The decision to head to the capital was not met with enthusiasm.
When Celestine told Leonhardt and the Guardian that she intended to cross imperial territory, the two remained silent for several seconds.
Seris, on the other hand, simply crossed her arms.
— Do you realize how many soldiers are between us and the capital?
Celestine looked at her.
— Many.
— And how many safe routes are there?
— None.
Seris nodded.
— Finally, we agree on something.
Leonhardt let out a sigh.
— Then why do I have the feeling you've already made up your mind?
Celestine stared at the horizon.
The mountains hid the capital, but she could sense it.
Not directly.
It was like a distant pressure upon the world.
Something beneath the city was awake.
— Because the longer we wait, the closer they'll be to opening that door.
The Guardian walked toward her.
— There is something you need to understand before we go.
Celestine turned around.
— What?
— The door beneath the capital wasn't built by humans.
She fell silent.
— Then who built it?
The Guardian looked at Seris.
She answered:
— The first gods.
Celestine felt the Void contract.
— That doesn't make sense.
— It does — said the Guardian. — If you understand why.
He walked over to a fallen stone and drew a symbol on the ground.
It resembled a circle divided by three lines.
— Long ago, before the Empire, before the current kingdoms, there were three forces that governed the world. Light, the Void, and something called the Abyss.
Leonhardt frowned.
— I thought the Void was the opposite of Light.
— That's what the gods wanted everyone to believe.
Celestine approached the symbol.
— So the Abyss is the true enemy?
The Guardian shook his head.
— Not exactly.
— Then what is it?
— An absence.
Celestine narrowed her eyes.
— Isn't that practically the same thing as the Void?
— No. The Void transforms. The Abyss erases.
The difference seemed small, but Celestine understood the weight of those words.
The Void inside her wasn't simply destruction.
It was change.
The Abyss was something far worse.
It was the end of the possibility of change.
Seris looked at Celestine.
— The gods discovered that they couldn't destroy the Abyss. So they imprisoned it beneath the earth.
— Beneath the capital?
— Yes.
Celestine became thoughtful.
— And why did they place the prison there?
The Guardian answered:
— Because they needed millions of people living above it.
Leonhardt's eyes widened.
— The entire capital...
— Is part of the seal — Seris finished.
A heavy silence fell over the group.
Celestine looked toward the horizon again.
Now she understood why their enemies wanted to open the door.
If the entire capital was built over the seal, destroying the city could mean destroying the prison.
— They don't need to open the door directly — she said.
The Guardian nodded.
— They only need to weaken the seal.
— And how do they intend to do that?
Seris answered:
— With the Void.
Celestine closed her eyes.
Everything began to fall into place.
— They want to capture me.
— Exactly.
— Not to kill me.
— No — said Seris. — To use you as a key.
The Void inside her remained silent.
That silence said more than any answer could have.
Celestine opened her eyes.
— Then we need to reach the capital before they do.
Leonhardt adjusted his sword.
— And how are we going to cross the Empire without being recognized?
Seris smiled for the first time.
— I have an idea.
---
Hours later, the four had left the ruins behind.
Seris led them along an old abandoned trade road. According to her, the route had been used by smugglers for decades and no longer appeared on recent military maps.
Celestine walked with a hood covering part of her face.
Leonhardt was dressed as a merchant.
The Guardian had reduced his presence until he appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary man.
Seris led the group.
— If anyone asks — she said — we're merchants from the south.
Leonhardt looked at his clothes.
— Do I look like a merchant?
— No.
— Great.
— You look like someone who kills merchants.
Leonhardt looked offended.
Celestine almost smiled.
— She's not wrong.
— You two are starting to annoy me.
Seris continued walking.
Despite the momentary humor, no one lowered their guard.
The road led them to a small imperial village.
Celestine expected to find soldiers.
She found silence instead.
The doors of the houses were closed.
The streets were empty.
Even the market had been abandoned.
— What happened here? — Leonhardt asked.
Seris stopped.
— Nothing good.
A child appeared behind a door.
She looked at the group.
— Did you come from the capital?
Seris knelt down.
— No. Why?
The child pointed north.
— They're taking people.
Celestine felt the Void react.
— Who?
The child answered:
— The men in white.
Seris's expression immediately changed.
— Inquisitors.
Leonhardt reached for his sword.
— How many?
— Many.
Celestine looked at the houses.
— Where are they taking those people?
The child pointed again.
— To the road to the capital.
Celestine stood still.
— Then they've already started.
Seris nodded.
— Yes.
— What?
— The preparation for the ritual.
Celestine looked at the sky.
Dark clouds were beginning to form in the north.
They weren't natural clouds.
They were lines of energy.
The Void inside her finally spoke.
"They're opening the way."
Celestine clenched her fists.
— We need to go.
Seris grabbed her arm.
— We can't simply enter the main road.
— I know.
— Then?
Celestine looked at the village.
An idea came to her.
— We're going to free the prisoners.
Leonhardt smiled.
— I knew you'd say that.
Seris looked surprised.
— That will expose us.
— We've already been exposed.
Celestine began walking toward the road.
— The difference is that now we'll choose where they'll find us.
---
At nightfall, the group reached a hill from which they could observe the road.
A long line of wagons crossed the region.
Hundreds of prisoners were being transported.
Imperial soldiers surrounded them.
And, in the center of the formation, was a completely white carriage.
Celestine's Void reacted immediately.
She stood still.
— That...
The Guardian approached.
— What is it?
Celestine pointed.
— There's something inside that carriage.
Seris observed it.
— It's the commander of the inquisitors.
Celestine shook her head.
— No.
She sensed something different.
Something familiar.
A presence that made the Void inside her tremble.
— There's something else in there.
Leonhardt drew his sword.
— So do we start now?
Celestine watched the long column of soldiers.
Then she looked at the prisoners.
Finally, she closed her eyes.
The Void began silently spreading across the ground.
— No.
She opened her eyes.
— First, we're going to find out what they're transporting.
And as night covered the road, a small shadow began moving beneath the wagons.
No one noticed.
Not yet.
But inside the white carriage, something opened its eyes.
And an unfamiliar voice whispered:
— She has arrived.