Manor Of Sin

The dim glow of candlelight flickered against the cracked walls of the manor. A Celtor man moved methodically through the grand but decaying halls, watering withered plants whose roots clung stubbornly to lifeless soil. His expression was impassive, as if tending to the dead held some deeper meaning.

Footsteps echoed from the corridor. Another figure emerged from the shadows, his voice cutting through the silence. "Duke Erisia. The Etreans are planning to launch an attack against us."

The Celtor stopped, lowering the empty watering can. "So they finally move," Duke Erisia murmured, his voice laced with amusement rather than concern. He turned, his golden eyes glinting in the candlelight. "I suspected as much. Etrea would never sit idly by while the Great Fueling begins. It is one of the three great nations of Lumen, after all. This was inevitable."

His gaze shifted to the grand window overlooking the island. "Then let us welcome them properly."

—

The scene shifted to the Isle of Vigils, where the weight of an impending battle loomed over the warriors gathered. Inside a war tent, Evengarde stood before Rajin, Leo, Kouneli, Ubel, and Velvet, his arms crossed. His voice was firm.

"Tomorrow, we move."

A sharp silence followed before he continued. "You five will be the main force to take down Duke Erisia. The rest of our army will handle the Erisian forces. This is our one chance—if he completes the Great Fueling, the consequences will be irreversible."

Ubel took a step forward, a self-assured smirk playing on his lips. "Then it's a good thing I came prepared."

From his coat, he pulled out a device—a black orb surrounded by floating fragments of intricate technology. The air around it pulsed, as if space itself warped in its presence.

"This," Ubel began, holding up the device with a glint in his eye, "is how we take him down. It's not perfect, but it should be capable of sealing him away. Killing him would be a waste. We need answers, and this is the best way to extract them."

Rajin eyed the device warily. "Sealing, huh? That thing better work."

Evengarde placed a hand on the table between them. "Rest up. Tomorrow, we set sail."

—

Dawn broke, and the fleet of warships and boats cut through the misty waters, their banners swaying against the ocean wind. The island of Erisia loomed ahead, shrouded in an unnatural glow.

Then—

A blinding light erupted from the island's center. A massive orb of swirling energy formed above Erisia, its eerie radiance consuming the sky. From every corner of the land, shimmering strands of energy rose into the orb—souls, forcibly wrenched from their bodies. The Great Fueling had begun.

The sea trembled. From the depths of Erisia, massive golems of destruction emerged, their hollow eyes igniting as they opened their maws. A barrage of laser fire rained down upon the fleet.

"Defensive formation!" someone roared.

Blasts of energy surged through the air. Ships rocked violently as explosions tore through their ranks. Amidst the chaos, the maestros moved, intercepting the attacks with immense counterforces, cutting through beams of destruction. Through their efforts, the fleet surged forward, breaking past the defensive line.

The moment the ships landed, the battlefield erupted into pure chaos.

Rajin turned in time to spot a familiar figure amid the combat. "Eris?! What the hell are you doing here?"

Eris smirked as she dodged a strike, responding in stride. "Songseeker Village is a close ally to Etrea! Did you really think I'd sit this one out?"

"Tch." Rajin clicked his tongue, but before he could argue, Evengarde's voice cut through the battlefield.

"No time for chit-chat! Move!"

The five warriors pushed forward, carving a path through the battlefield. Their journey took them from the bloodstained shores through the lower ruins of Erisia, across the acid-ridden caverns, and finally toward the towering structure at the island's heart—the manor of Duke Erisia.

"Hurry!" Ubel urged. "We don't have time!"

They ran, weaving through a battlefield filled with blood, steel, and fire.

Watching from his manor, Duke Erisia exhaled as he raised a hand. The wind howled, twisting unnaturally as a massive gale barrier manifested, sealing the entrance.

But before the barrier could fully solidify—

A blur of motion. A flash of steel.

Lethia descended from above, her blade cutting clean through the magic. For a fraction of a second, a gap opened in the barrier.

"Go!"

Without hesitation, they dashed through before the barrier reformed behind them.

—

Inside the manor, an eerie silence greeted them. The sounds of war outside became a muffled echo, as if swallowed by the oppressive atmosphere.

The halls were dark. Pipes lined the walls, twisting into unseen depths. The air was thick with the scent of something… unnatural.

As they advanced, their footsteps echoed against the cold floors. Strange test tubes lined the walls—some shattered, some intact. Inside them, figures floated, their eyes closed, their bodies unnervingly still.

A shiver ran down Kouneli's spine. "...What the hell is this place?"

Then, at the end of the hall, a grand door stood ominously. Its intricate designs pulsed faintly, as if alive.

It creaked open before they could reach for it.

And beyond it—

Duke Erisia awaited them, seated upon an obsidian throne, watching with an unreadable expression.

"Welcome," he said. "Shall we begin?"