The world is two colors.

It is red and white and grey.

The world is two colors. Like the sunset.

It is wretched and it is ugly.

In moments such as this, one can only see its darkness.

Obed pushed off the corpse of one of the largest rabi dog Abominations.

His breathing was ragged and his visions swimming.

Despite being at the very rear of all the gathered refugees, he had been one of the first to be singled out.

And he had an idea why.

Underneath the bandages covered his broken arm was not just a normal arm anymore, but an arm that had begun to rot, so much it had stopped rotting at one point and had begun mutating.

At first, he had thought to just cut it off. But that probably wouldn't have solved the problem, and it wasn't so easy to cut off an arm.

He huffed deeply and began trudging forward, towards the line of trees.

There was no hope for him in Liedenstorm anymore.

Even if he tried to explain that it was only his arm, who would believe him? Even if it was true, no one would want to believe him.

There might be no hope for him anymore in the city, but if he could make it into the forest, then maybe he could slink into the shadows and wait for the heat to die off.

Then maybe he could go to a remote town and live out his days.

'Yes. That's what I need to do.'

That was his only choice.

That was the only way he would get to live.

The sound of clanking armor was swiftly approaching from behind, alongside the yells and screams of many humans being cut down viciously.

Obed refused to turn around.

He pushed his broken, exhausted legs forward step after step.

"So close..." He muttered.

Just a few more steps...

Suddenly, Obed stopped.

A bitter smile appeared on his lips.

It was a sad smile.

Slowly, he turned around.

From the other side of the open fields, under this land entrenched in darkness driven away only by the light of the incoming torches, two gazes met.

Laying on the ground, Nero's eyes widened.

In his chest, his heart seemed to have slowed to a stop.

No, in times like this, it was the whole world that crawled to a halt.

But of course, that was not what happened.

A ringing sound filled Nero's mind as he stared right into Obed's eyes. Stared at the sad smile on his face.

He knew Obed could see him too.

He almost didn't have the heart to look.

And yet, he couldn't look away.

At some point, Orpheus had mounted a large black enhanced steed.

The blade in his hand was like the reaper's cruel fingers, tearing apart the bodies of the people trying to run away as he led the charge.

He spotted a man simply standing at the center of the field unlike those still running.

He raised his blade...

Nero watched as the blade fell.

Obed's head was separated cleaning from his shoulders.

The sad smile remained on his face even as his eyes slowly closed with his severed head tumbling through the head before landing onto the ground with a dull thud.

His body was trampled over by Orpheus' steed just like every other that had been cut down whilst he chased down those still fleeing.

The Templars were very efficient— each one could easily shear through three bodies at once.

What followed after that was a very brutal slaughter that extended into the edge of the forest.

No human could outrun genetically modified steeds built for high speeds and endurance.

In a matter of moments, all the humans were cut down, leaving just a field of corpses.

'Everybody will die.'

Nero let his head fall, kissing the dirt softly.

Watching all this unfold, Strut sighed tiredly.

He turned to the Templar beside him,

"Head into the city and report to Master Wolfield."

The Templar nodded then mounted his horse, steering it in the direction of the gate.

"Crap. This is all going to shit so fast."

He looked down at the boy laying on the ground, very sure he was now unconscious.

"I'm sorry, kid." He muttered under his breath.

Then he turned to another Templar,

"Clapp him in irons. Take him somewhere safe."

The Templar nodded and quickly bound Nero's arms and legs in chains before lifting him off the ground and throwing him onto the back of a horse. Then he mounted the steed and began riding towards the city.

An hour later, the sound of galloping filled the air.

The Purge was complete.

Dropping from his mount, Orpheus took off his helmet and shook his head, his golden locs rippling.

He turned his gaze to Strut,

"It has been finished."

Strut nodded, "Initiate a cleanup..."

He paused for a moment, then added,

"Once you are done, head over to the Red House. Your presence is needed."

Orpheus' eyes narrowed. He had suspected something was off. The order of a complete Purge was simply too brutal, especially considering the situation had not even been remotely severe.

"What is happening, Commander?" Orpheus asked seriously.

Commander Strut sighed.

In the eyes of the older man, was a fear that had not existed there in a long time,

"The gods are awakening."

Orpheus' pale face turned even paler.

***

High above in the sky, above even the clouds...

A storm was silently brewing.

It had been brewing for thousands of years now.

This high up, the clouds that existed was alive, in the form of an entity so twisted and evil, words cannot begin to describe what it is, or its accursed visage, manifesting as the Grey Clouds that covered all.

However, from it, was birthed the scourge of the earth, the Grey Crows.

For the first time in what seemed like eons, this strange, entity that had been birthing Abominations for countless millenia...

There was a change.

After an immeasurable amount of time.

It finally woke up from its slumber.

One of the greatest consequences of the sins of humanity and the divine...

is finally awake.

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