The City of Light had been built to keep the darkness at bay, but no one had prepared for the possibility that darkness could be born from within.
Aili's senses were keen, and she could feel the darkness watching her.
At first, it was something small — a neglected lantern gate whose light flickered and dimmed, even though its heart was a pure Lightstone.
Or maybe it was the glance old Mr. Venner gave her at the market — a look that was empty and hollow, as if his soul had already slipped into the dark.
But Aili was certain something was wrong, as if these small signs were weaving together a web of darkness in the city's heart.
And she wasn't the only one who noticed.
"Have you felt strange lately?"
Tajo asked the group as they returned from patrol.
A light mist floated along the streets, and the glow of the lanterns felt heavier than usual.
Aili nodded slowly.
"It's like... something is awake," she said.
Nara, walking ahead of them, stopped and turned around.
"Mr. Venner looked at me today in the market.
It wasn't... it wasn't the right kind of look.
It was like someone else was staring through his eyes."
Aili shared that she had encountered the same hollow gaze.
Tajo pulled his hood tighter around his head.
"We have to tell Eldric."
They met Eldric in the Shadow Tower late that same night.
The old man listened silently, palms resting on his knees, his gaze fixed into the distance.
When they finished sharing their worries, he nodded slowly.
"I have feared this," Eldric said at last.
"I have sensed the tremors of darkness lately, like poison spreading to the core in utter silence. Searching for something — or someone."
"Now it has begun to whisper its presence."
Nara shuddered.
"What should we do?"
Eldric stood up, slowly, like an ancient tree that had survived a hundred storms.
"We must find the weak point.
Where the light is at its thinnest."
In the days that followed, the atmosphere in the City of Light shifted rapidly.
The lanterns flickered more often.
People grew more wary, their laughter drying up, their eyes nervously searching the shadows.
Darkness seeped like tiny streams along the edges of the city.
And one night, the first disappearance happened.
Old Mrs. Lira, well-known for selling sweets, vanished from her home, leaving behind only an open door and a snuffed-out lantern lying on the floor.
When Aili and Tajo found the house, they also discovered a message etched into the shadows, revealing more than anything else:
"Shine light on me, and I will fall.
Embrace me, and you will find your freedom."
"It's a trap," Tajo said, his voice razor sharp with cold.
"It's speaking directly to the people," Aili added.
"Promising something better. Freedom."
Eldric summoned them.
The tower room where they gathered was now adorned with new Lightstones and protection wards, a stark reminder that security was only an illusion.
"Our enemy is not only cunning but clever," Eldric said.
"I believe we are dealing with something — or someone — beyond any ordinary creature of darkness."
He gestured toward an old book lying open on the table before him.
On its cover, a design was burned into the leather: a crown and a shadow, intertwined.
"Saerin," Eldric pronounced the name like a curse.
"The Prince of Darkness."
Nara narrowed her eyes.
"But Saerin was a legend."
"Every legend begins with a truth," Eldric replied dryly.
Aili leaned closer.
"What does he want?"
Eldric closed the book with a loud thud.
"The Heart of Light."
Silence fell over them.
Beneath the city, deep underground, lay the Core Stone — the largest surviving pure Lightstone, the source of the city's protective dome and its strength.
If it were destroyed, the shield would collapse.
The city would be left to the mercy of the dark.
They knew they had to act quickly.
But darkness was sly.
It used the innocent and the trusting as its pawns.
Soon they heard more than rumors of disappearances.
They began to hear the song.
A faint, whispering melody that floated through the empty streets at night.
A song that called your name, that promised warmth and peace — if only you stepped out of the light and into the dark.
Once, Aili lingered too long listening to it.
It was beautiful — so beautiful that her knees nearly buckled.
Tajo was the one who grabbed her and shook her awake.
"Don't listen," Tajo said, and for the first time, Aili heard real fear in his voice.
The ritual words came back to Aili:
"When darkness sings and light weeps..."
The song was a sign.
The Lord of Darkness had sent his heir after them.
The Shadow Patrol decided:
Aili, Tajo, Nara, and Kero would form a search party.
