The land was dark, smoky, and corrupted. The soil itself seemed to breathe, blanketing much of the land with dead trees whose trunks were so twisted and gnarled they bent close to the earth.

Only by some miracle had their protruding roots not failed them, allowing the trees to collapse to the earth.

The roots only occupied the surface of the soil, and with time, one could see them growing, emerging from the ground as though they had minds of their own.

Yet in the middle of the land stood a tree glowing green, as though it drained the very life from the surrounding land and trees.

Its trunk was gnarled and firm, bark layered perfectly, as if its creator had spent centuries crafting it.

The tree's canopy spread wide, so layered and thick that neither heavy rain nor sunlight could pierce through, lending the area an eerie quality.

It was the Oynx Tree.

Guarding the tree were two individuals.

A woman in tactical gear, a dark-gray button-up shirt with straps, stood beneath the tree. The outfit clung to her body as if it wanted her for itself. Her faded blue eyes, nearly blind-looking, flickered frantically in the distance.

A sword rested in her left hand. The blade was long and straight, edged with a faintly glowing outline, as though reality struggled to contain whatever power lay within.

The blade seemed to be forged from the night sky itself, filled with tiny pinprick stars scattered through a deep void of black and purple.

She was the Child of Deceit, Seraphim.

Beside her stood a creature with protruding red horns that radiated scarlet energy. Its legs were bent like a dragon's, enhancing its predatory appearance, and it held a spear radiating energy identical to that in its chest, horns, and limbs.

He was Sunday.

Before them were small, worm-like creatures emerging from below the corrupted trees' roots. They slithered in serpentine patterns, desperately making for the Onyx Tree.

They looked fragile and broken, with wrinkled dark skin and bodies that seemed not to have matured since birth. It was as if the worms' survival depended on consuming the Onyx Tree.

But judging from the frustration in the Child of Deceit's eyes, this wasn't something she would tolerate.

Every Sinner that neared the tree was slaughtered in seconds. With her sword, even a gentle touch seemed enough to erase them completely.

This should have been a breeze. A gentle smile tucking at the corners of the Child of Deceit's lips should have reflected how effortless the slaughter was. But instead, her face was blank…

Her head turned methodically in one direction: to her left. The urgency and shivers were evident, there was something there that terrified her, something she couldn't even look at for long.

She conjured blue flames and burned the Sinners to a crisp, frequently abandoning her position to cross Sunday's path, nearly allowing some of the worm-like creatures to slip through.

She seemed desperate, angry, and horrified. The Child of Deceit seemed lost in her own thoughts even though her purpose was clear before her: protect the Onyx Tree.

But whatever her thoughts were, they were eating her alive.

Before long, countless Sinners lay lifeless on the ground. Child of Deceit turned toward the Onyx Tree, her eyes darting frantically as though she regretted being near it, or perhaps having been born at all.

In the minutes that followed, not a single worm-like creature appeared. Sunday vanished before the Child of Deceit dropped to her knees.

She seemed on the verge of screaming, though she suppressed it. Then a voice from her left caught her attention, breaking her daze.

***

In StoneHaven…

Halo perched on the highest building available, observing as his clones cut down Chaos Eaters beneath him.

Every strike they landed released a thin spill of corrupted essence that drifted upward toward him. His body absorbed it automatically, like breathing cold air.

At least someone was contributing to his energy reserves tonight.

The only thing that made him react was the chilling pulse of the Sin Fragments.

Even that pulse fed him a small surge, unpleasant even, but useful.

Nearly a week had passed since Leto disappeared. Each night, Halo watched from the same perch as his clones fought, and each night, the Chaos Eaters doubled in number.

More monsters meant more lurking Sin Fragments. He didn't ask for it, but his body took it anyway. If numbers kept rising like this, he'd gain enough strength to free himself, just by sitting still and looking annoyed.

But at the moment, something else held him captive.

He just received Sin Fragments from countless Toddler Sinners, he knew for certain they came from Sunday.

The fragments crackled with chills and thrills, and as always, a little of that energy seeped into him.

He grimaced.

This was the second time he'd gotten a massive haul of Sin Fragments from Sunday. He could only hope Seraph was okay.

Last time they'd met, despite her concern for him, something had been off. She left sentences unfinished, and her fixation on her comrades and Flaw was troubling.

Something was definitely wrong…

However, he was in no position to worry about her. He had to save his energy for himself.

Both comrades were absent. He had his clones and could move when ready, but that freedom was meaningless. He had no idea what his next move should be.

Maybe Leto was a prisoner, being tortured or dangled as bait. But that made no sense. If they'd captured Leto, they knew where to find him. No bait needed.

And then there was Hex, the fourth Witch. Her capabilities were unknown, possibly limitless. Right now, waiting was his only option.

He drew in the lingering remnants of the corrupted essence of the Chaos Eaters gathering around the rooftop.

When it was time to act, he'd know for certain.

Until then, he continued absorbing whatever the chaos below leaked his way, waiting, resting, and pretending it counted as productivity.

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