The nights grew longer. The cold bit harder. Elias moved north without rest. His cloak was thin. His hunger deepened. His oath stayed sharp.
Each village he passed was empty. The Inquisition had come first. The demons came after. The people hid or died. No banners. No prayers. Only ash.
He walked by day. He did not sleep. When he closed his eyes, he saw fire. He heard voices that were not his.
He kept walking.
By dusk, he reached Ardent. The walls were tall but broken. The gates were open. The city was silent.
Smoke hung over the streets. The stench of blood lingered. He passed bodies in armor and robes. Faith had turned against itself.
He moved slowly. His hand rested on his sword. His mark was faintly shining under his tunic.
A voice came from the shadows. "You shouldn't be here."
Elias turned. A woman stepped out. Her face was dirty. Her blade was drawn.
"I'm looking for survivors," he said.
"There are none worth finding," she said. "The Inquisition burned what was left. The demons took the rest."
She studied his chest. "You're marked."
He said nothing.
"I've seen that mark before. It kills everyone who carries it."
"I'm still standing," Elias said.
"Not for long."
Her name was Mara. She had lost her family. She survived through running and keeping silent. Elias strolled along with her in the destroyed streets.
They reached the cathedral. The doors were broken. The pews were scattered. The altar was cracked in two.
Mara lit a small flame. "They said the Arch-Inquisitor died here."
Elias stepped forward. The mark burned stronger. "No one dies clean."
She watched him. "You talk like you've seen worse."
"I have."
The whisper spoke in his mind.
*He fell to his own faith. They always do.*
Elias forced it silent.
Mara looked uneasy. "You talk to something."
"You see too much," he said.
"And you hide too much."
He faced her. "Do you want to live?"
"Yes."
"Then stop asking."
They found food in the cellar. Stale bread. Dried meat. Water that smelled of iron. They ate in silence.
"You're running from the Inquisition," she said.
"I'm hunting them."
"Same thing."
He looked at her. Her face was calm. Her eyes were hard.
"They killed my brother," she said. "He had a birthmark. They called it sin."
Elias said nothing.
"They burned the whole village. Said it was cleansing."
Elias stared into the dark. "Then the fire must return to them."
They left before dawn. The streets were empty. The wind was cold.
Smoke rose from the east. Elias stopped. "Riders."
Mara froze. "Inquisitors?"
He nodded.
"They're searching for us."
"They're searching for me."
He drew his sword. The mark on his chest flared. The light spread through his arm. The whisper grew louder.
*Use the fire.*
He took a deep breath. The first rider charged. The clash rang through the street. Flame burst from his blade. The rider fell. Armor melted. The horse screamed.
More came. Elias cut through them. The ground burned. The air smelled of death.
When it was done, the road was lined with bodies. The fire faded. Elias stood, breathing heavy.
Mara stepped out from cover. "You killed them all."
"They would have done the same."
"The mark did this?"
"The oath did."
They buried the dead outside the walls. Ravens circled above.
"What now?" she asked.
"I go east. To the High Citadel."
"That's suicide."
"So is hiding."
Mara looked at him. "Then I'll go with you."
"No."
"I have nothing left. You have a purpose. That's better than nothing."
He said nothing.
They followed the river. Three days. No people. No towns. The cold cut their skin. At night, they built small fires. Elias barely slept. The whisper had talked when his eyes were shut.
*You grow stronger. The fire accepts you.*
He woke each time with his hands shaking.
One night, Mara spoke. "Do you still believe in the gods?"
"I did once."
"What changed?"
"They stopped answering."
"Then make your own faith."
He looked at her. "Faith built this war."
"Then build something better."
He stared into the fire. "Better starts with a sword."
She did not answer.
By morning, snow covered the road. The mountains rose ahead. The Citadel waited beyond them.
Elias walked. The mark pulsed steady against his skin. Mara followed close behind.
"How far?" she asked.
"Three days."
"Then we walk."
They did. The wind howled. The world was empty. The only sound was their steps in the snow.
Ardent was behind them. The High Citadel waited.
The oath lived.
The fire.