Ten days. That was all they had before the cult enacted The Crimson Bloom—an ancient ritual that could tear a hole through the fabric of realms and awaken an entity even the cultists spoke of in hushed reverence: The Veiled Prophet.
Zairon stirred a pot of slow-cooked boar stew in the kitchen, but his eyes weren't on the food. He'd discovered a strange pattern in the ingredient requests: exotic herbs, beast cores, and something disturbingly specific—Soul Ash, a substance used in ancient sacrificial magic.
"Definitely not for seasoning," he muttered.
Meanwhile...
Alaeria had cracked the temple's schedule. The ritual wasn't just a theory. The cult was ready. They'd amassed over a thousand "offerings"—captives and low-ranking initiates marked for sacrifice. She'd smuggled out a rough blueprint of the sanctum and passed it to Zairon via a bread roll.
Mira, ever the trickster, had brewed a set of potions that could nullify spiritual signatures temporarily. She called them Ghost Drops. One sip, and you'd be invisible to spirit-sensing cultivators for five minutes.
Yue had gotten closer to the High Priestess after treating her injured pet wyvern—earning a silent trust no one else had. She now had access to inner temple halls and eavesdropped on three council meetings, each one more disturbing than the last.
The Big Find
Kai, bless his mop, had discovered the temple's true secret by falling—quite literally—through a hidden trapdoor beneath the wine cellar.
The space was massive. Underground catacombs lined with statues of horned beings, rows of shackled prisoners, and in the center: a stone dais glowing with crimson runes pulsing to a silent rhythm.
This was the heart of The Crimson Bloom.
Zairon, now convinced of the scale, decided to hold a secret meeting in the pantry.
Secret Meeting: Pantry War Council
Zairon looked over the maps, scribbled notes, and stolen scrolls. "Alright, listen up—this isn't just some rogue cult playing dress-up with daggers and devil chants. They've got real power, ancient relics, and a Prophet that's been sealed for centuries. If they pull this off..."
"We're looking at a Raur invasion," Alaeria finished.
Mira nodded. "And a portal that could destabilize the entire spiritual energy balance of this region. No cultivation, no techniques. Nothing."
Rysa slammed her fist down. "Then we crash the ritual. Tear it all down."
"Exactly," Zairon grinned. "We cause chaos from within. One disruption at a time. Mira, taint the ritual herbs. Yue, charm the priestess into changing the offering schedule. Kai, rig the floors to collapse. Alaeria, forge new orders that redirect guards elsewhere."
"What about you?" Yue asked softly.
Zairon lifted his ladle like a divine weapon. "I'm gonna poison their stew. With laxatives. Let the Crimson Bloom become the Crimson Boom."
They all groaned.