They would travel to Broken Lands and search for the missing ones, those who had abandoned the safety of home under the spell of darkness. And if possible, find clues about the movement of Dark King.
But first, they had to gather their gear —
to prepare for a long journey into the Broken Lands.
The next day city's air was heavy, as if fragile glass was about to shatter.
The dome of the Lightstone in the sky trembled like a tired heart, and the people moved with quick, fearful steps.
Even when they walked down the brightest streets, their eyes wandered into the shadows—almost as if they were expecting them to grab hold of them.
Aili stood on the highest balcony of the Shadow Tower and looked down at the city she had come to call home.
It had never been completely safe, but now it was like a fragile glass bird, every breath threatening to crush it.
In the center of the city, the light of the Corestone still shone steadily, but Aili sensed it—a deep, dark crack splitting the air above it.
It grew every day.
The darkness had found its way inside.
The group was ready to leave.
Eldric called them to the armory, which had been opened for them, for they faced a long and dangerous journey, with no certainty of returning.
Aili chose a long, light sword, its blade embedded with Lightstone powder.
Tajo took a heavy axe, its shaft engraved with sacred carvings that repelled the darkness.
Nara chose a long spear and several throwing knives.
Kero, silent and blending into the shadows, carried a bow whose arrows were tipped with purified silver.
They donned the Light Cloaks—light, pale robes woven with a faint but constant light, nearly invisible to the naked eye, but burning to creatures of the dark.
As they prepared, the alarm bells began to ring.
At the city's gates, darkness seeped through the seams.
It was like an ocean—black, writhing mass that surged from the emptiness.
From the mass rose the Chained—those who had lost themselves to the darkness.
Their faces were distorted and empty.
Under the light, they were still human, but in their movements, there was something... broken, shattered.
They slid through the shadows, screaming words that human tongues were not meant to utter.
Aili gripped the hilt of her sword.
Tajo stood next to her, his shoulders tense like a bowstring.
"Don't look them in the eyes," Tajo said quietly.
"If you see their faces, you'll see your own death."
The first wave struck.
Aili moved instinctively, letting muscle memory take over.
The sword sliced through the black mass, and the light whispered along the steel.
Tajo slammed his axe into the skull of two Chained with a crushing blow.
Nara danced around them, her spear flashing like lightning, and Kero shot arrows quickly and accurately.
But the darkness was not stupid.
It searched for weaknesses—gaps in their line.
And then, in the midst of it all, Aili saw him.
Saerin.
Or no—not quite.
In the midst of the shadows stood a figure, tall and thin, a dark cloak billowing around his shoulders, shadows shifting inside it like they were alive.
His face was covered by a silver mask, and the eye sockets burned with a deep violet glow.
Aili felt the air freeze around her.
Saerin did not move.
He just watched.
And his voice, low and crushing, reached directly into Aili's mind:
"Aili... little child of light..."
"You belong to us."
Without a word, Aili took a step toward him.
"No!" Tajo shouted, grabbing her.
It yanked Aili away from the invisible force pulling her forward.
Saerin did not follow.
He just watched and smiled—even though his mask did not move.
The attack was just the beginning.
As the dark creatures retreated, the city was left behind, silent and wounded.
Aili and her group knew: if they didn't act now, their home would be doomed.
After ensuring no dark creatures remained in the city, they prepared to leave as quickly as possible.
The gates were opened to them one last time, and they stepped out into a world that had fallen into eternal night.
Far from the glow of the city's light, the land became something else.
It was no longer just dark; it was alive.
The darkness thickened into a dense mist, moving around them like a creature that breathed.
Tajo led the way, axe ready.
Aili followed behind, fingers clenched around the light chain that hung from her waist.
Nara and Kero guarded the flanks, their gazes unyielding.
They stepped into the Broken Lands—ruined lands where light had died and darkness was the only law.
Behind them, Light City still glowed like a lonely star.
But with every passing moment, step by step, its light dimmed.
And somewhere ahead, deep in the heart of the Broken Lands, laughter of Soul-eaters and the wailing of the Chained echoed calling the names of their loved ones.
Aili's heart pounded fiercely, but she did not turn back.
Their journey was just beginning.