CHAPTER 314: 314

The Veydrin entourage was gathered in the courtyard with tense expressions and hurried movements.

Horses were being readied and the carriages lined up quickly, leaving many nearby staff stunned by the sudden urgency.

Vic pushed through the group, his voice raised as he called out, "What about Lord Kael?" Chris and Barret stood nearby, exchanging uneasy glances before turning their eyes toward Gare, waiting for an answer.

Gare didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he turned to look at Ariana with a grave look in his eyes.

He didn’t know what was going on but knowing Ariana had gone with their Lord after which the commotion started,he was sure that she knew something.

Seraphina, confused and clearly out of the loop, stepped forward with a frown. "What’s going on? I feel something ominous. You went with him a few days ago, didn’t you?" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you know what happened?"

Ariana’s expression tightened as everyone turned to her.

She stayed silent for a moment before speaking softly, "I don’t know for sure... but things aren’t looking good. We should stay alert."

Her voice carried a heaviness that made everyone more tense. Her instincts screamed that something had gone wrong, even if no one had said it out loud yet. ’What did Lord Kael run into?’ she wondered, a deep unease twisting inside her chest.

Chris stepped closer, his voice quieter than before. "Brot... I mean, Lord Kael went to fight the cult. Did something happen to him?" The way he asked made it clear he feared the answer. Everyone’s faces darkened at the thought.

Vic exhaled slowly. "He might’ve faced some real danger, yeah... but knowing him, he’ll find a way out. He always does."

Seraphina looked around, frustration flickering in her eyes. "Aren’t you all worried something could’ve happened? You’re being too optimistic. This isn’t some training exercise. He’s out there fighting real enemies."

"You will be too, once you know him better," Ariana replied quietly. There was no arrogance in her words, only a deep belief in Kael’s strength. Still, the shadows under her eyes betrayed how much she was holding in.

A voice called out urgently. "Quickly! Get moving! The city will be under lockdown. Lord James has ordered the group to leave at once!"

With no time left to question anything else, everyone climbed onto their horses. The nobles and important members entered the main carriage while the rest rode behind. The convoy started moving, the hooves of horses thudding against the stone roads as they sped through the city.

Chris peered out from the side of his horse and looked around. As they made their way forward, his brows furrowed deeply. The city, once alive with laughter and chatter, now looked cold and silent.

Not a single person stood in the streets. Shops were closed, and colorful banners that once waved in the wind now hung limp, forgotten.

"What’s going on?" Chris asked aloud, almost to himself. "Where did everyone go?"

It was a strange sight. Just days ago, they had entered this place surrounded by excited crowds and the cheerful buzz of daily life. Now, it looked like a ghost town. Even the usual sounds of barking dogs or children running around were gone. A chill hung in the air.

Noticing their expressions, one of the city guards riding alongside them answered in a grim tone. "The city’s under curfew. We’re fighting the Crimson Choir. Lord James asked everyone to stay indoors to avoid chaos."

Chris gave a nod, and the others around him did too. The explanation made sense... but it didn’t make the feeling in their hearts any lighter.

Inside the carriage, Emilia sat quietly with Elfie in her lap. Her hand gently stroked the little creature’s soft fur. Her lips were pressed together, and her eyes kept flicking to the window. Every now and then, she would glance at the others but say nothing. Her mind was filled with worry.

She had kept her distance from Kael ever since arriving, but that didn’t stop her from caring. He was her son, after all. And though she often scolded him or argued, her heart never stopped aching for his safety. When the hysteria from earlier had faded, only one thought had remained—Kael hadn’t returned yet.

Jess, sitting across from her, noticed her pale face and kept quiet. Lyria, sitting beside Emilia, exchanged a quick look with Jess, her own expression worried. The silence in the carriage stretched longer, each bump of the wheels on the road only adding to the tension.

Then, all of a sudden, the carriage jerked to a halt. Outside, sharp voices and sudden shrieks echoed.

"What happened?" Emilia couldn’t sit still anymore. Clutching Elfie tightly to her chest, she pushed open the carriage door and jumped out. Jess and Lyria followed immediately.

