-Velmont Towers
It was midnight.
Morel had summoned the greedy mongrels with whom he shared dominion over Velmont. They all sat around a round wooden table. Twelve seats were filled—except one. The air was thick with tension.
Then came the echoing sound of footsteps.
Each step rang like a death knell. Doom and despair coiled around the room like smoke.
The figure who terrified Morel earlier entered—young, no older than twenty-five, with neatly combed hair and a costly grey suit. A black cane with a silver snake-shaped handle tapped the floor beside him. His presence was overwhelming.
He sat in the final chair.
Ignoring all formality, he rumbled, "Didn't I say I can make all your dreams come true? And all you had to do was complete the simple tasks I assigned each of you?"
"You did," the twelve murmured, shrinking into themselves.
"Then one of you fails," he said, his voice now calm and eerily still. "Do you know what that means?"
Silence.
"It means I have to make an example. I can take away everything I've given you... just like that."
He snapped his fingers sharply.
He stood and approached Morel, rage barely masked beneath his composure.
"Place your arm on the table."
Morel—trembling and slick with sweat—placed his right arm on the polished surface. The man tapped the cane against it and cast a dark sigil.
From Morel's skin, a small living python slithered forth. Its tail remained etched on his forearm, coiled like a tattoo.
The other men could do nothing but watch in fear.
"You have three days to retrieve the Durnium. If you fail, that snake will grow... and it will feast on your foolish friend. If he dies, one of you will replace him."
He smiled darkly. "You all carry the blame. Your souls belong to me."
Then he vanished to his private chamber without another word.
A few moments later—
"You idiot, Luke!" Sullivan roared, pinning Morel to the wall. "How could you be so careless? Do you want a repeat of what happened to Arkham?"
"Now, now, Sullivan," said a short, stumpy man with an eyepiece—Tabbarrok. "Infighting won't solve this. We must salvage the situation."
Sullivan released Morel. The twelve men began planning the Durnium retrieval.
A storm was brewing—for Castiel.
---
– Velarion
Village of scholars and arcane wisdom, hidden far south of Velmont behind a vast waterfall.
Morning light filtered into a quiet room.
Zera awoke in a bed she didn't recognize. Panic surged. She sat up, eyes wide, breathing fast.
"Castiel?" she called, but there was no response. She could smell he was near.
A blonde woman with rosy cheeks and soft features entered. "It's okay, sweetheart," she said gently. "I'm Ursula. You're safe. Castiel's downstairs. Let's get you cleaned up and fed, alright?"
Zera nodded slowly.
---
– Downstairs
Castiel sat at the breakfast table. The home was modestly furnished. He had changed clothes, though he still wore his black coat and boots. Beside him sat a man in his thirties with a thick moustache—Drew—admiring the Durnium lying on the table.
"It's beautiful. I didn't think you'd actually get it."
"When have I ever failed a mission, Drew?" Castiel grinned. "I may have stepped on some toes to get it, but Velmont's far. Doubt they'll track us here."
"Velmont?!" Drew blinked. "You stole from that city?The city ran by the devil himself?"
"Technically, I liberated it," Castiel said smugly. "And no, the guy who rules it isn't the devil—but he might as well be."
"Get that thing off the table," Ursula called, entering with Zera. "We're eating."
Zera wore clean new clothes. The rags were gone. As they ate, she kept glancing out the slightly open door, hearing children laugh and play outside.
Castiel smiled.
"I'll introduce you to them after breakfast," Ursula said warmly.
Zera finished her food quickly. Ursula took her outside. At first, she was shy, but the kids welcomed her quickly, telling stories of how Castiel had saved them too.
Inside, Ursula rejoined Castiel and Drew.
"It's a cruel world," Castiel murmured, watching the children play.
"But you're making it better," Drew said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"The village will care for them. Zera will need to join the others in class," Ursula added.
"There's something different about that girl," Castiel said. "She tracked me by scent—my scent. No human does that."
"Maybe she awakened her Karnithesis," Ursula teased.
"If she did, it's a rare one. She said my scent was 'rosy-beautiful but thorny, like it was guarding itself.'"
"Maybe she smells your soul," Drew said, eyes lighting up. "Should we inform the elder monks?"
"Later. I need to return to Velmont. I promised Zera I'd free the others. Hide a bit of the Durnium for me, Drew. Give the rest to the village heads, when I return we'll get started.
---
Outside, the children swarmed Castiel with hugs. Zera came last.
After playing, they sat on the porch together. Castiel explained his plan to free the other children and leave her safe in Velarion.
Zera smiled and ran off to rejoin the others. "I know I'll be safe here," she called. "I can tell by everyone's scent. And my smelling sense has grown a lot stronger since I've arrived here.
Castiel stood frozen, awed by her gift.
-
"Castiel is going to wage war in Velmont.," Ursula whispered with concern.
"How can you tell?" Drew asked.
"He's carrying all three swords."
Drew said nothing. He just pulled his wife close and whispered, "He'll be okay. He's Castiel."
Castiel took his leave.
– Hell
In the black castle, Lucifer and Nachtschrei stood before a table of shimmering fragments—shards of the Stone of Creation and Rebirth.
"I've searched the universe, brother," said Nacht. "These are all I've found."
"We need the full crystal," Lucifer growled. "That brat better be doing his part up there. I want doom and chaos... in the master's name."
Suddenly, he collapsed, clutching his skull in agony.A sharp pain resonated deep within his head.
"And you call yourself king," Nacht scoffed, looking down with disdain.
"You know this is the master's pain I feel... If he is freed, I'll be free from this cursed torment too."
"Tell me when the time comes," Nacht said coldly. "Until then, I must replenish."
He turned his back on his brother—left crumpled on the floor in the dark.