---
Lady Vorenna stood within the High Court of the Coalition, a place that had been built for diplomacy, judgment, and quiet power, yet on this night it had been twisted into something else entirely.
Celebration.
The wide circular chamber echoed with laughter, raised voices, and the clatter of wine bottles as representatives from all seven Coalition territories drank and congratulated one another, their usual rigid postures abandoned in favor of loose smiles and reckless confidence. Long tables that once held ledgers and legal documents were now littered with overturned goblets, spilled wine, and half-eaten food. Some delegates danced without shame, others shouted toasts across the chamber, and a few had already collapsed into chairs, laughing to themselves as if the war had already been won.
Wine bottle caps flew through the air as they were popped loose, bouncing off marble floors while men and women alike celebrated the negotiation going in their favor. The Demon Clans would not be joining the Inquisitors of Godfall. To them, this was a turning point. To them, the Deathforged were already heroes returning home.
Vorenna sat near the back of the chamber, her posture composed despite the chaos around her, a wine glass resting loosely in her hand as she watched the scene unfold with tired but genuine satisfaction.
"Ah… this is nice."
The words escaped her quietly, almost lost beneath the noise, yet the relief behind them was real. For the first time in days, the tension in her shoulders loosened, and she allowed herself to breathe without thinking of contingencies, counteroffers, or consequences.
Her thoughts drifted, warm and self-assured.
'You did good, Vorenna. You did good. I was really worried they'd mess it up, but I know I made the right choice.'
A small smile touched her lips as she imagined the Deathforged already on their way back, flying through the skies atop Bithorn, battered but alive, arguing among themselves while pretending none of them had been scared. The image comforted her more than she expected.
---
In reality, the Deathforged were locked in a dark obsidian cell.
The tower they were imprisoned within loomed above the Demon Territories like a spear driven into the earth, a thousand-foot obelisk formed of jagged stone, polished obsidian, and the pale, bleached remains of enormous creatures that had been fused into its structure. Bone reinforced its base, bone framed its windows, and bone lined the upper reaches like trophies from forgotten wars.
Their cell sat high within its interior, carved directly from black stone, the walls smooth but cold, absorbing light rather than reflecting it. Thick iron bars sealed the front, etched with faint glowing runes that pulsed softly, reinforcing the prison with Resonance-dampening magic.
All but Garruk were inside.
Atlas, Seris, Ako, and Lorian were suspended several feet above the ground, their wrists bound in heavy shackles bolted into the ceiling. Chains bit into their skin, forcing their arms upward, leaving their feet dangling just enough to ensure constant discomfort. Around each of their necks sat a thick metal collar — Resonance dampeners — dull gray and humming faintly, suppressing the very thing that made them dangerous.
A single demon soldier stood guard outside the bars, spear resting lazily against his shoulder, eyes half-lidded but attentive.
Atlas exhaled slowly, irritation evident even through his usual indifference.
"Why didn't you read the damn briefing, Hybrid. I gave you one job."
"Um… I uh… I uh…" Lorian's voice dropped lower than a whisper, his words tumbling over each other so quickly they blurred together. "icantreadelven…"
"Speak up!" Ako snapped, attempting to kick him despite being suspended beside Atlas.
"I said…" Lorian cleared his throat, swallowing hard. "I can't… read elven…"
"What?!" the three remaining voices shouted in unison.
"You can't read elven?" Seris asked, disbelief etched across her face.
"You're an elf?!" Ako shrieked, fury replacing shock.
"Half! Half elf. I was raised by my Fae side, okay?!"
Atlas groaned loudly, his head tilting back against the chain. "Idiot. You should have just given it back to me to read."
"Well you should've read it yourself, 'Cap'!" Lorian shot back.
Their argument continued in clipped insults until Lorian, sensing the mood turning darker, quickly changed the subject.
"Where'd they put the big guy? Why didn't he even try to fight?!"
"I think he's a pacifist," Seris said, swaying slightly as the chains pulled at her arms.
"A pacifist? Really? He's a cannibal, I doubt it." Lorian laughed, though the sound died quickly as the weight of their situation settled in. "We're gonna die in here."
"Probably," Atlas replied flatly.
"I'm too young! There's still things I want to do!" Ako cried, squirming helplessly.
"Stop crying, it's annoying," Atlas muttered with a yawn.
"We'll make it out… I think," Seris said, forcing a weak smile toward Ako.
