The Skywall loomed like a scar on the horizon — a barrier of runes and light stretching for miles, humming with divine energy that never slept.
Beyond it lay the Hollowlands, where the world had fallen apart.
Isaac arrived before dawn.
The wind stung with cold magic. Every breath carried the metallic tang of mana and ash. Soldiers passed him without a word, parting instinctively; they all knew what he was — or what he'd done.
He didn't care.
He moved until the light grew unbearable. The runes on the wall flared brighter, reacting to his presence.
It was the kind of place that worshiped purity — and recoiled at anything that didn't belong.
"Isaac Killoran."
The voice came from behind him. Calm, formal, and much too young.
He turned.
A figure stepped out of the mist — white jacket, short blond hair, the faint glow of angelic runes across his sleeve. His hand rested lightly on the hilt of a crystal sword.
Lucien Arclight.
Isaac said nothing.
Lucien stopped a few feet away, studying the man before him. "You're late."
Isaac's tone was quiet. "I wasn't aware you'd been waiting."
Lucien's jaw tightened. "You were assigned here hours ago."
"I finished early," Isaac replied, voice flat. "Thought I'd enjoy the silence while it lasted."
Silence stretched between them — tense, heavy, but not hostile. The air vibrated faintly with light and shadow both refusing to yield.
Lucien finally spoke. "You've been briefed?"
"Yes."
"We move at first light. A Crown Fragment was sighted past the rift."
Isaac's head tilted slightly. "Then we're walking into the dark."
Lucien nodded once. "I'll lead. You follow."
"Until you die," Isaac said simply.
Lucien frowned, but Isaac's expression didn't change. It wasn't a threat — just fact.
The younger man turned away. "You're exactly like they said."
"I doubt that," Isaac murmured.
Lucien stopped but didn't turn. "Meaning?"
"They said I was a monster," Isaac said, adjusting his gloves. "Monsters don't take orders."
Lucien looked back at him then, eyes narrowing. "Let's hope that's true when we need one."
He walked off toward the fortress gates.
Isaac watched him go, unmoving, unreadable. The runes flickered again — and in their reflection, for a heartbeat, another face smiled back at him.
A whisper followed, faint and sharp.
"I don't like this one. He shines too bright."
Isaac blinked once. The reflection was gone.
He turned toward the light of the Skywall and walked forward, his shadow stretching thin across the stone.
The dawn greeted him cold and silent.