The soft pitter-patter of the drizzle melted into the streets of Liedenstorm.

The sky is weeping.

A brilliant flash of lightning struck. Then the rolling thunder pierces the silence.

The chilly atmosphere gave birth to a puff of white as a man, standing right beside a glass window, slowly exhaled.

The man's features were obscured by the darkness, but the little light that came from the turbulent skies was enough to reveal the anomalous piercing blue color of the man's eyes.

"There is something strange in the city..." The man says.

"Something not of God..."

"This city is filled with the ungodly, Christopher."

The dark room is suddenly enveloped with light.

The man turns around to see a beautiful woman in a silken night dress carrying a small oil lamp in her hands and a soft smile on her face.

"Come to bed." She says softly.

Christopher smiles then shakes his head.

"Rose. I am having nightmares again. Sleep does not invite me anymore."

The woman slowly walks up to him and gently rubs his back.

"What nightmares did you have this time?"

Instead of answering the question however, the man brings up something else.

"The next Templar trials will begin soon. Is the boy ready?"

The woman chuckles.

"Our boy has been training for this all his life, Christopher. He will do fine."

"This matter is of great importance to our family, Rose. If the boy fails, then the next generation will suffer it greatly. He will suffer it greatly when we are no more."

The woman lightly pats him on the back.

"Stop saying all those depressing things. I don't want you putting him on edge, my love. Weren't you anxious as well back in your time?"

The man stands up straight and clears his throat.

"Back in my day, my mind was occupied only by my training. That rascal spends a little too much time at the winehouses. I cannot help my concern."

The woman smiles as she gently lays her head against his chest and breathes in the scent of the man before her.

"To tell you the truth, my love... I am worried."

The man turns around and takes her in his embrace.

"Worried about what, my love?"

"There is word that these trials will be much different from the others. Different is dangerous. Adding that to all the terrible things that have been happening recently..."

She looks up, concern evident in the wrinkles on her face.

The man's expression hardens slightly as he speaks.

"The worth of us noble families is to provide the Church with the warriors and tools they need. The moment we can do that no more, we will have lost our purpose, and they will squash us like bugs."

There is a brief flash of hatred in his eyes.

Then he looks down with tender eyes.

"But I know Arthur. He is gifted. He is the heir to the House of Koh. We have flourished since the age of gods. He will carry this family to greater heights."

"My love... You are quite contradictory today." The woman says playfully with a chuckle.

The man smiles then kisses her on the forehead.

"Alright my love. You should go to bed. I'll stay up a little longer."

The woman hesitates for a moment. Then she smiles and gives the man a long kiss on the lips before leaving.

Once she leaves, darkness returns to the room. Then the man sighs. He walks through the darkness and opens the doors that lead to the balcony. Now, the rain has subsided to just a strong wind and a light drizzle.

When he steps out, the expression on his face changes and becomes quite serious.

"What do you want, Doctor?"

First there is silence. Then the man turns around. There, Lyon is standing, his expression also quite serious and devoid of the usual humor.

"This might sound rather banal, but there is evil afoot, Christopher." Lyon says grimly.

The man, Christopher Koh, sighs.

"There is always evil afoot, Doctor. I could tell something was off earlier."

Lyon shakes his head.

"No. It is far worse than you or I could have possibly imagined. Much, much worse."

This time, Christopher Koh raises a brow in surprise.

"Well, out with it then!"

Lyon does not dally any longer. His face grows darker, and then he speaks,

"A Gryghori's soul-fragment manifested within the city tonight."

Christopher's eyes widen in horror.

"A Gryghori? For one to manifest so blatantly..." His voice is barely above a whisper. "That should be impossible. Right?"

Lyon shakes his head,

"Control is a fickle thing. Things can be kept in order only for so long. Humans are naturally chaotic. They instinctively reject control."

Christopher turns toward the railings and leans forward, staring at the rain-slicked streets below. His hands grip the wet rails tightly enough that his knuckles turn white.

"This is bad."

Lyon smiled, "The moment I found out, I came right to the governor of the city. I trust that everything should be in order now, right? If that is the case, then I will be taking my—"

"Hold there now!" Christopher stops Lyon before he can flee.

His expression is dark as he mutters out a curse.

Then he remains silent for a long moment. The wind picks up, sending droplets of rain into the room behind him through the open balcony doors, but neither man moves to close them.

"The trials," Christopher says finally. "If the seals are failing, and those damned things are stirring... the Church will accelerate everything."

"Indeed. So what do you want to do?"

Another flash of lightning illuminates the balcony for a brief moment, and in that instant Christopher sees something in Lyon's face—a calculation, a consideration, something that makes him uneasy.

"What are you planning?" Christopher asks.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with. Focus on your kid. Do with everything you have heard tonight, as you wish. I smell the winds of change, and I can assure you. They do not bode well. For anybody. Goodnight, Sir Koh."

Then Lyon steps back into the shadows of the room and vanishes as though he was never there.

Christopher stands alone on the balcony, staring out at the storm-wracked city, his mind racing.

Finally, he whispers into the wind:

"God help us all."

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