The news of Oakhaven's fall and the brutal death of Lady Seraphina spread like a plague throughout the empire of Aethelgard. Inside the Grand Cathedral of Light, the bells rang incessantly a frantic warning that death was approaching.
In the center of the hall, the remaining six Heroes knelt. Before them stood Holy Saintess Elara, the woman who had delivered the final strike to Valerius's heart a thousand years ago. Her face, once radiant with divinity, was now as pale as a corpse.
""He cannot be back!"" shouted Prince Kaelen, the Swordmaster. ""We burned his body! We scattered his soul into seven shards!""
""Hate does not die, Kaelen,"" Elara whispered, her hands trembling as she clutched her golden rosary. ""It was his rage that stitched those shards back together.""
As they argued, the sky above the Capital turned a bruised purple and black. The clouds descended, turning into a thick mist that smelled of rotting flesh. Suddenly, the massive cathedral doors made of pure silver and blessed by the gods were blown inward, crushing several young acolytes standing nearby.
Valerius entered. He did not run. He did not hurry. Every step he took caused the stained-glass windows to shatter. Behind him, the shadows seemed to have a life of their own, devouring any light they touched.
""Elara,"" Valerius spoke, his voice echoing through the vast cathedral. ""Your prayers were a delightful appetizer during my slumber in hell.""
A battalion of the Paladin Guard charged, wielding spears tipped with holy fire. In an instant, Valerius raised his right hand and clenched his fist. The air around the soldiers suddenly turned into razor-sharp pressure. Their armor crumpled inward, crushing their bones and flesh inside the steel. The sound of skulls snapping and blood erupting from the seams of their armor became the only music within the church.
"''Is this the protection of your God?"" Valerius asked, stepping over a blood-soaked helmet.
Elara stood, forcing light to radiate from her palms. ""May heaven forgive you, Valerius!""
""Heaven has nothing to do with this, Elara,"" Valerius replied. He appeared before the Saintess in the blink of an eye. He gripped her throat and hoisted her into the air. ""Because hell... is what I brought here for all of you.""
Outside the cathedral, the entire Capital began to burn. The corpses of the citizens began to rise, not to kill, but to watch their "heroes" be systematically tortured. The true nightmare was only beginning.
"The next chapter is being worked on; hope you'll understand it." 😊