The Devourer’s Mark

Julius adjusted the silver emblem on his coat, his mind still clouded with uncertainty. The events of the past few days had spiraled out of his control, and now, the weight of expectation pressed heavily against his shoulders.

He wasn't a believer. Not truly.

Yet, the people outside the cathedral—they believed.

Their desperate pleas, their hopeful whispers of a "Shadow God," sent a deep unease curling in his chest.

He exhaled, pushing aside the thoughts as he turned his attention to the officer standing before him.

"What exactly happened?" Julius asked, his voice level.

The officer's jaw tightened. "Another body. Found in a narrow alley near the merchant district."

Casper let out a low groan. "Great. Another mess to clean up."

Julius shot him a look before returning his focus to the officer. "And why involve me?"

The officer hesitated. "Because the body had… markings. Similar to the ones you reported from the last case. And…" he lowered his voice, "the air around it felt wrong."

Julius's fingers twitched.

That symbol—the forbidden sigil that bound the cursed artifact in the last case. If it had appeared again…

Then this wasn't over.

Scene Two: A Grim Discovery

The narrow alley reeked of damp stone and decay.

The city guard had cordoned off the area, but a few onlookers still lingered nearby, whispering among themselves. Their voices fell silent as Julius, Casper, and the officer approached.

The body lay against the cold brick wall, slumped in an unnatural position.

Julius's stomach twisted.

The victim—a middle-aged man, dressed in fine yet tattered clothing—was drained of all color. His skin, deathly pale, had an almost waxen texture, as if all life had been siphoned out of him.

And carved into his forehead, glowing faintly beneath the moonlight—

The same accursed symbol.

Casper let out a low whistle. "Well. That's unsettling."

Julius knelt beside the corpse, carefully tracing his gloved fingers over the symbol. The air buzzed faintly beneath his touch, a sickly, residual energy pulsing from the markings.

This wasn't ordinary magic.

It was something else.

Something ancient.

Something hungry.

The officer shifted uneasily. "You see now why we need your help?"

Julius's lips pressed into a thin line. "Did anyone see what happened?"

The officer nodded toward a woman standing nearby. She was thin, with hollow eyes and trembling hands, clutching a worn shawl around her shoulders.

"She claims to have seen… something."

Julius stood and approached the woman. "Tell me everything you saw."

Her eyes darted around nervously. "I… I don't know what it was."

"Try," he urged gently.

She swallowed hard before whispering, "There was a shadow."

Julius stiffened. "A shadow?"

She nodded rapidly. "Not a man. Not really. Just… a shape. Moving wrong. Too fast. Too fluid. It… it touched him, and he just—he just—" her voice broke, her fingers clutching at the fabric of her shawl.

"He withered."

A chill ran down Julius's spine.

Casper crossed his arms. "So. We're dealing with something that doesn't just kill. It feeds."

Julius exhaled slowly. "And it's not done yet."

They weren't hunting a murderer.

They were hunting something far worse.

Julius straightened, his gaze lingering on the withered corpse. The symbol carved into the man's forehead still pulsed with an eerie energy, its presence gnawing at his thoughts.

Casper let out a slow breath beside him. "You're thinking what I'm thinking, aren't you?"

Julius didn't answer immediately. He studied the trembling woman who had witnessed the attack. Her fingers still gripped her shawl tightly, knuckles pale.

"This shadow," he said carefully. "Did it have a form? A face?"

She shook her head violently. "No… no face. Just darkness. Like something slipping through the cracks of the world."

A flicker of recognition sparked in Julius's mind. A shadow that feeds. A sigil that binds. A presence that lingers.

This wasn't just a killing. This was a ritual.

Casper clicked his tongue. "You're awfully quiet, Julius. What's running through that sharp little mind of yours?"

Julius rose to his feet. "This isn't the first time I've seen this symbol. And if my suspicion is correct…"

Casper raised an eyebrow. "If?"

Julius met his gaze, expression grim. "Then we aren't dealing with a man. We're dealing with something that shouldn't exist."

The officer's expression tightened. "You're saying this is beyond the city guard's capabilities?"

"I'm saying this is beyond most people's understanding," Julius corrected. He turned back to the corpse, studying the placement of the sigil. "This mark… It's not just a signature. It's a claim."

Casper's eyes darkened. "A claim?"

Julius nodded. "Something took this man's life force. Drained it. Marked him as… property."

The officer shifted uncomfortably. "Then what do we do?"

Julius exhaled. "We find out who—or what—is collecting souls."

And more importantly—

Why.

Julius turned back to the witness. "Tell me something else."

She hesitated, then nodded.

"Before the man collapsed… did he say anything?"

The woman's lips parted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Just one word."

Julius leaned in. "What was it?"

She swallowed. "He said… 'Malsifur.'"

A shiver crawled down Julius's spine.

Casper frowned. "Never heard that name before."

Julius had.

Not in full. Not directly. But deep within his mind—within the knowledge he had inherited from the Shadow Throne—the name Malsifur stirred something old and hungry.

A forgotten being. A presence lurking in the abyss between worlds.

Julius clenched his jaw.

If that thing was here…

Then this city was already standing at the edge of ruin.

To be continued…