Everyone outside had already dismounted and were looking forward with wide eyes. Gasps broke out among the group. The expression on Gare’s face was frozen, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

Emilia’s eyes followed everyone’s gaze and she froze.

A grotesque scene stretched out before them. Blood stained the path ahead, and pieces of crushed armor lay scattered. Several bodies were half-hidden in the tall grass on the side of the road, their faces pale and twisted in terror. Deep slash marks, as if left by claws or massive blades, covered their chests and backs.

Seraphina covered her mouth, stepping back in shock. "Oh gods..."

Chris muttered under his breath, unable to look away. "This... this was recent..."

The horses whined and shifted nervously as the metallic scent of blood filled the air.

"No way... This must’ve been part of the patrol..." Barret whispered, stepping forward slightly, but Gare held out a hand, stopping him.

"Don’t move ahead until we’re sure it’s safe," Gare said, his voice low and steady, though the way his fingers tightened on his sword betrayed his nerves.

Ariana’s hand went to her dagger. Her eyes scanned the area, senses on full alert. The twisted corpses, the fresh blood, the eerily quiet surroundings—it all pointed to something unnatural.

Emilia’s lips trembled as she took another step forward. "Was Kael here?" she asked quietly, but no one answered. Her arms tightened around Elfie, who whimpered quietly.

"This was done by something... not human," Jess said, voice shaking. "No regular bandits could do this. Look at those wounds..."

"Get the formation tight," Gare barked suddenly. "We move. We can’t stop here."

The guards began to circle the carriages, surrounding the nobles. Everyone’s pace quickened as they moved past the site. The silence was thick, no one dared to speak.

Inside the carriage once more, Emilia sat stiffly, not speaking. Her knuckles were white where she clutched Elfie. Jess reached out and gently held her other hand, but Emilia didn’t react. Her mind kept flashing back to the blood, the bodies, and the growing dread she couldn’t shake.

Ariana, riding just outside, kept glancing toward the forest. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest. ’Whatever Kael encountered... it’s not ordinary. We have to be ready for the worst.’

The road ahead stretched on, silent and uncertain.

However moments later the the carriage jerked again coming to stand still and what followed was another loud gasp

"AHHH!"

....

TAP! TAP! TAP! TAP!

Kael’s boots echoed sharply along the narrow, damp corridors of the underground maze. The scent of moss and rot clung to the stone walls, and a thin mist curled along the floor, swirling around his ankles. His eyes were narrowed with frustration, flicking left and right as he moved quickly through the dim space.

"Damn... Where did all the bastards go..." he muttered under his breath, the irritation growing in his chest like a coiling snake.

He had reached the inner temple—the real one—hidden deep below the surface. There had been no guards, no barriers. It was completely abandoned.

That only made it worse. Kael wasn’t the type to fear silence, but this was the kind of quiet that crept into your bones. It wasn’t right.

He paused at a bend, breathing lightly.

"Where are the city guards? And those bald-headed zealots from the Church?"

His voice, low and cold, barely echoed back. He could only assume the main fighting force had been pulled away, likely misled or diverted by something bigger. If that was true, then no one expected an outsider—let alone a lone man—to sneak through the shadows and reach the heart of their den.

"Maybe that’s why the core layer hadn’t been guarded well."

Still, the longer he walked, the more that nagging sensation stirred in his chest. Something wasn’t right. He adjusted the straps on his wrist blades and picked up his pace, his boots splashing through shallow water as he descended deeper into the tunnels.

Then... he froze.

A thick, putrid stench rolled out from the left fork in the tunnel—like meat left to rot in the sun, mixed with blood and smoke. His face twisted at the overwhelming odor.

"They’re there..."

Without hesitation, Kael turned and sprinted through the long sewage tunnel, his cloak fluttering behind him. He took the left bend sharply. But just as the corner opened up—

His feet nearly gave out beneath him.

His breath caught in his throat as his body jolted, and he steadied himself against the wall. The torch in his hand trembled slightly.

"What the..."