New World

It was a hell of a day. Mhlengi was in a Citadel carriage headed to the closest Enclave of the Remnant. The Citadel had three types of structures. First was the Main Branch: the Grand Citadel. It stood at the center of what was once a major city, now surrounded by a wasteland. Its imposing architecture dominated the skyline. The Citadel was a colossal fortress with a blend of gothic and futuristic elements. Tall spires, buttresses, and massive stone walls gave it a medieval appearance, while integrated advanced technologies hinted at the glory of a past era. The exterior was adorned with reliefs and statues depicting key events and figures of the doctrine.

The second type was the Regional Branches: Enclaves of the Remnant, scattered across territories, often near resource-rich or strategically important areas. Smaller than the Grand Citadel but similarly fortified, each Enclave mimicked the Grand Citadel's style on a smaller scale, incorporating local materials and designs to blend with their surroundings.

The third type was the Local Branches: Sanctuaries of the Faithful. Found within smaller communities or settlements, these branches acted as local centers of worship and control. Modest and functional, often repurposed from pre-apocalyptic buildings, they were fortified but lacked the grandeur of larger branches.

These structures and symbols reinforced the church's dominance and influence in the world, creating a sense of awe and fear among the population. To the people, the Church was an object of power, unmatched by any medium or small powers alone. Although powerful opposition came from a resistance group called the Freehold, it was the closest organization to the church in terms of power and relics. There were other medium powers like the Vanguard of Liberty and the Defiant. The world was torn but balanced.

It would be Mhlengi's first time meeting a Priest of Aegis. These Priests were ruthless upholders of the Codex, clergy who served as spiritual advisors to the Guardians of the Aegis, providing them with religious guidance and support in their enforcement duties. They held ranks similar to Guardian Commanders, sometimes even High Guardians. Mhlengi feared for his life; he had really messed up this time. Though it wasn't his fault, he had led a team to explore a facility without the church's go-ahead. Driven by power hunger, he ended up costing the lives of Guardian Recruits and a Guardian Enforcer. He was slowly headed to his death, but what could he do now? He was already in deep trouble, and he now truly hated his bad luck. He more so hated the Brown-Eyed Demon. Thinking about him still made him shiver, but he consoled himself by imagining an evolved beast devouring the heretic. At least this way he would be avenged.

Surviving in the wild was even more dangerous than facing Enforcers. Without training, one would die in a few days. It had already been a few days since the incident, and Mhlengi could finally see the Enclave. His butt felt flat after days in the carriage, and as an Acolyte, he didn't get the comforts his superiors enjoyed; the carriage had cheap cushions. He was just happy to have finally arrived. He would try to survive the encounter with the Priest by all means.

---

Sizwe was exhausted, starting to appreciate the cryo pod; the past few days had been brutal. Seeing lights from afar, Sizwe had decided to head toward that civilization, but he regretted it. The wild was like nothing he had ever seen. He encountered a large frog, a mutated amphibian with long, muscular hind legs. Its skin glowed faintly in the dark due to bioluminescent properties. It looked cute at first until it tried to eat him.

"This is a goddamn nightmare. I'm so hungry."

Although Sizwe had managed to hunt a few rabbits along the way, they were abnormally large and tasted bad. Maybe it was the lack of spices, but it was definitely not gourmet. Approaching the village in the morning, Sizwe looked like a mess, though his clothes still appeared expensive. In this village, he looked like a rich man. The villagers eyed him up and down; some whispered, some made themselves scarce. As he moved through the village, an old man stood in his way. Focused on looking around, Sizwe had forgotten to ask any villager for help.

The man who stood in front of the wanderer was Gazali, a very tan white man. He appeared to be in his 50s but looked vigorous. Sizwe could see that the old man pretended to be slow and weak, he was immediately alert as this man reminded him of his old drill sergeant—a brutal man who looked harmless but could kill in the blink of an eye.

"How can we help you, young wanderer?" Gazali's voice interrupted Sizwe's thoughts.

"I need a place to stay and some food."

"I'm afraid we can't help you," the old man was firm.

Sizwe noticed he was being surrounded. "I mean you no harm; I just need help." He raised his arms as a sign of peace.

"How can you say that with a holy relic of the Citadel on your back?"

Sizwe glanced at the gun. "Oh, you mean the gun? It's just for self-defense."

"Why do you have a holy relic of the Citadel? Are you here to extort more taxes from us? The last one just left a week ago."

"I think you've got it all wrong. I don't belong to the Citadel or whatever."

"Then you're from the resistance? Which organization?"

Sizwe was very confused but ready to fight and escape if necessary. Tired, he resolved to spill the beans but not all of them.

"I do belong to a resistance. It's called the… the Resistance of the Old World." He said with a straight face but cringed inside.

"I've never heard of such a resistance," the old man was suspicious, noting Sizwe's odd speech and appearance. Despite this, what alarmed him was Sizwe's comfort with being surrounded.

