag roared, raising a hand before the situation could devolve into bloodshed.
Instantly, the enchantment of his golden armor activated. An oppressive, phantom terror washed over the room, crushing down on the giant and forcing Tessai to collapse heavily back into his chair, gasping for breath.
"I am a just and prudent ruler," Gunlag declared coldly. "Tessai, if this 'Devil' were truly a threat to the Castle, rest assured I would have dealt with it already. But Seishan is right. We know nothing about it. We have no proof, nor are we certain it is human rather than some twisted Nightmare Creature wearing human skin."
A suffocating silence followed. Tessai gritted his teeth, utterly paralyzed by the crushing psychological pressure radiating from the golden armor.
"The Devil remains in the Dark City. It does not encroach on our domain, and it does not attack unless provoked. Quarantine the area. From this moment on, hunting in its territory is strictly forbidden. Do not provoke it. It is far too dangerous, and if any of you see it, you turn and run immediately. What we are dealing with is, in all likelihood, a Fallen Nightmare Creature of the Titan class—if not worse."
"Yes, my Lord!" Harus, Kido, Gemma, and Seishan obeyed in unison, bowing their heads slightly to their ruler command.
"Yes..." Tessai added a second later, the word forced through his teeth.
That was all. Gunlag offered no further words.
Hiding his hands beneath the table, Tessai clenched his fists so tightly against his own legs that his nails drew blood. His jaw throbbed from the sheer force of his rage. So far, almost all of the Devil's victims had been his men. He was losing ground, losing soldiers, and losing resources—watching his chances of dethroning Gunlag evaporate rapidly before his eyes.
Tessai had no solid proof, but as he looked around the room, a chilling realization settled in his gut: everyone at this table was secretly against him.
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