Before the first light touched the ridges of Whisperfall, Cedric and Lynne knelt beside the concealed form of the false Demon Lord. The villagers slept in scattered huts under wards that whispered protection, their breaths soft as the dawn.
"Time's come," Cedric murmured. He reached into his pack and drew a small vial of golden mist—Lynne's Awakening Draught, designed to stabilize corrupted hosts.
Lynne placed a steady hand on the man's shoulder. "This will clear the last of the forced programming. But it may be painful."
Cedric met her gaze. "He deserves the truth."
She uncorked the vial and poured its contents over his temples. The mist glowed briefly, then dissipated into a fine luminescence across his skin. The man coughed, eyes fluttering open.
"Wh… where am I?" His voice was hoarse, haunted by memories not his own.
"Safe haven," Lynne said gently. "You were used as a puppet of the Church. They tried to crown you as their Demon Lord."
He sat up, confusion giving way to horror. "I… I remember pain. Fire. A voice telling me to kill." He looked at Cedric, face pale. "You saved me."
"I'm Cedric of Auriell," Cedric said quietly. "The true—" He stopped. The man's brows twitched.
"The hero?" the false lord whispered. "I heard your name… they spoke of you as dead."
"I was presumed dead," Cedric replied. "But I survived. I seek to expose the Church's lies."
The man shuddered, wrapping arms around himself. "They promised power. They forced the system's hand. I was… unmade, remade—monstrous." His gaze flicked to the villagers stirring beyond the wards. "They must know."
Lynne stepped forward, voice firm. "When you're well, you'll testify. Show them the Church used the resurrection cycle for control."
He nodded slowly, pain and shame in his eyes. "I—Yes. Anything to undo this."
> QUEST UPDATED
Name: Testify the Usurper's Truth
Objective: Present false lord's confession to Church authorities
Reward: +75 XP; Increased Influence
Cedric placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "Rest for now. We leave at noon."
---
Noontide in Whisperfall
Sunlight filtered through the wards as the villagers gathered in the central square, hushed but attentive. At their center, Cedric stepped forward, flanked by Lynne and the false lord, whose battered armor bore no sigil now.
Cedric raised his voice. "People of Whisperfall, and all who seek truth—this man was made into your nightmare by the Church of Radiant Flame. They used the Demon Lord System to manipulate fear and power. He was forced into a resurrection cycle not his own."
A murmur rippled through the crowd as the man—once the Church's champion—stepped forward unmasked. He lifted his chin. "I am Kerran Almas, former lieutenant of the Church. I was chosen to succeed Cedric of Auriell. I was given an order: slaughter every soul who stood against the prophecy. I refused, and they tried to break me."
He paused, gaze sweeping over the villagers. "This cycle is not divine. It is a prison. And you deserve the truth."
A woman cried out, "Why would they lie to us?"
Lynne answered, "To maintain control. To justify wars. To crown heroes who serve their agenda."
Cedric added, "We will take this testimony to the capital. To the High Cardinal. We will demand a council hearing—proof of the Church's corruption."
> XP +75 (Testimony Delivered)
Current XP: 267/300
The villagers erupted in support—voices raised in defiance, offers of aid, and words of gratitude. Whisperfall's gates would soon open to allies, messengers, and disillusioned priests.
---
That night, under a sky untainted by Church banners, Cedric reviewed his system status:
> LEVEL: 6 XP: 267/300
Next Unlock: "Council Summons" (Level 7)
In the glow of the warded fires, he felt the tide turning. The false lord's confession would shake the capital. Yet beyond it all, the true Demon Lord's awakening loomed—a storm gathering at the edge of the world.
Cedric sheathed his sword, eyes steeled. "Prepare the carriage. At dawn, we ride for the capital."
As Whisperfall's refuges kindled hope, Cedric knew the next steps would decide not just his vengeance, but the fate of the Seal—and the dawn of a new age.