Night draped its velvet silence over the Crimson Sky Sect, but inside the towering structure of the main hall, tension churned like a caged beast. The aftermath of the explosion had left not only physical scars but also cracks in trust—cracks that widened with every whisper.
Zaine Elcross stood alone in the war room, his arms crossed, silver armor gleaming faintly beneath the dim mana-lamps. Charts and sealed scrolls were scattered across the long obsidian table, but his gaze was fixed on the large mirror embedded in the wall—a communication artifact used by only the highest-ranking members of the sect.
It was blank.
> "He's alive. I know it. Harvey wouldn't fall so easily."
His reflection stared back at him—rigid posture, storm-colored eyes, and a faint shadow under them. He hadn't slept properly in days. Every lead he sent to investigate Harvey's last location had returned either empty or silenced. The ones that didn't? Dead.
A soft knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in."
Rina entered quietly, dressed in her formal robe. Her hair was tied high, the left sleeve of her outer garment still stained with dried blood.
"You called for me, Commander?"
Zaine nodded. "Report."
She hesitated.
"Harvey's name is spreading," she said finally. "The students speak of him in hushed voices now. Some say he's cursed. Others think… he's awakened something ancient."
Zaine narrowed his eyes. "And the council?"
"They're split. Elder Kael believes we should cut ties with him. Elric wants to monitor him. As for Grandmaster Naeve… she's been silent."
"Tch." Zaine turned his back to her. "Of course she is."
Rina stepped closer. "You still trust him, don't you?"
"I trust his resolve," Zaine replied. "But Harvey Vandrel isn't the same boy I trained with. Something… darker follows him now."
He waved a hand, activating the communication mirror. A brief static shimmered across it, before an image flickered to life—blurry, unstable.
"Channel secure," came a distant voice. "We've intercepted a transmission near the Black Rift. Coordinates match the old trial grounds."
Zaine's heart skipped. "Harvey?"
"Unconfirmed. But there's one more thing…"
The voice hesitated.
"What is it?"
"There was… a blood seal."
Silence.
Rina inhaled sharply. "A blood seal? That's Executioner-level magic. Forbidden."
Zaine's expression darkened. "So they're moving again."
He turned to her. "Ready a squad. I want boots on the ground before dawn. And Rina—discreet. If word gets out that the Executioners are involved…"
"I understand."
She bowed and exited without another word.
Left alone again, Zaine exhaled slowly, gripping the edge of the table until his knuckles turned white.
> "If you're watching, Harvey… then know this—if you step out of line, I'll be the one to stop you."
Behind him, the communication mirror pulsed once… then faded to black.
—
Meanwhile.
Deep in the northern ruins, Harvey knelt in a cave lit by runes pulsing with dark energy. Blood dripped from a shallow wound on his palm into the center of a complex sigil.
> [System Alert: Forbidden Contract Sigil – Decoding in Progress…]
He gritted his teeth as the mana surged upward, wrapping around his body like icy vines. The ritual was incomplete. It wasn't his… not yet. But he needed answers. And this was the only place they hadn't wiped clean.
Suddenly, the runes flared.
From the shadows behind him stepped a hooded figure—taller than the one before, with dual swords on his back. Another Executioner.
"You weren't supposed to survive," the man growled, voice metallic and cold.
Harvey stood, no fear in his gaze.
"You people keep saying that," he said, his tone calm. "Maybe you should try harder."
—