The guard slammed his spear against the bars. "Quiet!"
Moments later, his footsteps retreated as he left to switch posts with another guard down the long obsidian hallway, leaving the four alone in the silence of the cell.
"You mean… you guys will die?" Lorian said smugly.
"Huh?" Atlas raised an eyebrow.
That was when he noticed the small key glinting faintly in Lorian's hand.
Lorian's Veil Resonance made him an illusionist. Normally, he could erase himself from sight, sound, and even scent, or create convincing copies of himself to confuse enemies. However, his most dangerous trick wasn't flashy at all.
He could create physical illusions.
For exactly one minute.
The moment the guards had locked them in, Lorian had pressed his hand subtly against the keyhole, letting his Resonance flow into the empty space like smoke filling a mold. He memorized its shape, its grooves, its imperfections. Resonance, when shaped properly, didn't just mimic appearance — it copied structure.
The issue was the dampeners.
Except Lorian never put his on.
When the guards had fitted the collars one by one, Lorian had watched carefully, memorizing their weight, color, and clasp. He formed an illusion of the collar around his own neck, solid enough to fool the eye and hand, long enough to survive inspection. By the time they reached him, the guards thought the job was done.
He never stopped thinking.
Click.
The shackles released.
Lorian dropped to the cold obsidian floor.
"Woo. That's better."
"What?!" Ako and Seris shouted together.
"Come get us down. Now," Atlas ordered.
Lorian shook his finger. "Nope. No. Hell no. I cannot oblige to that."
He unlocked the gate and stretched. "Well, so long guys. This has been fun playing heroes, but I'm gonna leave now. Have fun dying."
"You piece of shit!" Ako snarled.
Atlas growled under his breath.
"Wait, Lorian—" Seris began.
"Nope. See ya guys later! Haha—"
The moment he stepped through the bars, invisible force slammed into him.
"Ah!!!"
The Requiem Seal burned to life around his neck, agony searing through him as if lightning were tearing him apart from the inside. The others felt it too, a lesser echo of punishment that made them gasp and cry out.
Lorian coughed and wheezed, he stood up shakily.
"What the hell..."
Seris grimaced through the pain. "I was trying to warn you!"
"Warn me of what?!"
Altas cut in, "Did you forget? We can't abandon each other. If we do, you'll die and we'll be punished for it."
Lorian touched the deal on his neck as it began to fade.
"That… is so stupid! Fuck!" Lorian groaned. "Okay… I'll help you."
With a defiant walk the trickster made his way over the other Deathforged and unlocked their shackles.
Once the shackles were off, he undid the Resonance Dampeners.
Atlas walked past him and bumped his shoudler.
"Idiot,"he grumbled.
"Geez, I was totally wasn't gonna leave you guys!"
Wham!
Ako kicked him straight in the balls.
"Ow..." Lorian doubled over.
"I hate you," she said whilst walking over to Atlas
Seris on the other hand was stretching her wrists—trying to rub out the strain from the shackles.
Lorian looked to her.
"You know I wouldn't leave you right? You believe me?"
Seris smiled and put her hand on his shoudler, "It's okay."
Lorian smiled wildly.
'She's an angel. So kind—'
Bam!
She gut punched him—which caused Lorian to double over again just as fast as he had straightened up.
That smile she had given him was a passive aggressive one and not one of kindness.
"Ow... ow... ow... lets just find this giant idiot and get outta here... ow..."
"We don't know where he is though," Seris said whilst looking down the long empty black hallways.
"We'll split up. It's better that way," Atlas said—looking for the daggers and weapons the Demons had confiscated in a chest near the cell. "Shit, not here...."
"I'll go with Atlas!" Ako said jumping on his back and saluting him.
"No. The Dark Elf goes with me. You go with the hybrid."
"What?!" She said with a pout, "Fine."
Slowly she slid off of his back.
Seris raised an eyebrow at this decision but she would rather be with Atlas than Lorian—that's a given.
"Ugh. Let's go then," Lorian said—grabbing Ako's arm and walking to the hallway on the right.
"No! I take it back! I'm not fine with this I want to go with Atlas—mmph! Mmmm! Mmph," Ako was quickly muffled by Lorian as he dragged her.
"I'm not a fan either," He said as they vanished into the darkness of the right hallway.
Atlas was already walking down the left hall, "Let's go."
"Okay... coming!" Seris ran after him.
The party was now separated, their new mission was to look for the giantblood.
Garruk.