Arrival of the Templars

Chapter 34: The Arrival of the Templars

A tense silence filled the decayed building as Kaelith's words lingered in the air.

"Then they never left."

Luna's fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword, her pulse steady but quickening. The faded sigil of the Knights Templar, carved into the wooden floor, seemed to pulse under the dim glow of Kaelith's staff. The symbol felt ancient, more than just a relic—it was a warning.

Eris exhaled sharply, shifting her stance as she studied the sigil. "If the Templars are still here, where the hell are they?"

No one answered.

A low gust of wind howled through the cracks in the walls, rattling loose shards of glass in the broken windows. Outside, the ruins stretched into darkness, a labyrinth of forgotten streets and towering skeletal remains of buildings. Every shadow now felt deeper, every whisper of the wind a hushed voice of unseen watchers.

Then came the knock.

Slow. Deliberate.

A single thud against the rusted door.

Luna stiffened, her breath hitching.

The others reacted instantly—Eris drew her sword in a controlled motion, her stance low and prepared. Asuna pressed herself into the shadows, daggers glinting as she kept her back to the wall. Kaelith remained still, only the subtle shift in her grip around her staff betraying her readiness.

Another knock.

The air in the room grew thick, charged with something unspoken.

Kaelith spoke first, her voice steady despite the tension. "Who goes there?"

Silence.

The flickering light of her staff cast long shadows over the walls. Luna's grip tightened.

Then—

Click.

The rusted lock on the door slid free on its own.

No force, no push—just a quiet, unnatural movement. The door creaked open slightly, revealing nothing but the ruined streets beyond.

And then, the bootstep.

Heavy. Measured.

A figure stepped inside, tall and imposing, clad in white and silver armor. His tabard bore the same sigil they had found on the floor—the golden cross entwined with a circle. A hood concealed most of his face, but beneath it, piercing blue eyes locked onto Luna's, studying her with an intensity that sent an involuntary chill through her.

More figures followed.

A dozen knights, each clad in similar armor, stepping into the room in complete silence. Their movements were disciplined, precise, lacking hesitation. Yet, something about them felt wrong. Their presence was overwhelming, unnatural.

The lead knight stopped a few feet away, folding his hands behind his back.

"You trespass on sacred ground," he said.

His voice was deep, smooth, but held an edge of authority that demanded obedience.

Kaelith did not lower her staff. "We didn't come looking for trouble."

The knight tilted his head slightly. The smallest hint of amusement flickered in his expression.

"Then perhaps you should not have come at all."

Luna's stomach twisted. His words weren't a threat—they were a fact.

Eris shifted beside her. "We didn't know this place was claimed," she said carefully. "The ruins seemed abandoned."

The knight's gaze flickered toward her. "Abandoned?" He almost scoffed. "No, warrior. We have always been here. Watching. Waiting."

A gust of wind blew through the open door, sending dust swirling around their feet.

The weight of the Templars' presence pressed down on Luna like an invisible force. There was no aggression in their posture, but she could feel it—an unshakable certainty that these knights owned this place.

Kaelith remained calm, her magic still pulsing faintly at her fingertips. "Then tell us—why does this city look as if it has been dead for centuries?"

The knight's lips barely moved. "Because it has."

Luna felt a prickle of unease. "Then why are you here?"

For the first time, the knight broke his gaze from her, turning toward the rest of his men.

"Because something else still remains."

A heavy pause filled the room.

Eris frowned. "Something else?"

The knight exhaled slowly, his voice unreadable. "You saw it, did you not? The Watcher."

Luna's breath caught in her throat.

That thing in the alley. The figure with shifting, ember-like eyes.

She swallowed. "What was that?"

The knight turned back to her. "A remnant of the past. A guardian. Or perhaps a curse. It has no name, no master. It only exists—watching those who do not belong."

Luna resisted the urge to shudder.

Kaelith's brow furrowed. "If this Watcher is still here, then why haven't you gotten rid of it?"

A strange glint flashed in the knight's eyes. "Because not all things can be destroyed."

The weight of his words sent a ripple of tension through the group.

Asuna spoke for the first time, her voice a whisper. "Then why are you here?"

The knight straightened slightly, adjusting his stance.

"Because our duty remains unfinished. And because you—" His eyes scanned over each of them, lingering on Luna before settling on Kaelith. "—have trespassed upon a history you do not yet understand."

Kaelith frowned. "Then tell us."

The knight studied her for a long moment. Then, he finally spoke:

"If you wish to leave these ruins alive…" His voice was calm, but unyielding. "Then you will come with us."

A chill ran down Luna's spine.

There was no room for argument. This wasn't an invitation. It was an order.

Eris exchanged a wary glance with Kaelith. Asuna shifted her stance, glancing toward the door, but the knights blocking the exit left no illusions of escape.

Kaelith exhaled slowly. "And if we refuse?"

The knight did not answer immediately. But when he did, his words were soft, final.

"Then you will not leave at all."

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Luna's heart pounded. Her instincts screamed at her to fight, to run—but something deep within her knew that neither would be an option. Not against them.

Kaelith was the first to break the silence.

"Then lead the way."

The knight's expression remained unreadable, but he gave a single nod. He turned, stepping out into the night, his men following in precise formation.

Luna took a slow breath, steadying herself before stepping forward.

As she crossed the threshold of the building, she dared one last glance back at the faded Templar sigil on the floor.

A memory. A warning. A ghost of the past that had never truly left.

The wind whispered through the ruins as they followed the knights into the darkness.