Chamber of Scarlet Flames
Laisa rose abruptly, her chair scraping against the marble floor. Her eyes sharpened as she turned to Cassy. "Do you hear that? The shockwaves… they've stopped."
Cassy placed a hand over her chest, bowing slightly. "Yes, my lady. That can only mean one thing—Lord Azreal has already dealt with it. You need not worry. Trust in him."
Laisa's tense shoulders loosened. She exhaled slowly, a faint nod following. "…You're right."
---
First Gate of Hell
The ash settled like snow.
Malphas stood motionless in the still air, Zarkhalem's monstrous blade humming with faint cursed energy in his hand. He glanced down at the disintegrated ashes of Thorne, his once-vicious foe now nothing but a smoldering memory. Then, slowly, he let go of the blade.
Zarkhalem dissolved into a mist of dark ash, its presence fading into the wind.
"You should have just stayed dead," Malphas muttered, his voice low, tired.
