Chapter 5 – The Stillness Before the Storm
The ruins stretched out endlessly, broken stone pathways and moss-covered pillars basking in the silver light of the moon. Time had clearly forgotten this place—but something else hadn't.
Lucian stood silently at the edge of the collapsed archway, his sharp eyes scanning the dim landscape ahead. His hand rested casually on his knee, yet his mind was sharp and cautious. Kaiser walked a few paces ahead, looking like he had all the time in the world, a faint whistle escaping his lips as if they were on a casual stroll.
"You're awfully relaxed," Lucian muttered, stepping carefully over a broken slab of marble.
Kaiser grinned without turning back. "You worry too much."
Lucian raised a brow. "We're in a place that smells like death, and you're chewing on a damn popsicle."
Kaiser, leaning casually against a tilted stone wall, popped the last of the frozen treat into his mouth and gave an exaggerated shrug. "You think a ruin like this could hide anything that could surprise me?"
"You're annoying."
"I'm a genius," Kaiser said with a wink.
Lucian scoffed and shook his head, but a small smirk betrayed him.
They reached the center of what had once been a courtyard. A cracked stone pedestal rose from the center, symbols etched into it in a language Lucian didn't recognize. And surrounding it, dark claw marks—several of them, long and deep—gouged through the stone floor.
Lucian crouched to inspect one. "These are fresh."
Kaiser lazily drew closer, now holding another popsicle from who-knows-where. "Mhm," he mumbled, tilting his head.
"You already knew."
"There's always something stirring in these old places," Kaiser said. "Besides, demons have been getting curious lately. I figured they'd come poking around."
Lucian stood, brushing the dust off his trousers. "You're not here just to hunt demons though, right?"
"Nope," Kaiser said simply, dropping the wooden stick. "I'm here for the stronghold. Heard it's buried somewhere beneath this ruin."
"And after that?"
Kaiser turned toward him fully now, eyes suddenly sharp despite the easygoing grin. "Then we leave."
Lucian blinked. "That's it?"
"You want me to give a speech?" Kaiser chuckled. "I don't care about slaying evil or saving kingdoms. That's too much work. I came for one thing. When I find it, we go."
Lucian fell quiet, watching the man who seemed to take everything like a breeze yet still carried himself like the world bent around him.
"You always like this?" he asked quietly.
"Like what?"
"Like… someone who doesn't care, but also seems to carry everything anyway."
Kaiser stretched, the smirk faltering for a moment into something unreadable. "I do things on a whim, Lucian. I'm not your hero. I'm just a guy who's too good at what he does."
Before Lucian could reply, a tremor shook the ground beneath them. Dust spilled from above. In the distance, a low growl echoed through the ruined halls.
Both of them turned toward the sound. No words needed. Lucian took his stance, calm but ready. Kaiser casually tossed aside the wrapper of his popsicle and cracked his knuckles.
"Guess they found us," Kaiser muttered.
"Demons?" Lucian asked, stepping beside him.
Kaiser's grin widened. "Hopefully something more interesting."
From the shadows ahead, red eyes blinked to life—five, no, six of them. Figures began to emerge, cloaked in shifting darkness, too fluid to be human but too precise to be mindless.
Lucian narrowed his eyes. "They're organized."
"I like it when they try," Kaiser said, sounding almost delighted.
Lucian didn't respond. He was already moving.
With a flash, Lucian darted to the left, a narrow sprint that drew two of the creatures with him. Meanwhile, Kaiser stepped forward with the confidence of a man who had never known fear, his long hair catching the moonlight.
The first creature lunged at him. Kaiser sidestepped lazily, spun on one foot, and drove his palm straight into its chest with a loud crack. It didn't just fall—it collapsed in on itself like something had folded its body from within.
Lucian, meanwhile, danced between two more of the beings, using broken rubble to vault and feint. He wasn't as strong as Kaiser, but he was smart—adaptable. Where Kaiser broke like a storm, Lucian flowed like a river.
Kaiser looked over at Lucian mid-fight. "You're getting faster."
Lucian panted slightly, flipping over a crumbling column. "You're still annoying."
Kaiser grinned and caught another attacker by the wrist, twisting it with casual ease before kicking it into a wall.
Minutes passed like seconds. Then, silence returned to the ruins. The creatures, or whatever they were, lay motionless or dissolved into black mist.
Lucian exhaled, stretching his sore arms. "That was… something."
Kaiser picked up another popsicle from his cloak and unwrapped it. "Good warm-up."
Lucian gave him a flat look. "You have a bottomless bag of those things?"
Kaiser smiled with his mouth full. "A man has to have his pleasures."
Lucian rolled his eyes, walking back toward the pedestal. "Let's find your stronghold before more show up."
Kaiser followed with a lazy stride. "Agreed. This was fun, though."
Lucian didn't say it aloud, but for once, he agreed.
To be continued…