The estate lay beside a still lake framed by forested, rolling hills.

The wagon crept along a winding dirt road curving gently through the buildings, past half-timbered houses with white plastered walls, dark beams, and warm reddish-brown tile roofs.

This estate was different from the ones Halo knew. It had only a few Knights in heavy metal armor carrying earth-shattering weapons, but no walls at all. They must have either trusted their own power completely, or Sinners didn't attack here.

Even so, they were only there to rest and find their way to the Northern Mist quarters, not save an estate from a certain doom.

They secured rooms after Jihriel visited a modest financial exchange, smaller than a proper office, to trade Sin Fragments for Pinyin coins.

According to Thor, they were mere miles from Delilah. Still, when they asked locals about the Northern Mist headquarters, they were surprised to learn no one knew anything about the organization.

There were actually close to twenty cohorts in this region alone. Unless one was highly distinguished or had achieved something remarkable enough for the history books, cohorts remained obscure even in such a limited territory.

This meant one thing: they couldn't count on locals for help. They'd have to follow Thor's intel instead.

Thor was reliable, but unfamiliarity with the terrain meant trudging through dangerous territory and praying they'd make it. It was already proving treacherous, but they had no other option.

The crew rested and finally ate well for the first time in weeks, but Halo couldn't enjoy a bite. His sense of taste remained warped, cursed by whatever Seraphim's delicacy had done to him.

Morning arrived with bizarre yet familiar tidings. The locals moved about in distress and alarm, as if celestial fury had descended on them.

Actually, it had.

An estate a few miles away was completely obliterated overnight. Those who survived told the tale as though they lived through a nightmare.

An overwhelming darkness blotted out the sky, black enough to devour the sun. The next instant, all buildings in its path were destroyed.

Where they'd stood, a hole appeared: nearly forty feet deep, spanning half the estate's width. More unsettling, it was sword-shaped. Everything had been utterly erased. Not even lingering souls remained.

Halo felt a chill of recognition.

Back in the Voiceless region, while serving his Purpose at StoneHaven, he'd seen something similar start a war. They'd called it the Black War.

This was the war Saint used to her advantage, earning herself territory from which to launch her empire.

How was this possible?

The NeverLight crew left the estate behind, traversing parched, fractured earth that looked as though it had never seen water. The land seemed recently dead, and they were treading upon its decay.

Halo walked with Saint at his side. Her eyes stayed locked on Jihriel, who was laughing and talking with Hazard and Thor.

Halo's first thought was that she simply couldn't stand Jihriel, but it was deeper than that.

She looked genuinely upset about something. Given how composed she seemed, small and still, arms crossed, it wasn't about pride.

"What's wrong, Saint?"

Halo's question pulled her back to reality, showing how deeply lost in thought she'd been.

"When I look at him, I convince myself I'm still a good person. I don't hurt the innocent. He does. That's the difference. He's a monster."

Halo turned toward Jihriel.

He didn't fully understand Dark Saint's comment, but he knew it was about Jihriel. A monster? Huh. Jihriel could be one when it suited him. All he needed was that red earring, the one his mother had given him.

But why, though?

"What makes you think he's a monster?"

Dark Saint's eyes narrowed. After a pause, she reached between her feet and retrieved her black mask. Golden stripes making it appear shattered. She donned it, her expression now hidden.

Even Halo hadn't known about this. His clones each had a shadow the size of a football, the same one they used to travel through shadows that could also store objects. Dark Saint had figured out this pocket dimension in frustration, looking for somewhere to keep her sword.

It had been appealing at first, but seeing Saint use it constantly had dulled the novelty. Halo couldn't care less now. He was still stuck on the question: why was Jihriel a monster?

"He started the Black War."

Saint's words came with utter disgust.

Halo's frown deepened.

He didn't possess Saint's perceptiveness, but he'd spent enough time with Jihriel to feel confused. Why would someone who seemed to care about others start a war?

"Ever since he briefly explained his True Ability to you, I knew immediately that he might be the one. I can't say with absolute certainty, but now that it's happened, now that we finally arrived at this estate…"

Saint stopped dead. Her white eyes drilled into the floor below, her mind clearly elsewhere.

"Wait. That doesn't make sense. He knows what I'm capable of. If he were behind it, why would he attack again in a place that would almost certainly lead back to him?"

Halo observed Dark Saint with mild disinterest. Overthinkers always had something eating at them.

Perhaps Jihriel had already revealed it, accounting for Saint's inevitable disbelief. She was clever enough to reach conclusions and observant enough to spot minor contradictions. Once she noticed the glaring inconsistencies, she'd question her own reasoning.

'What a pain…'

Halo held Saint by the shoulders and locked eyes with her.

"Can you just let it slide? I don't believe it was him. And even if it was… we live in a world where killing is routine. Why shoulder that weight? None of us were harmed."

Saint appeared disappointed in Halo's estimation. If her eyes were visible, she'd probably be rolling them.

"Okay, okay… let's focus on saving Delilah."

Halo flashed her a practiced smile.

It didn't matter if Jihriel razed the world, as long as they were spared. Halo's sole concern was preventing Jihriel from attacking the gods. His principles wouldn't tolerate it. Another death? Especially one he could see coming? That would be suicide.

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