Raven and his crew watched as Lillar exited the restaurant alone. Jack kept his eyes fixed on Yousafer and Yuray. "It seems they aren't with him after all," he whispered.
Briley lowered his head, resting his chin on his interlaced fingers. "We can't be certain of that yet. Appearance can be deceiving."
Raven rubbed his temple with his thumb. "Forget them. We are here for our mission and nothing else. Don't let distractions cost us our heads."
Despite their leader's command, Briley and Jack couldn't shake the feeling that the two youths were far from ordinary. Their eyes remained glued to the back of Yousafer's head.
***
In a desolate corner of the world, a black carriage trudged slowly through a "Dead Forest." The trees stood like skeletal remains, stripped of every leaf. The ancient wood groaned with every rotation of the mud-caked iron wheels. Four horses led the way, their hooves striking the rain-slicked stones, nostrils flaring as they exhaled plumes of white steam and frothy foam.
Driving the carriage was a man of ghostly proportions. His pale gray skin clung tightly to the bones of his face, and his hollow eyes were barely visible beneath a wide, rain-soaked hat. He sat in absolute silence, gripping the reins with hands cracked like dry roots, indifferent to the icy water cascading down his worn leather coat.
Surrounding the carriage were dozens of Union soldiers. Their faded gray uniforms blended into the mist, and the banner of the **Union of Nations Church** whipped violently in the cold wind. The rhythm of their march, combined with the splash of rain and the distant howl of wolves, created a haunting, funeral-like atmosphere. Each soldier held a spear in his right hand, with ornate wooden rifles slung over their shoulders. Not a single soul spoke. Not a single head turned.
Inside the carriage, an old woman sat shrouded in pure white robes. She held a single black candle that cast an eerie, flickering glow against the dark, fabric-lined walls. Beside her rested a wooden cane topped with a silver snake's head. Her eyes were milky white—blind to the world, yet seemingly capable of piercing through the very walls of the carriage. A gold necklace, heavy with jewels, swayed rhythmically with the carriage's vibrations.
As they cleared the forest, a massive stone fortress loomed ahead.
"Mistress... we have arrived at the headquarters," the gaunt driver whispered.
The old woman remained silent, her blind gaze fixed forward.
The headquarters was a titan of stone and iron. Its high walls were scarred by time and choked with moss. Massive wooden gates, reinforced with iron studs, stood like a barrier between worlds. At each of its four corners, towers rose toward the gray sky, flying the Union banner. Soldiers stood atop the ramparts like frozen statues.
The blare of trumpets signaled their arrival. *Creak...* The massive gates groaned open. As the carriage entered, rows of soldiers stood at attention, spears raised, heads held high.
At the front of the ranks stood a man in his forties, his face marked by a jagged X-shaped scar beneath a milky, blind eye. He wore dark green regalia with three gold stars pinned to his shoulder. He signaled to a subordinate, who stepped forward to open the carriage door.
The old woman, Barayuhina, stepped out. The cold wind caught her thick white hair, but no soldier dared look directly at her.
"Welcome, Lady Barayuhina," the scarred man said with a slight bow. "I trust the journey was not too taxing."
"The journey was smooth, **Colonel Richmond**," she replied, her voice cutting through the air like a cold blade. "Is the General here?"
The air around them grew heavy, as if the very atmosphere was being crushed by her presence.
Richmond wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. "No, my lady. He departed recently. There are... complications in the Northeast of the continent."
Barayuhina leaned on her snake-headed cane. "Very well. Let us proceed. I have little time to waste."
"Please, this way," Richmond said, gesturing toward the interior.
As they vanished into the fortress, the soldiers finally exhaled.
"Who is that woman?" one whispered.
"Just looking at her makes my skin crawl."
"Those white eyes... she looks like a monster in human skin."
An older soldier, trembling as he looked at the ground, hissed at them. "Don't you know who that is? That is the **Oracle, Barayuhina**."
"The Oracle?" the others gasped.
"They say she has outlived six generations," the soldier continued. "Some say she is over three hundred years old."
*"One..."* a faint, ghostly voice whispered in the soldier's ear.
The soldiers huddled closer. "Three hundred years? That's impossible! No one lives that long."
"It's no myth," the soldier insisted. "Her prophecies are ninety-five percent accurate. The Army has survived countless disasters because of her sight."
*"Two..."*
"Is that true? Barayuhina... she really lives up to the legends."
"The High Oracle of the Church..."
*"Three."*
As the word was uttered, the soldier who had been speaking suddenly gasped. His body began to warp with terrifying speed. His skin turned a violent, bruised red, his veins bulging beneath the surface. His eyes bulged out of their sockets. He tried to scream, but his tongue had already begun to swell and curl backward into his throat.
The other soldiers recoiled in horror. "What's happening to him?!"
The man's clothes shredded as pale blue worms began to burrow and writhe across his skin. His teeth fell out one by one, clattering onto the stones. A thick, cerulean liquid oozed from his pores. He bloated like a corpse left in the sun, his body hissing with the sound of internal rupturing.
One soldier stumbled back, his spear clattering to the ground as he hit the wall, shaking uncontrollably.
**BOOM.**
The soldier exploded. Chunks of flesh and blue ichor sprayed across the courtyard, releasing a stench so foul it choked the air.
**End of Chapter**