Night draped the city in its gray cloak, and silence stretched across the narrow alleys and stone streets, as if everything had stopped breathing. Above the scattered clouds, the moonlight was pale, casting its shadow on Father Niras Lux as he moved quietly between buildings, each step precise, without a sound.
He was no ordinary man walking through the night. Every movement was deliberate, as if the earth itself responded to him. His white robe, adorned with silver symbols, shimmered faintly in the darkness, but the light did not come from around him—it radiated from within, a hidden glow barely visible, yet leaving traces on everything it touched.
He paused at a corner, raising his hand slightly. The symbols on his robe began to glow slowly, tracing geometric lines in the air, like magical maps decipherable only by someone like him. His gray eyes, cold even in the dark, observed everything: the buildings, the sidewalks, even the stillness of the air.
"The time is near," he whispered to himself, his voice low but charged with a mysterious power.He knew that what he would face was no ordinary boy or event. The pulse of the entity he sensed from afar was not just energy—it was a living force, resonating in hidden realms, capable of reading anyone who approached it, even perceiving the hidden intent behind every action.
He closed his eyes for a moment, summoning the threads of hidden light within him, feeling a dual awareness: one for the Church, and the other for what observed him from outside. He knew that every step Luin took, every movement of the cult, would be recorded in his mind. He was not just a watcher—he was the eye of light in the shadows, a force unseen, yet all-knowing.
He moved again, balanced steps over rooftops and alleys, until he reached the path leading to the palace. Every building, every window, was tested by his gray gaze, as if reading the hidden memories embedded in stone.
He paused for a moment at the outer gate of the palace, raised his hands, and the symbols on his robe shifted quickly, emitting a faint light that traced interlocking circles in the air. He took a deep breath and smiled—a calm smile, yet cold, as if warning of an approaching storm.
"The arrival is near," he said quietly, to no one but himself, then stepped inside the palace. Each step stirred the air, each movement leaving a subtle echo felt by those nearby, even before anyone could see him.
⸻
Inside the palace, Luin sat on the leather couch, watching the fire in the hearth flicker softly, as if trying to speak an ancient language, a language understood only by those who see things from within.Celin stood by the window, gazing outside, her hands clasped over her chest, her eyes not meeting his. William stood behind them, motionless, watching the doors and windows as if any wrong move could expose them to whatever lurked in the shadows.
From a rear window, Luin noticed movement at the garden gate. There, a group of familiar yet mysterious faces had gathered: cult members who had followed the entity's activity.They stared at the palace with wide eyes, exchanging glances, speaking in whispers only audible to those very close.
One of them, a tall woman in a black cloak adorned with hidden symbols, whispered:"Is this… Luin?"Another responded nervously:"He's here. His presence blends light and shadow. He's no ordinary boy."
Luin felt the entity's hidden pulse intensify, as if the cult itself resonated with it.Then another man appeared, smiling coldly:"His presence means things are moving faster than we expected. The Church will have to act, and the entity will wait for no one."
Celin noticed the tension among the cult members and whispered to Luin:"They know more than they tell you. Your movements here will not go unnoticed."Luin remained silent, observing them, sensing that every step he took was being recorded in the cult's collective awareness, and that their reaction would not only be observation, but possibly intervention.
A moment later, the air trembled suddenly, as if the cult itself echoed a sound. They whispered together in unison:"He has come… and the time of choice is near."
William gripped Luin's shoulder, his voice low:"Be careful. They don't just watch—this is only the beginning. If we're not cautious, they may be the first to release the entity before we can stop it."
⸻
Soon, a knock came at the door—but it was no ordinary knock.It was slow, precise, leaving a trace in the silence before it could be heard.Celin stepped forward cautiously and opened the door to reveal Father Niras Lux, his gray eyes following every movement inside the room, seeing as if beyond the walls.
He spoke in a calm yet firm tone:"Peace be upon you. I have come on behalf of the White Church."
Luin did not move, yet felt his heart pause for a moment.Celin stepped forward, their eyes meeting his."Why are you here?" she asked cautiously.
The priest smiled, a simple smile enough to send a shiver:"I am Father Niras Lux. I know my presence may be unsettling, but what I bring is not trivial. The Church has noticed some unexpected activity in your area, pulses leaking from the old seals."
Luin raised an eyebrow, his voice low:"You mean the pulse of the entity beneath the root?"Niras Lux nodded, his eyes never leaving Luin:"Yes. We sent no one to kill, only to ensure the seals do not collapse before you are ready to handle them."
Celin exhaled, tightening her grip on the table:"We know, and we have already acted. But it seems the Church does not trust us."
The priest's voice was steady, neither trembling nor angry:"Trust is not the issue here. There are things greater than all of us, Luin. You are no longer just an ordinary boy. What has happened in previous chapters was no coincidence."
Luin froze for a moment, words rising in him:"What do you know about me?"
Niras Lux smiled again, as if he knew all the answers before they were asked:"I know what you have seen, what you have done, and what you have not dared to admit. The Church has watched you since you opened the second seal. Every movement around you is accounted for, every pulse of the entity recorded."
William stepped forward, voice sharp:"Does this mean the Church thinks Luin is a threat?"
The priest answered calmly:"It is not that you are a threat, but that your existence is connected to an entity not fully contained. It is beginning to respond to those nearby, and the pulse you felt is only the beginning."
Luin shivered slightly, then fell silent.A heavy pause filled the room, as if the air itself had stopped.
Celin spoke softly:"Tell us what to do. We will not let it escape."
The priest replied:"You only need to ensure the remaining three pieces are under control, and any partial rituals are immediately thwarted. Any mistake, no matter how small, will reignite the entity's full activity."
Celin looked at Luin, her eyes sharp:"You know what we did today. Do you think we failed?"
Father Niras Lux smiled quietly, yet there was something in it hinting at a hidden threat:"You succeeded in part, but the greater part has not yet begun. What you saw today is only a small light in the dark. If you are not ready, it will not be merely a confrontation… it will be the end."
Luin approached the table, looked at the ashes gathered from the cult's partial underground ritual, then raised his head:"So what will you do? Command us? Stop us?"
Niras Lux answered without hesitation:"I will not command you, for you are not under my direct authority. But know this: every misstep will be recorded, every retreat counted against you. We know more than we show, and we watch from afar."
Celin remained silent for a moment, then said quietly:"Very well. We will watch too. But do not expect our obedience under direct supervision."
The priest's gaze swept over them, his eyes radiating awe:"That is what gives me hope. Hope in your hands, not ours."
He stepped back toward the door, raised his hand slightly in farewell, and said:"I will return only when there is a real threat. But remember, Luin: the light I carry is unseen, yet it knows all."
The door closed behind him, and the white light surrounding him vanished into the emptiness.The three stood in silence, listening to the echo of his distant footsteps.
Luin felt a faint warmth in his hand, threads of dim light forming within him, reminding him that today was only the beginning—and that everything underground, every pulse and shadow, would never be the same again.
Finally, William spoke in a low voice, as if the words came after a long internal struggle:"This is not just a warning… it is a declaration. Something will happen soon."
Celin looked at Luin, her eyes filled with determination and peril:"We must be ready, because what comes… will not be merciful."
Luin raised his head, gazing at the gray sky outside the palace, and said quietly:"The entity awakens, and the seals will not be enough. But we will not let it choose its path alone."
The palace remained silent, except for a faint pulse… rising from the depths, echoing, waiting, whispering:"The next phase has already begun."
(To be continued…)