"I'll only work with you this time," EJ said firmly, his voice low but resolute, "because it looks like you know something."
Without another word, he flicked his wrist, and his disguise shimmered away. In an instant, he was clad in his Celestial uniform again, his figure vanishing into stealth mode, leaving only faint ripples in the air.
Nicholas arched a brow but didn't comment. He adjusted his cloak and silently followed, his boots quiet on the cobblestones as they slipped into the night together.
The streets of Hedir were quieter now, the wind carrying the faint scent of smoke and spice. Most of the market stalls had closed, but a few weary shopkeepers lingered as they packed up the day's wares. The two of them moved through the narrow alleys of the outskirts, keeping to the shadows.
"Do you have any lead?" Nicholas finally asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
EJ glanced back at him, his amber eyes sharp even in the dark. "In the city's clinic. Someone said there was another victim yesterday."
"I already looked into it," Nicholas replied coolly.
EJ froze mid-step and turned on him, incredulous. "What?"
Nicholas met his gaze calmly, his expression unreadable. "I checked on the victim last night," he said matter-of-factly. "Surprisingly, it's… different from the victims in Garrand."
EJ's frown deepened. "How so?"
"The eyes," Nicholas explained, his voice quiet but deliberate. "In Garrand, they turned black. But here—" he paused, then looked at EJ with a hint of unease "they are white."
EJ fell silent, his brows furrowing as his mind raced. White eyes? Why would it differ? Was it a different curse or was something evolving?
"I have to make a report through the Celestial path," EJ murmured, more to himself than to Nicholas. "I'll ask the other Legacies if they've seen the same."
"No need," Nicholas interjected smoothly, cutting him off.
EJ shot him a glare. "Excuse me?"
Nicholas's lips curved faintly into something that wasn't quite a smile. "My men have already reported the same. White-colored eyes. Not just here, other cities too."
EJ stiffened at that, the pit of his stomach sinking. The realization pressed heavy on his chest. This was bigger than even he thought.
"Then we wait," EJ said at last, exhaling as he resigned himself to the plan. "Let's see if that phoenix shows itself tonight."
He leapt lightly onto the ledge of the city's clock tower and settled there, the faint ticking of the massive gears below echoing through the stone. From here, the entire city of Hedir stretched out beneath them — golden lanterns dotting the streets like scattered stars, the quiet bustle of merchants and late-night wanderers winding down.
Nicholas followed, perching on the opposite side of the tower. Neither spoke for a long while. Though they'd agreed to work together, an invisible line still hung between them, taut and unspoken. EJ knew he had already violated one of the Legacies' most sacred rules by even standing beside Nicholas now.
Still, the silence grew heavier, and finally EJ broke it.
"You seem to hold a higher rank in the Underworld," he remarked casually, though his eyes stayed fixed on the streets below, scanning for movement.
Nicholas smirked faintly, leaning back against the cool stone. "And what makes you say that?"
"The two men who almost cut me down when I pointed my sword at you," EJ replied, his voice sharper now. "They acted like your personal guard. And earlier, you said your men had already investigated other cities. To mobilize that many so quickly…" He paused, letting the thought hang between them. "You don't exactly move like a pawn."
Nicholas chuckled under his breath, his ash-gray eyes glinting faintly in the moonlight. "Let's just say," he murmured, "you're not wrong. But that doesn't mean I caused this."
"I didn't say you did," EJ shot back, almost too quickly.
Nicholas's smile deepened, though it didn't reach his eyes. He tilted his head, watching EJ with quiet amusement. "Just making sure," he said, his tone cool. "After all… you never believed me anyway."
EJ's jaw tightened, but he said nothing, the weight of unspoken words pressing against the night air between them.
Moments later, a sharp, piercing screech cut through the stillness of the night, echoing over the rooftops like nails against stone.
Both EJ and Nicholas stiffened at once.
Their eyes met briefly, instinct sparking between them, and without a word, they launched from the clock tower in unison.
They landed gracefully in the shadowed street below and followed the sound as it moved through the alleys, faster and more erratic with each second.
It was unmistakable — the cry of the phoenix.
But when they reached the source, both came to a sudden halt.
There was no phoenix.
Instead, at the center of a deserted square, stood a lone figure cloaked in deep black, hood drawn low, his entire form wreathed in thick darkness that writhed and hissed like living smoke.
The air around him churned unnaturally cold.
"What," EJ muttered under his breath, already drawing his blade, "is that?"
The figure turned its head slowly toward them, though its face was obscured entirely by shadow.
EJ didn't wait for an answer. In one fluid motion, he darted forward, his sword glowing with golden light, and unleashed a Celestial slash that tore through the air toward the figure.
But before the attack could land, the figure's body convulsed, and with a shriek that split the night sky, he burst outward in a flurry of black flame and feathers.
EJ froze mid-stride, his eyes wide.
The figure had transformed into a massive, shadowy phoenix, its wings stretching wide, its body seething with dark power.
"…What," EJ breathed, stunned.
Nicholas was already moving.
"Focus!" he barked, leaping toward the creature. A chain of dark flame snapped into his hands, whirling through the air before lashing around the phoenix's neck.
The creature screeched and thrashed, but Nicholas held firm, digging his heels into the stones as he anchored the chain, the shadow flames hissing where they met the creature's own.
