The moonlight vanished when the temple doors closed behind Éreon and Éon.
The silence inside the temple was different now.
The scent of incense had disappeared beneath the metallic smell of blood.
Éreon and Éon's footsteps echoed through the central corridor.
Broken benches were scattered across the marble.
Fragments of stone covered part of the floor.
Dark stains ran along the altar steps.
Bodies remained scattered throughout the sanctuary.
Some fallen between the shattered benches.
Others near the columns.
Motionless.
Silent.
Like abandoned offerings before a god that never answered.
Éon's eyes lifted.
Above the altar.
The crown of the Twenty-Four remained attached to the wall.
But the symbol no longer looked sacred.
The archbishop's body hung over the symbol.
A long stone stake pierced through his abdomen and through the symbol itself.
Keeping him suspended several meters above the ground.
His head hung forward.
Still.
Blood slowly ran down the symbol's golden points.
Dripping over the displaced altar.
For a few seconds, only the sound of the drops filled the temple.
"Took longer than I imagined."
Éreon's voice broke the silence.
He remained before the opened altar.
Violet eyes observing the passage revealed beneath the structure.
"I asked politely twice."
The answer came calmly.
"On the third, he decided to cooperate."
His eyes briefly shifted toward the archbishop.
"I hope the Gods of Order showed the same patience."
Without waiting for a response, he turned toward the opening.
"Come."
The staircase vanished into the darkness beneath the temple.
The two began descending.
Purple filaments slowly escaped from Éreon's fingers.
Slithering along the walls.
One by one, the dormant torches awakened.
Light spread through the underground corridor.
Ancient stone.
Moisture.
Runes worn down by time.
The steps seemed to sink deeper and deeper beneath the temple.
The silence grew heavier as they descended.
Until the staircase finally ended.
Ahead of them stood a door.
Tall.
Monolithic.
Carved directly into the rock.
Ancient runes stretched across its entire surface.
Some pulsed faintly.
Others seemed completely extinguished.
Éon observed the symbols.
He recognized none of them.
Éreon approached.
Violet eyes moved across the inscriptions.
A small smile appeared.
"Interesting."
His hand slid across the stone.
Purple filaments began emerging around his arm.
Pressure spread through the corridor.
The torches flickered.
Small fragments of stone broke loose from the ceiling.
The runes responded.
Glowing in sequence.
As if the door itself had awakened.
The two forces collided.
Éreon's violet eyes shone.
He pressed his hand against the surface.
"ελευθέρωση. (Release.)"
The filaments surged forward.
The runes began breaking apart one after another.
Light escaped through the cracks.
The glow intensified.
Until—
BOOM.
The barrier shattered.
The entire door trembled.
And slowly began to open.
Ancient air escaped from the opening.
Cold.
Dry.
Like the final breath of a forgotten era.
Éon followed Éreon through the passage.
The chamber beyond the door gradually revealed itself.
Shelves lined with hundreds of scrolls.
Maps spread across tables.
Hundreds of mounts attached to the walls, displaying firearms.
Preserved remnants of a vanished civilization.
Éreon advanced first.
Both stopped before an enormous map fixed to the main wall.
Continents.
Borders.
Names erased by time.
Éreon remained observing it for a few seconds.
"This was the world..."
The words came out low.
"...that men believed they possessed."
His fingers touched part of the map.
Sliding across vanished borders.
Across countries that no longer existed.
"Thousands of flags."
"Thousands of kings without crowns."
"Thousands of promises."
A brief pause.
His eyes traveled across the map one last time.
"And still, all it took was a single decade..."
His gaze drifted away from the map.
Toward a series of tables covered in carefully organized scrolls.
"...for everything to be reduced to twenty-four names carved upon ruins."
Soon he began walking in that direction.
Éreon stopped before the first table.
His fingers ran across the scrolls arranged in meticulous rows.
Reports.
Maps.
Correspondence.
Records preserved for decades.
The chamber's silence once again dominated the atmosphere.
Except for the occasional sound of pages being opened.
And closed.
Violet eyes drifted across line after line.
Name after name.
Until a small smile appeared.
"It seems Silvanis' memories were real."
Another scroll was unfurled.
His eyes rapidly moved through the information.
"Interesting."
Éon remained silent.
Observing the mounts scattered throughout the chamber.
The firearms occupied entire rows along the walls.
Objects whose purpose he could not even identify.
Preserved like relics from a forgotten era.
Éreon closed another document.
