The silence in the Inquisition's chamber was thick.
Raziel and Lucian had been dragged before a tribunal of stone-faced Inquisitors.
The air was heavy, thick with accusations no one bothered to say out loud.
High Inquisitor Aldric, a man whose mere presence seemed to steal the warmth from the room, leaned forward.
"Novice Raziel Celeste, Novice Lucian Valerius Nyxian," his voice was emotionless. "You are here to answer for the disaster you left in the Crypt."
Raziel opened his mouth, ready to spin the lie he'd prepared, but Lucian shook his head.
'Bad idea, Lucian. A very, very bad idea.'
"With all due respect, High Inquisitor," Lucian began, his voice trembling a bit, but he stood his ground.
"We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, we didn't know anything about..."
"Silence!" Aldric's shout was like a whip.
"We don't want your excuses, young Nyxian. We want the truth." His eyes narrowed, ignoring Raziel to focus completely on Lucian. "Perhaps we should start with a simpler question. What is your relationship with this... orphan?"
The word 'orphan' dripped from his mouth like poison.
"Raziel is my friend," Lucian declared, with a firmness that surprised even Raziel himself.
Aldric raised an eyebrow, skepticism painted on his face.
"Friend? Come now, Lord Lucian. A noble of your lineage, rubbing shoulders with a no-name without a family... that's... unusual."
Raziel clenched his fists.
'Shut up, Lucian, for the Goddess's sake. Every word you say is digging us deeper! Aldric is looking for a culprit, and you're handing him the perfect narrative on a silver platter: the naive noble corrupted by the commoner.'
But Lucian didn't back down.
"Unusual, perhaps, but not impossible. Raziel is a good person and I won't let you question that."
Another Inquisitor, a woman with gray hair and thin lips, leaned in.
"And what about the rumors, Lord Lucian? The ones that say this boy is your... servant? Or perhaps something worse?"
"How dare you!" Lucian shouted, losing his composure. "Raziel is my equal! He's not my servant or any of the crap you're implying!"
Raziel looked at him, surprised and, for a split second, grateful.
"Lucian, you don't have to..."
"No, Raziel," Lucian cut him off. "I do have to, and it's time they understood." He turned back to the Inquisitors, defiance burning in his eyes.
"I know what you're thinking. You see a spoiled noble and a nobody, but you're wrong. Our friendship might be weird, but it's real. And if you have a problem with that, that's on you."
In that instant, something flickered in Raziel's vision.
A translucent, pale blue window materialized before his eyes.
[NEW BOND ESTABLISHED]
[Bond of the Shield and Shadow (Rank E)]
Description: A pact forged in adversity and sealed by a public oath of loyalty.
The Shield (Lucian) has chosen to protect the Shadow (Raziel), defying the established order.
This bond transcends social status and is anchored in mutual will.
Passive Effect - [Shared Will]: The determination of both subjects reinforces each other. Grants a slight resistance to intimidation, coercion, and low-level mental effects.
WARNING: Bonds are fragile. The forced severance of the Bond (death, betrayal) will cause irreparable damage to the survivor's psyche.
Raziel froze.
'A Bond? What the hell is this?'
The final warning scared him. Irreparable damage? Just another chain.
High Inquisitor Aldric leaned back in his chair, his face unreadable, oblivious to the supernatural event that had just occurred.
"Nice words, Lord Lucian. But words don't prove anything. If your... 'friendship'... is so strong, then explain what happened in the Crypt."
Lucian hesitated, glancing at Raziel.
How was he supposed to explain something he didn't even understand himself? That golden light, that power that came from Raziel...
Then, Raziel took a step forward, his voice as calm as he could fake it.
"High Inquisitor, what happened is beyond our understanding. We were scared, but despite everything, Lucian stayed with me. He could have run, but he didn't. That should be proof enough."
Aldric's eyes narrowed.
"And yet, Novice Celeste, that doesn't explain the power you used, a power impossible for someone of your station."
Raziel frowned, acting out the confusion perfectly. "Power? I don't know what you're talking about."
"Enough games!" another Inquisitor barked.
"We know the Crypt was flooded with divine energy!"
"Seraphina disappeared before the Paladins could stop her!" Lucian interjected, desperate.
"We're telling the truth!"
Aldric steepled his fingers. "However, the reports say that you, Novice Celeste, were the source of that... disturbance."
'Shit. Thorne. That bastard talked too much.'
"All I know is that I tried to stop Seraphina's ritual," Raziel insisted. "The power, if there was any, just... happened."
Aldric's expression hardened like granite.
"You're lying, boy. We have sworn to protect the faithful, and if you possess a power that threatens our faith, we must find the truth. Whatever it takes."
Lucian swallowed hard, searching for a way out.
"High Inquisitor, please. Raziel isn't a threat. He was trying to stop Seraphina, who was using forbidden magic. Isn't that what you're supposed to protect us from?"
"We will investigate this further," Aldric said. "In the meantime, you are both confined to St. Celeste. And don't think you are exempt, Lord Lucian... your duchy will be informed."
"Don't tell my father!" Lucian exclaimed. "I can handle this!"
The Inquisitors exchanged a look.
"That's not your decision, young Lucian," Aldric said with a cruel, twisted smile. "Your father will be informed. It is our duty."
Raziel watched them.
"High Inquisitor, please," he said, in a last, desperate attempt. "Seraphina was the one doing dark magic."
Aldric glared at him.
"Perhaps. But you used a power that doesn't belong to you, and we cannot ignore that." He raised a hand. "Our investigation will continue."
Lucian was about to protest, but Raziel put a hand on his arm, shaking his head.
It was useless.
The Inquisitors left, leaving them alone in the middle of the enormous hall.
"We'll figure it out, Lucian. Somehow," Raziel said, though he didn't believe it himself.
"No, you don't get it!" Lucian's voice was shaky, a vulnerability Raziel had never seen.
"Lucian... What do you mean? I always thought your father was..."
He stopped. That was the real source of his terror.
'The Duke? In my other lives, he was always a distant figure. But Lucian's face... Shit.'
Lucian avoided his gaze.
"You don't understand," he repeated, his voice cracking. "My father... he... he's worse than anything we faced down there. I'm not ready!"
Raziel felt a pang of empathy.
"Whatever happens, I'm here."
Lucian looked at him, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"Do you... do you mean that?" he asked, almost in a whisper.
Raziel nodded.
"Of course. We're in this shit together."
For a moment, the tension in Lucian's shoulders seemed to loosen. But it didn't last.
"But what if he...?"