EJ shook himself out of his daze and charged again, this time striking at the creature's wing with another brilliant slash of Celestial light. Feathers burst into sparks and ash, but the phoenix only roared, spinning in midair to knock him back with a powerful beat of its wings.
EJ skidded across the stones but caught himself, glaring.
Nicholas's chain snapped and the phoenix hurled itself upward, wings pounding furiously as it rose higher into the night sky.
"Don't let it get away!" EJ growled and used his sword to slash at the creature.
The spear struck true, embedding itself into the phoenix's chest. For a heartbeat it screamed, the light flaring brightly against the darkness, but then the creature twisted unnaturally, dissolving into a whirlwind of feathers and smoke before reforming a few feet away, still very much alive.
Nicholas cursed under his breath.
"It's stronger than the one in Garrand," he muttered, tightening his grip on his shadow chain.
"No kidding," EJ hissed back, already charging forward again.
The phoenix dove at them in response, its talons flashing like blades, its wings throwing off waves of suffocating darkness. EJ and Nicholas moved in tandem, one gold, one shadow, weaving through its strikes, each countering the other's gaps almost without thought.
EJ slashed upward with a blinding arc of light, severing one of its wings at the joint. The phoenix shrieked in pain, staggering in midair but still not falling.
Nicholas seized the opening, his chain shooting out to coil around the creature's throat once more. With a sharp tug, he yanked it down hard, slamming it against the stone square below with a deafening crash.
EJ leapt high and came down like a falling star, his blade plunging deep into the phoenix's chest.
A brilliant flash of gold and shadow flared together, the creature screamed, and then, finally, it crumbled into ash, vanishing into the cold night air.
Breathing heavily, EJ straightened, his sword still glowing faintly in his hand.
Beside him, Nicholas released his chain and let it dissolve back into smoke.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Then EJ sheathed his sword, his amber eyes still fixed on the last wisps of ash fading into the wind.
"…It transformed," he murmured, almost to himself. "It was a man before it became the phoenix."
Nicholas didn't answer at first, his gaze fixed on the ashes still drifting through the air, his expression dark and unreadable.
EJ watched him closely. There was something different in Nicholas's silence this time — not just reluctance, but recognition.
A faint snarl curled at Nicholas's lips as he muttered under his breath, almost to himself.
"That damn old man."
EJ's head snapped up at that, catching the words clearly despite the low tone.
"What?" he demanded, stepping closer. "You know who's behind this?"
Nicholas didn't move.
His eyes remained locked on the empty square where the creature had fallen, his jaw tight, as though speaking the name aloud would set something terrible in motion.
EJ scowled, his frustration boiling over.
"Nicholas," he pressed, his voice sharper now. "Who is it? Who's behind all this?"
At that, Nicholas finally turned his head to look at him.
For a moment, those ash-gray eyes held his, and EJ swore he saw something flicker there – rage, sorrow, and something else he couldn't quite name.
But still, Nicholas said nothing.
"Hey, why aren't you saying anything?" EJ demanded, his impatience sharp as he stepped closer.
Nicholas's ash-gray eyes finally lifted to meet his. Then he turned his head, inhaling the faint, acrid scent still hanging in the air.
"…He's here," Nicholas murmured darkly. He closed his eyes, his expression hardening. "This smell… that damn old man is in this city."
EJ's brow furrowed. "You know who's behind all of this, don't you?"
Instead of answering, Nicholas's gaze swept the shadows around them, his posture taut.
"You need to go back," he said firmly.
"What? Again with that?" EJ scoffed, crossing his arms. "Why are you always telling me to leave? Why are you being so damn unfair?"
"Don't be stubborn," Nicholas's voice was like iron now. "This isn't safe for you."
EJ let out a bitter laugh. "We're no longer children. I can protect myself — and you don't get to dictate what I do anymore."
Nicholas sighed through his nose, his shoulders stiff. "…Are you even sure?"
"I can handle myself," EJ shot back. "So stop dodging. Explain. Who is it?"
Nicholas's gaze darkened as he finally replied, his voice low. "I don't know the full motive yet. But I have a very good idea who did this. There's only one person in the Underworld who can use an Ash Transformation."
EJ blinked. "Ash Transformation?"
Nicholas gave a short nod. "Jo," he suddenly called out.
Before EJ could react, a ripple of shadow peeled away from the alley's edge, and Jo appeared without a sound — like a phantom stepping out of the dark.
"Check the remains. Confirm if it's really an Ash Transformation," Nicholas ordered coolly.
Jo gave no reply, only inclined his head and crouched down to examine the ashes scattered across the ground.
EJ, still trying to make sense of it all, frowned and pressed, "What exactly is an Ash Transformation?"
Nicholas's tone grew grave. "It's dark magic — forbidden even in the Underworld. It twists shadows into something alive. But for it to take form… it needs life. It consumes it."
EJ's breath caught as the realization sank in. His chest tightened as the pieces began to fit together.
So all those victims — their bodies left empty, their eyes lifeless — were drained to feed this curse. The more it killed, the more phoenixes it could create, each born from stolen life.
Nicholas didn't need to spell it out. EJ already knew.
And the knowledge made his stomach turn.