"If these records are authentic."
"The self-proclaimed democrats are about to awaken..."
His eyes moved away from the pages.
Sliding toward the weapons.
"...something not even the gods had the prudence to imagine."
Éreon slowly raised a hand.
Violet eyes crossed the shelves.
The maps.
The scrolls.
The forgotten relics of the ancient civilization.
"να αποκαλύψει. (Reveal.)"
The word echoed softly through the chamber.
Purple filaments slithered across the walls.
Between the weapon mounts.
Like roots searching for something buried beneath the surface of the world.
While the filaments advanced, Éreon began walking again.
Observing the movement of his own magic.
"It seems we'll have to move up our visit to the Eastern Kingdom."
Éon remained silent.
"Everything here suggests something interesting is happening there."
The filaments continued advancing.
Disappearing among shelves and shadows.
"And that both the Queen and the Central Kingdom are involved."
A brief pause.
Violet eyes shifted toward Éon.
"But before any move..."
"...we'll need to stabilize your body."
No answer came.
Only Éon's usual silence.
The filaments continued their search.
Crossing every corner of the underground chamber.
Éreon's eyes narrowed slightly.
"It seems the high priest did not keep the Codex here."
Silence reclaimed the chamber once more.
For an instant, only the movement of the filaments remained.
Slithering between the shelves.
Crossing the walls.
Sliding through forgotten relics.
Then—
the filaments stopped at the far end of the chamber.
Behind one of the weapon shelves.
As though something was repelling their presence.
Éreon's footsteps echoed through the chamber as he walked in that direction.
The filaments remained concentrated at that exact point.
Slowly circling around the stone wall.
Éon followed in silence.
When they finally stopped before it, there was nothing there.
A small smile appeared on Éreon's lips.
His fingers slid across the surface.
The violet eyes glowed softly.
"Απάτη."
The word crossed the silence.
The filaments tightened around the wall.
The hidden runes reacted.
For an instant.
The stone seemed to distort.
Like the surface of a lake, the illusion disappeared.
Revealing what had been hidden behind it.
A structure covered by thick dark cloths.
Éreon approached.
Stopping before the structure.
Violet eyes analyzing every detail.
"I wonder..."
His hand rose.
"...what exactly you were trying to hide?"
His fingers touched the fabric.
Immediately, the purple filaments froze.
For a brief instant.
As though the chamber itself had held its breath.
The next moment, the filaments were violently pulled.
Vanishing into the structure.
Éreon's eyes shone.
Intensely.
The ground trembled.
The shelves vibrated.
Scrolls slid from the tables.
The filaments continued to be absorbed.
Like rivers vanishing into an invisible abyss.
Éon moved immediately.
His hand reached Éreon's shoulder.
BOOM.
An invisible wave exploded around Éreon.
Éon's body was thrown backward.
His boots slid several meters across the stone floor.
The silence returned as quickly as it had vanished.
The filaments ceased.
Éreon's eyes remained motionless.
Fixed.
As though observing something beyond the chamber.
Soon the violet light disappeared.
A smile slowly appeared on his lips.
Almost fascinated.
"Incredible."
His hand remained upon the thick dark fabric.
Feeling what was hidden inside.
"No matter how many times they are crushed."
The voice came out low.
Thoughtful.
"Humans always find ways to rise again."
His gaze shifted toward Éon.
"We're taking everything."
A brief pause.
His eyes returned to the dark fabric.
"Especially the incubator."
Éreon's smile widened slightly.
Without adding anything else, he turned away.
And began walking toward the chamber exit.
Éon observed the covered incubator for a few more seconds.
Then lowered his eyes.
Staring at his own hand.
His fingers slowly closed.
His eyes narrowed.
As though he could still feel the remnant of the force that had repelled him moments earlier.
Soon he lifted his head.
And began walking toward the chamber exit.
"καταβροχθίζω. (Devour.)"
The shadow beneath his feet spread instantly.
Like a creature awakening from deep sleep.
Everything inside the chamber began to be consumed, as though the floor itself were swallowing every object.
Without resistance.
Without sound.
Piece after piece.
Relic after relic.
Éon reached the chamber door, stopped for an instant.
Casting one final glance toward the empty chamber.
Then turned away.
And followed the staircase upward.
Moonlight bathed the temple courtyard.
Wind crossed through the ancient columns.
Carrying the scent of stone, blood, and incense.
Seated atop the final step of the staircase, Karna waited.
Arms resting on his knees.
