Several days had already passed since the temple incident. The destruction had been so severe that it reached the front page of the kingdom's newspapers, and rumors spread wildly, causing unrest among civilians and believers alike. People whispered about divine punishment, others blamed the Heretic, and some even claimed the end of the world was approaching.
However, as days passed without another incident, the panic gradually faded. Humans adapted quickly; even fear eventually became old news.
Meanwhile, Nuri had finally returned to the headquarters of the Knights of Valanta.
The headquarters resembled an enormous cathedral more than a military institution. Towering white pillars stretched endlessly upward while massive stained-glass windows allowed streams of colored light to pour through the grand halls, the ceilings standing so high they made those beneath them feel small and mortal. Sacred hymns faintly echoed in the distance, and the heavy scent of incense lingered throughout the building alongside the smell of aged parchment and candle wax. Everything about the place felt holy, ancient, and still, completely opposite from the distorted, living chaos surrounding Lucien's magic.
Today was especially important for Nuri. After returning from the ruins, he had finally been summoned for an audience with the captain himself.
Nuri understood perfectly well why. Entering the temple alone without informing anyone had been reckless beyond reason. No proper knight should have acted so impulsively, a fact that only made him increasingly nervous the closer he got to the captain's office. His thoughts became so disordered he nearly walked past the correct corridor twice, completely losing his bearings despite having visited this section of the headquarters before.
Eventually, Nuri stopped before a large wooden door. Taking a breath, he knocked.
His heartbeat immediately sped up. This was it. The outcome of this conversation could determine his entire future as a knight, and he absolutely could not make a mistake.
"Come in."
A calm, gentle voice echoed from inside the room. The moment Nuri heard it, some of the rigid tension in his body strangely eased. Slowly, he pushed the door open.
The captain of the Knights of Valanta, Caelan Zur, stood near the window with one hand resting behind his back. Soft light from the massive cathedral windows behind him illuminated the room, where heavy curtains framed the tall glass and countless bookshelves lined the walls. The smell of incense and dried ink lingered heavily in the air, creating a stale, sacred atmosphere, as though time itself barely moved within these walls.
Even while casually leaning against the window sill, Caelan's presence alone made it immediately obvious why he held the position of captain. His black hair resembled polished obsidian beneath the dim light, and his eyes were a vivid, pinkish amethyst, beautiful, yet entirely impossible to read.
Nuri unconsciously found himself comparing Caelan to Lucien. Both possessed striking appearances and carried an overwhelming natural presence, even standing at a strangely similar height. Yet somehow, they felt entirely different. Lucien resembled distorted beauty hidden beneath calm waters; Caelan felt stable and steady, like someone who firmly belonged within this world.
"Thank you for coming," Caelan said softly. "I know the request was sudden." He gestured toward the chair before his desk. "Please, sit."
Nuri quietly obeyed, the wooden chair creaking faintly beneath him as Caelan slowly approached.
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"I'm truly relieved to see you unharmed," the captain said, his voice laced with genuine care. "I was worried. However... next time, please don't act so recklessly. At the very least, inform someone before entering dangerous areas alone. For your own sake. Understood?"
"Yes..." Nuri mumbled, his fingers tightening together in his lap.
This man had every right to harshly discipline him, yet instead of anger, he showed concern first. Nuri felt a lump form in his throat. If he asked, if he just explained everything, surely this person could help him understand the nightmare in the void. Surely Caelan would know what to do.
Nuri slowly raised his head to speak, but before he could form a word, Caelan asked something entirely unexpected.
"Actually... while inside the temple..." Caelan's gaze quietly settled onto him, calm and unblinking. "Did you happen to encounter anyone unusual?"
Nuri froze instantly, his tongue suddenly feeling thick and glued to the roof of his mouth.
Before he could even attempt to form a syllable, Caelan tilted his head slightly, reading the sudden hesitation written across the young knight's face. "Someone with long blonde hair, perhaps?"
No. No, no, no.
Nuri's eyes widened. His heartbeat violently slammed against his ribs, a frantic rhythm that felt loud enough to fill the entire room.
"No..." His voice nearly cracked, sounding hollow and thin. "I... I didn't."
The moment the words left his mouth, Nuri realized how unconvincing he sounded.
"Really?"
Caelan's expression subtly shifted. The soft warmth within his amethyst eyes disappeared almost instantly, replaced not by anger, but by something much colder. Something far more dangerous.
"Yes," Nuri forced himself to maintain eye contact, not out of confidence, but because he was too terrified to look away. Cold sweat gathered across his palms, his hands curled into tight fists beneath the edge of the desk.
For several agonizing moments, silence filled the office.
Then finally, Caelan broke the tension. "I see," he said quietly, stepping back. "Thank you. You may leave now."
Nuri stood up immediately, not looking back even once as he crossed the threshold. The moment he exited the office, his rapid pace quickly broke into a run. His boots slammed loudly against the stone floors, the sound echoing through the massive cathedral corridors like pounding drums. His ears rang with the roar of his own pulse, his breathing turning shallow as his hands started going numb.
That look. He knew that look. Caelan knew the truth, or at least, he knew Nuri was lying. For the first time, Nuri wondered whether the distance between the captain and the Heretic had ever been as great as he thought.
The further he ran, the stronger the prickling sensation became that someone was still watching him, tracking his every step through the holy halls.
Eventually, the panic became too heavy to carry. Nuri collapsed against one of the stone walls, his back sliding down the cool surface as a violent wave of nausea surged into his chest. He clutched at his collar, choking on the heavy scent of church incense, utterly unable to draw a clean breath while his hands shook uncontrollably against his knees.
Why? he thought desperately. Why did all of this have to happen to me? What did I do wrong?
"Hey, Nuri! What are you doing down there?"
A familiar voice suddenly cut through the spiral. Nuri jolted, instantly forcing his hands to stop shaking as he snapped his head up.
Standing beneath the colored cathedral light was Alina. Bright, warm, and strong, stronger than anyone Nuri knew. Yet despite the fierce wave of relief at seeing his older sister, the realization hit him like a physical blow: he could not tell her the truth. He couldn't tell anyone.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Nuri quickly choked out, swallowing down the bitter taste of panic before forcing a stiff, practiced smile onto his face. "What are you doing here, Alina?"
"I came to see you, obviously," she replied, immediately reaching down to help him stand. She lightly brushed the dust from his uniform, fixing a few strands of messy hair near his eyes before her expression softened with deep concern. "Are you really okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Yeah, really! Just tired," Nuri answered, the words tumbling out too fast.
Alina quietly stared at him for several moments, searching his face. "...If you say so," she sighed softly. It was obvious something was wrong, but she knew that forcing him to speak would only make him close off further.
Suddenly, her eyes brightened, breaking the heavy mood. "Oh! There's a festival in the city today. The Festival of Harmony!" She clasped her hands together excitedly. "We should go together. It'll get your mind off things."
Nuri instinctively froze. Another god. Another celebration of the heavens.
Still, looking at his sister's hopeful expression, he realized he no longer possessed the energy to fight it or refuse.
"...Sure," he quietly answered, his voice barely a whisper. "Let's go."