Kael sat beside Seren's lifeless body for what felt like hours. The sun had long dipped below the horizon, leaving only the faint glow of stars above, but Kael didn't move. He couldn't. He didn't want to leave her side.
The stillness around him was deafening—filled with thoughts that clawed at his sanity.
Is this the destruction Whisperers bring upon the world? he wondered.
Is hiding in secret worth watching everyone I love die? Would the world be better if I were just... gone?
His mind spiraled.
Seren, the only person who had ever shown him love in a world devoid of it, was gone. The quiet hatred he had for himself began to twist, calcifying into something colder—a hatred for the Nine. A hatred for Brother Varn.
This wasn't about order or peace. This was cruelty draped in the illusion of justice. Brother Varn enjoyed torturing the weak. The cause he preached was a lie—a facade used to justify tyranny and bloodshed.
Kael turned his gaze to what was left of Seren. Her body was charred, frozen in the very scream that had marked her end. In that moment, Kael's grief transformed into purpose.
He would kill Brother Varn.
And when Varn fell, the Nine would follow.
He didn't care about the cost—not even the toll on his memories. In fact, part of him welcomed the thought. If he lost his memories of Seren, maybe it would dull the unbearable pain of her loss. Either way, vengeance had become his clarity.
Kael rose slowly and untied Seren's remains from the scorched iron post. Flakes of her skin clung to his tattered black robes, blending into the ash-colored fabric. His steps were heavy, but his mind was blank. Thinking made it too real. Too final.
As he carried her through the field, the sound of galloping hooves echoed behind him. Kael stiffened. His heart stuttered. Was it Varn? Had he returned to finish what he started?
But when he turned, he saw a woman riding toward him.
She wore black leather armor, crisp and form-fitting. A sword was strapped to her hip, and a single "9" was stitched onto her collar—the same emblem worn by the other enforcers.
She pulled the reins gently, slowing her horse beside him. "Are you from the colony to the west?" she asked casually.
Kael stayed silent.
She gave a little smirk. "Right. Forgot. Speaking's illegal. Silly me."
Her flippant tone grated at Kael's nerves.
Must've slipped her mind, he thought bitterly. What an asshole.
"Well," she continued, "I've got important business, so I must be off. Maybe we'll meet again." And with that, she rode off toward the colony.
Kael didn't bother to wonder what she wanted. All that mattered now was giving Seren the rest she deserved.
When Kael returned, the entire colony was lined up. He moved through them, unnoticed, carrying Seren's body. The woman from before was standing before the gathered people, going down the line one by one. She gently touched each colonist's temple. Afterward, they walked away quietly as if in a daze.
Kael didn't care. He couldn't afford to care.
He entered the crematory and gently laid Seren's body down. He began preparing the system—setting the levers, stoking the heat. Then, suddenly, the door slammed open behind him.
The woman burst in, tears streaking down her face. Her shoulders trembled with each sob.
Kael froze. He wasn't sure what to expect.
"You weren't supposed to see this," she said, her voice breaking.
She slumped against the stone wall and slid down until she sat with her knees drawn close, hiding her face behind her hands. Her sobs echoed faintly in the warm chamber.
After a few moments, she spoke again. "Brother Varn has the power to silence anyone near him. Makes it easy to carry out his orders. No begging. No screaming. Just silence. It's... clean. Almost makes it feel like it didn't really happen."
She sniffled. "My power's different."
Kael took a step forward, then another. Despite everything, he didn't feel fear. He felt curiosity. She was an officer of the Nine—but she was broken, and that made her human.
"I was tasked with coming here to erase the memory of the Whisperer Brother Varn so 'valiantly' executed," she said with venom. "I'm here to make sure no one remembers her. Not her crimes. Not her kindness. Not her existence."
She looked up, hollow-eyed. "Do that long enough, and you start losing parts of yourself too."
Kael paused. Something deep inside told him it was okay to speak—to break the silence just this once.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" he whispered.
The woman looked up, startled. "You know I could kill you for speaking, right?" she said, her voice quivering.
Kael met her eyes. "I don't think you want to hurt me."
She studied him for a long moment. Then—against every expectation—she smiled. A small, honest smile that Kael hadn't seen in what felt like lifetimes.
"My name is Sister Lira," she said. "Just call me Lira. I was sent by the Council to wipe out every memory of the woman Varn burned. No martyrs. No uprising. Just silence."
Kael tilted his head. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Maybe because pain knows pain," Lira said quietly. "And you look like you've suffered enough."
Before Kael could ask more, she stood and brushed off her uniform.
"I have a job to finish," she said. "If I don't, the Council will have my head."
Just as she reached the door, Kael called out, "My name is Kael."
She stopped and looked back at him. His robe was torn, his face dirt-streaked, but his presence made her feel strangely at ease.
"It was nice talking to you, Kael," she said. "This will be our little secret."
And then she was gone.
Kael stood motionless for a moment, her warmth lingering like a fading ember. If more people like Lira existed… maybe there was still hope.
A thought struck him like lightning.
Without hesitation, Kael grabbed supplies and packed them into an old canvas bag. He extinguished the crematory fire and lifted Seren's body one final time.
He walked far beyond the colony, past the hills, into a field of long grass where the kingdom's shadow could not reach. There, beneath the open sky, he dug.
He didn't stop until the grave was deep enough. He lowered her in gently, every movement filled with reverence. With each shovelful of dirt, he cried harder—until, finally, there were no more tears left.
He crafted a wooden marker from the supplies he'd brought. On the makeshift gravestone, he carved with care:
Seren of Vowenrealm
Mother to one
Loved by many
Kael stood before the grave, his fists clenched. The tears had dried. Now, only fire remained.
He raised his voice to the heavens and shouted:
"Mark this day as the start of the revolution! I will march through the streets of Vowenrealm and tear down the Nine! With my voice and my voice alone, I will bring a new dawn—even if I lose everything to do it.
I promise you, Seren.
I will not fail."