His gaze fixed on the temple entrance.
Beside him, a young girl remained wrapped in a sheet.
Her hands bound.
A makeshift gag covering her mouth.
Even so, her blue eyes still burned with fury.
Footsteps echoed from inside the temple.
Karna turned his head.
Two figures emerged from the darkness of the entrance.
Éreon came first.
Éon right behind him.
For an instant, Karna observed the two in silence.
Their cloaks stained with blood.
A small smile appeared on his lips.
"Looks like things weren't exactly simple for you either."
No response came.
Éreon's eyes passed over the girl.
Then returned to Karna.
Karna raised his hands in surrender.
"I didn't have a choice."
He pointed at the girl with his thumb.
"You told me to bring her."
"And she wouldn't stop biting."
A brief pause.
"Or trying to kick me."
Éreon's eyes remained on him.
"And the other children?"
"They're safe."
Karna nodded.
"I left them hidden in one of the sanctuary lodgings."
"No one's going to find them for now."
The silence lasted only an instant.
"Good."
Éreon started walking again.
Passing by them.
"Gather all of them."
"And take them to Marcus."
Karna raised an eyebrow.
"The mercenary?"
"Yes."
"Do it discreetly."
"He'll know what to do."
Karna nodded.
Without asking any more questions.
His eyes followed Éreon for a few seconds.
Then shifted toward the temple entrance.
Thoughtful.
"You know..."
The words came casually.
"I saw part of the show in there."
His gaze returned to the brothers.
"Was hard not to notice."
Éon's eyes met his.
Silent.
Impassive.
"But it made me curious."
Karna tilted his head slightly.
"How exactly are you planning to deal with all those bodies?"
Éreon smiled.
Small.
Dangerous.
"There's a rather practical solution for that."
Violet eyes turned back toward the temple.
Filaments slowly began escaping from his fingers.
Karna watched.
The smile disappeared from his face.
"Oh no."
The filaments intensified.
Slithering through the air.
"Oh, shit."
"Don't tell me you're going to—"
Éreon cast him a brief sideways glance.
The smile only widened.
Karna ran a hand across his face.
"Lunatic."
Without wasting any more time, he grabbed the girl wrapped in the sheet.
Throwing her over his shoulder.
"I hate it when you smile like that."
The filaments had already reached the temple.
Spreading across the columns.
Across the walls.
Through the foundations buried beneath the ancient stone.
Éreon observed the structure for one final instant.
Slowly closed his hand.
As though crushing something invisible between his fingers.
"Κατάρρευση. (Collapse.)"
The filaments responded immediately.
Soon the first crack echoed through the night.
A fracture spread across one of the main columns.
Then another.
And another.
The temple began to tremble.
Fragments of stone broke loose from the walls as the structures began yielding beneath the growing pressure of the filaments.
The wind carried dust across the courtyard.
The columns groaned.
The ground vibrated.
And the first sections of the ceiling began to collapse.
Then came the first cave-in.
One of the central columns gave way.
The impact rolled across the courtyard like thunder.
BOOM.
The staircase shook.
Stones rained down from atop the columns.
The walls cracked from top to bottom.
The ancient sanctuary seemed to resist for one final instant.
Then it gave way.
BOOOOM.
The ceiling collapsed.
Columns shattered.
Clouds of dust exploded into the night as a decade of history vanished beneath tons of stone.
The roar echoed across the entire district.
The sound of bells began ringing through the city immediately afterward.
One.
Then another.
And another.
Voices rose in the distance.
People rushed toward the temple.
Guards.
Believers.
Onlookers.
Éreon observed the ruins for a brief instant.
Then turned toward his brother.
"Éon."
Dark eyes met his.
Éon slowly raised a hand.
"Κόσμος Ανεστραμμένος. (Inverted World.)"
The shadow spread beneath his feet.
Silent.
Devouring their presence.
Éreon glanced toward Karna.
"Don't stray too far."
A small smile appeared on his lips.
"Or you might end up devoured."
Karna arched an eyebrow.
Soon the three began descending the long staircase.
Meanwhile, the first guards had already reached the courtyard below.
Others emerged right behind them.
Believers.
Residents.
Curious people drawn by the collapse.
When they lifted their eyes toward the top of the staircase, they found only ruins.
Shouts echoed through the courtyard.
But no one noticed the three figures passing among them.
Éon ahead.
Karna carrying the girl over his shoulder.
Éreon walking last.
Wrapped within the Inverted World.