No one spoke for a few seconds.
And it wasn't the comfortable kind of silence.
It was the kind that sticks.
Draka was the first to break it.
— Alright.
She slammed her hand on the table.
— I'm gonna say the obvious since no one here wants to.
She looked at Lyra.
— That thing… wasn't normal.
— No.
Lyra replied, still staring at the space where he had been.
Riven remained still.
— That wasn't just power.
— It was absence.
Silence.
The Monarch walked slowly through the destroyed room.
Observing.
Thinking.
— He changed.
— A lot.
Lyra said.
— And fast.
Draka crossed her arms.
— I didn't like that thing in the air.
— No one did.
Riven replied.
— That wasn't presence.
— It felt like something was… missing.
Silence.
Lyra finally moved.
Slowly.
— He took the only lead we had.
— No.
The Monarch spoke.
She looked at him.
— We got another one.
Silence.
— And what would that be?
He stopped.
— Now we know he's involved.
— And not just involved.
— He chose to act.
Lyra tightened her fist slightly.
— That doesn't explain what that was.
— No.
— But it explains enough.
Silence.
Draka scoffed.
— I still prefer when the problem is just hitting it.
— You can still try.
Riven replied.
— Good luck hitting nothing.
She looked at him.
— I'll hit the wind if I have to.
— I know.
Short silence.
Lyra spoke again.
— He said we're late.
— He didn't say that for nothing.
— He never does.
Riven nodded.
— Then the question is…
He looked at the Monarch.
— late for what?
Silence.
The Monarch didn't answer right away.
And when that happened—
it wasn't good.
— To stop what already started.
The air grew heavier.
— The cult.
Lyra said.
— And something beyond them.
He nodded.
— They opened the door.
— But they're not what's coming through.
Silence.
Draka made a face.
— Yeah… I don't like that.
— You're not going to like a lot of things now.
Silence.
Riven leaned slightly against the wall.
— So what do we do?
— Because chasing a cult is one thing…
— chasing that… is something else.
Lyra looked down for a second.
Thinking.
And when she looked up—
she was different.
More focused.
— We split.
Silence.
Draka raised an eyebrow.
— I like when you say that.
— I didn't say it to be fun.
— It is for me.
Riven crossed his arms.
— How?
Lyra answered directly:
— The cult is still active.
— They won't stop.
— So someone keeps hunting them.
She looked at Draka.
— You like that.
Draka smiled.
— Finally.
— I knew you'd say something smart.
Lyra ignored it.
— Riven.
— You go with her.
— You see patterns better.
He nodded.
— I was already thinking that.
— They leave traces.
— Even when they think they don't.
Silence.
The Monarch watched.
Without interrupting.
— And you?
Riven asked.
Lyra answered without hesitation:
— I go after him.
Silence.
Draka let out a low whistle.
— Bold.
— Or stupid.
— Haven't decided yet.
— It's not a choice.
Lyra replied.
— He became part of this.
— And I need to understand how.
Riven stayed quiet for a second.
— Alone?
— No.
Silence.
She looked at the Monarch.
— With him.
Draka's eyes widened slightly.
— Yeah…
— this just got serious.
The Monarch gave a faint smile.
— Finally.
— I was waiting for you to ask that.
Lyra didn't react.
— Then let's go.
Silence.
Riven exhaled slowly.
— This is escalating fast.
— No.
The Monarch replied.
— It was already escalated.
— We just couldn't see it yet.
Silence.
And for the first time since it all began—
no one there thought they had control.
The capital didn't stop.
And that was unsettling.
Lyra walked through the center while everything kept going… normal.
People talking.
Merchants shouting.
Kids running.
As if nothing had happened.
— Funny, isn't it?
The Monarch said beside her.
— What?
— The world doesn't wait for anyone to understand.
Lyra looked around.
— Or maybe it just doesn't notice.
— That's even worse.
Silence.
— You feel it?
he asked.
Lyra took half a second.
— Yeah.
— It's not hidden anymore.
— No.
The wind passed.
Lighter than before.
But still wrong.
— They're moving.
Lyra said.
— They already were.
— We can just see it now.
Silence.
On the other side of the city—
a group watched.
— So that's her?
Draka crossed her arms.
— Yeah.
Riven didn't take his eyes off the movement.
— She's more dangerous than she looks.
— Everyone here is.
Silence.
— Where do we start?
Draka asked.
Riven answered simply:
— The mistake.
— Mistake?
— The place where movement shouldn't exist.
— Where the pattern breaks.
Draka smiled.
— I like that.
— Because it always leads to a fight.
— Exactly.
They started walking.
No rush.
But alert.
Very alert.
Meanwhile—
in another part of the city—
a boy was running.
Breathing fast.
Eyes wide.
— Hey!
Someone called.
He didn't stop.
— Hey!
A hand grabbed his arm.
— Calm down.
The boy tried to pull away.
— Let me go!
— I'm not going to hurt you.
He looked.
A woman.
Calm eyes.
But sharp.
— You saw something, didn't you?
Silence.
He hesitated.
— I…
— Strange people?
— Something wrong?
He nodded slowly.
— They… they don't walk right.
— Like how?
— Like… they're not really there.
Silence.
— How many?
— Two… three…
He swallowed.
— maybe more.
She let go of his arm.
— Go home.
— And don't talk about this to anyone.
— Okay?
He nodded and ran.
She stayed still.
Thinking.
— So it started.
Meanwhile—
a tall building.
Full view of the city.
And someone watching.
— They're moving faster.
Another voice replied:
— It was expected.
— And Elion?
Short silence.
— He crossed the line.
— You sure?
— He didn't come back.
Silence.
— Then yeah.
— Interesting.
— And dangerous.
Meanwhile—
Lyra stopped.
In the middle of the street.
— Here.
The Monarch looked around.
— You felt it?
— Yeah.
— It's faint…
— but it's here.
Silence.
He stepped forward.
And then—
the ground beneath them…
slightly distorted.
Nothing visible.
But real.
Lyra closed her eyes slightly.
— This isn't normal magic.
— It never was.
Silence.
— We really are late.
The Monarch gave a faint smile.
— I told you.
Meanwhile—
Riven stopped.
— Here.
Draka looked.
— You felt it too?
— Yeah.
Silence.
— They're spreading.
— No.
Riven corrected.
— They were already spread.
— We just got here late.
Draka spun the axe over her shoulder.
— Then let's stop chasing…
She smiled.
— and start breaking whatever we find.
Riven didn't answer.
But didn't disagree.
And far away—
very far—
an empty place.
No sound.
No life.
And still… occupied.
Elion stood there.
Still.
The cultist kneeling in front of him.
— You took your time.
Silence.
Elion didn't answer.
— They already know.
Silence.
— That doesn't matter.
Elion said.
His voice… emptier.
— It does.
— They'll interfere.
Silence.
— They already are.
The man smiled.
— So you're going to choose?
Silence.
Elion looked ahead.
Not at him.
At something beyond.
— I already did.
The air around him… failed.
For a moment—
that place…
didn't exist properly.
And something…
was watching.
No form.
No voice.
No clear intent.
But present.
The Void.
Ancient.
Waiting.
And this time—
it didn't feel distant anymore.