"It's relatively new," Sizwe was annoyed. "Look, I killed a guy from the Church and took his gun. I'm really tired and need sleep. Can you accommodate me or not? I almost got eaten by a giant frog many times; I couldn't sleep for days. I need rest."

The people listening gasped. Sizwe was confused.

"You took the relic from an Enforcer? And survived an encounter with a Rad Leaper?" The old man was surprised.

"Yes."

"You can stay for a day. The Enforcers will be looking for you, and we can't have you in the village."

"I can live with that."

"Follow me." The old man led the way.

---

Mhlengi walked inside the Conclave Chambers. The main entrance led him into the Grand Hall of Reflection, a vast, echoing space where members of the Citadel's hierarchy gathered before entering the chambers. The hall featured high ceilings supported by towering columns of relic-steel and stone. Stained glass windows, salvaged from ancient ruins, depicted scenes from the Codex, casting colorful, fragmented light onto the stone floor. The floor was inlaid with a mosaic of the Citadel's emblem—a sacred tree rising from a fractured world. Benches and altars lined the walls, providing spaces for meditation and prayer.

Mhlengi glanced at the Codex, familiar with its words: "Beware the temptations of forbidden knowledge, for they lead to ruin and despair." "The Scourge shall return to those who forget the lessons of the past; vigilance is the shield against calamity."

At the far end of the room, facing away from him and reading scripture, a Guardian announced Mhlengi's arrival.

"Diligent Acolyte Mhlengi has arrived," the Guardian's voice echoed through the hall.

The Priest turned slowly, holding the holy book. The Priest of Aegis wore lightweight armor engraved with religious symbols and a flowing crimson cloak. His head was bare, but Mhlengi noticed the helmet with faceplates depicting the Citadel's emblem on the reading platform. He also saw an Aegis pendant around the Priest's neck, symbolizing their role as spiritual guardians, and the Citadel emblem engraved on the chest plate of the armor. The Priest had soft features, his pale skin complementing his green eyes, which looked bored.

The sound of the holy book closing interrupted Mhlengi's observation, prompting him to speak.

"This Acolyte greets Valiant Priest of the Aegis Yara." Mhlengi gave a slight bow, showing respect to his senior.

Yara observed Mhlengi for a while. With his brown skin, average height, and black eyes, Mhlengi looked ordinary—not eye-catching at all. Finally, Yara spoke:

"I understand you had an encounter with a heretic of the old world."

"I did, Valiant Priest."

"I understand he defeated two Enforcers, killing one instantly."

"It is as you say, Valiant Priest. I saw it myself."

The Priest slowly sat down, took a knife, and grabbed an apple from the basket of fruit on the table. Seeing the Priest grabbing the knife made Mhlengi's heart jump.

"I hear the men call this sleeper a Brown-Eyed Demon. They say he moves like a beast and charges straight into fire like a madman."

"All of this is true, Valiant Priest."

"Interesting." The apple slice crunched in Yara's mouth.

"Acolyte Mhlengi, your unauthorized mission cost the church an Enforcer. Although lives are disposable, relics are not. I hear

the sleeper took the divine relic."

"H-He did, Valiant Priest."

"And you just watched him take it, even though it is worth more than your life?"

The room became instantly cold. Mhlengi knew he was a goner. He had thought of running away, but deserting was a greater crime than killing an Enforcer. The church would hunt him down with more fury than they would a demon. There was no chance for him; it was the end.

Yara spoke again. "You did well."

Mhlengi felt even more fear now. "What the hell? I did well?" he was screaming inside.

"Lives are disposable, divine relics are valuable, but knowledge is power. And unfortunately, corpses can't talk. Knowledge is more valuable than anything. Now we know of a new threat, and we can nip it in the bud early." Yara stood up from his chair. "We will be hunting down this Brown-Eyed Demon. Good work, Honored Chaplain Mhlengi."

Mhlengi was in disbelief as he watched the Priest walk away as if he hadn't just promoted him. This was huge. He did everything wrong and got promoted. He waited for death but received a promotion instead. This was amazing. He didn't hate the Demon anymore; in fact, the Demon was his benefactor. He loved the Demon now.

"RIP Mr. Demon. I will remember you always." Now that the Demon was being hunted by the Priest, there was no escape.

A Guardian Commander walked in, wearing full, intricately decorated armor with additional protection and symbolic engravings. Painted black with gold and crimson accents, a deep red or maroon tunic lay underneath the armor. Custom-fitted, articulated metal gauntlets and greaves bore symbolic designs. An ornate helmet with a plume and faceplate completed his look. His armor featured the Flame of Remembrance and Eye of Vigilance, along with a tower shield with elaborate engravings of church symbols. He carried a holy relic that Mhlengi had never seen before.

"Honored Chaplain, this way."

Mhlengi was yanked out of his trance by the voice of this mighty warrior. The Demon should have stayed in that pod. Mhlengi felt bad for his benefactor as he followed the Guardian Commander.