After a day's rest, Kale and Liliana found a quiet moment in the halls of the Bastion. The morning light streamed through the grand windows, illuminating the hallways as Kale and Liliana made their way to her father's chambers. The silence felt almost sacred, a soft contrast to the turmoil they had endured just the day before. Kale turned to Liliana, her expression steady yet softened in the gentle light.

He hesitated, then cleared his throat, stopping just before they reached the entrance. "Liliana, I…"

She held his gaze, a soft smile spreading across her lips, understanding reflected in her eyes. "I know," she said, reaching out to touch his arm, her fingers warm and grounding.

A weight lifted off Kale's shoulders, and he returned her smile, a quiet sense of connection passing between them. Together, they pushed open the heavy doors, entering her father's chambers.

As they stepped through the doorway, they were met with a surprising scene. Rika was already there, sitting casually on the edge of the Lord's desk, one leg crossed over the other as she spoke animatedly. Liliana's father—normally so stern and composed—was leaning back in his chair, his laughter filling the chamber, a rare sound inside the Bastion of the Scarlet Veil.

Liliana paused, the sound catching her off guard. Had she ever heard him laugh before? She searched her memory, sifting through years of sharp commands, quiet reprimands, and carefully measured words. If he had laughed, it had always been muted—more of a polite chuckle than anything resembling this.

No, not like this, she thought, watching him now, shoulders relaxed, the burdens he usually carried momentarily set aside. The image unsettled her in ways she couldn't quite name. It was almost like seeing a stranger wearing her father's face.

Somehow, Rika had done it again—cut through years of tension and walls of formality with nothing more than her wit and charisma. No one escapes her charm, Liliana thought, almost begrudgingly. Not even him.

It was disarming, even a little surreal, to see the Lord of the Scarlet Veil reduced to laughter by Rika's sharp tongue and easy confidence.

Rika looked up as they entered, a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Ah, look who decided to join us," she teased, giving them a mockingly solemn nod. "Just in time, too. I was telling the Lord here about the heroic feats we pulled off."

The Lord chuckled, shaking his head. "It seems I underestimated your resilience, Rika," he said, his tone unusually light. His expression shifted, the humor fading as his focus settled on Liliana and Kale.

"But I've also come to realize that the threat we face is greater than I initially understood." He rose from his chair, gesturing for Kale and Liliana to take seats across from him. The warmth from moments before was gone, replaced by the commanding presence they knew well.

"House Bloodthorn has overstepped. Their allegiance with Xeroth, their attack on us here in the heart of Nyridia—it all leads to one undeniable truth. They don't just oppose us. They mean to unseat us entirely.

"This was more than an attack—it was a strike aimed at the very heart of the Scarlet Veil. House Bloodthorn's allegiance with Xeroth has made them a threat too great to be left unchecked."

He looked between them, his expression blank. "I am sending you, along with the Keepers of the Scarlet Veil, our most elite guard, to bring them to their end. Every man, every woman, and every child bearing the Bloodthorn name must be eradicated."

Kale froze, the Lord's words echoing in his mind. Every child? His thoughts raced, struggling to process the command. How can he talk about this so calmly? Is this what it means to hold power here? To wipe out anyone who stands in your way, no matter who they are?

Kale shook his head, looking between them in disbelief. "Guys, you can't be serious. Children? I'm not going to kill children."

He searched Liliana's eyes, desperate for some sign of agreement, a flicker of shared reluctance. Her gaze met his for a brief, sorrowful moment before she looked away, her expression hardening.

His heart sank.

"Rika?" he asked, almost pleading.

Rika shrugged, her voice steady and unflinching. "Doing what has to be done isn't always pretty."

Kale's head spun, his thoughts crashing over one another in a chaotic wave. A cold, hollow feeling crept into his chest. These were his friends—people he had fought beside, bled with, and trusted with his life. They had saved him, and he had saved them. And now they stood here, prepared to do something unthinkable. No hesitation? Children? His mind reeled. How could they just kill innocent children?

The words reverberated in his mind, each repetition more sickening than the last. His stomach churned as he struggled to process the enormity of what they were suggesting. How could they? How could they talk so calmly, so casually, about killing innocent children?

His gaze darted between them, searching for any trace of doubt, of humanity, of the people he thought he knew. But their expressions were resolute, as if the decision had already been made. It didn't make sense. These weren't monsters—they were his companions, his family on the battlefield. People who had laughed with him, cried with him, bled with him. And now… this?

A thousand questions raced through his mind. Was it fear driving them? Pragmatism? Some twisted logic that justified the unthinkable? Or had the war, the blood, and the endless fight against the darkness warped them into something unrecognizable?

His throat tightened. "How can you even consider this?" he demanded, his voice trembling, equal parts anger and disbelief. "They're children. Innocent. They don't deserve to die because of someone else's sins."

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Deep down, a terrible question clawed at him, one he was too afraid to ask aloud: If it comes to it, will I be able to stop them?

A dark, mocking voice slithered through his mind, Lifedrinker's presence sharpening with a twisted glee. "Soft-hearted fool. Let them do what you cannot. Let them drink the blood you lack the stomach for…"

The voice twisted deeper into his thoughts, wrapping around his doubts. "Look at them. See how ready they are to do what must be done. Do you think your morality will save anyone? Do you think mercy has a place in this war?"

"No," Kale muttered under his breath. "This isn't about mercy. This is about being human."

"Human," the blade sneered. "Humanity is weakness. Mortality. Hesitation. And hesitation gets you killed. You have me, yet you still cling to the shackles of a conscience. Release them, Kale. Or let me guide your hand."

Kale inhaled sharply, pushing back against the blade's influence. "You don't control me," he said, his voice steady. "Not now. Not ever."

Lifedrinkers voice faded into a low, mocking chuckle, but its presence lingered, a shadow over his resolve.

"I won't help you kill children," Kale said through clenched teeth.

Liliana placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, her touch firm yet understanding. "Kale…" she whispered, her tone carrying a hint of apology, as though she wished there were another way but couldn't find one.

Unexpectedly, the Lord of the Scarlet Veil raised a hand. "Fine. Spare the children, but no one else. Leave no adult standing."

Kale felt a rush of relief flood through him, his shoulders relaxing slightly, but the tension between them remained. He couldn't shake the gnawing thought: they had been ready to cross a line he never could. Fighting Xeroth was their shared purpose, but the path they were willing to take to get there? That was something else entirely.

***

As the Lord of the Scarlet Veil outlined the plan to eliminate House Bloodthorn, Liliana's mind raced ahead, piecing together the likely movements of their enemy.

"They already know," she said. "Alistair hasn't returned. By now, House Bloodthorn will have realized he's failed—and they'll be expecting us to retaliate."

The Lord gave a slight nod. "Then they'll be reinforcing their defenses, gathering their strength."

"Exactly," Liliana continued. "If we hesitate, we'll lose the advantage. We need to strike before they have a chance to prepare. Hit them hard and fast, while they're still scrambling to make sense of the situation."

Her father's expression shifted, a small flicker of approval breaking through his otherwise stoic demeanor. "Agreed. You'll lead the vanguard with Kale and Rika. I'll marshal the rest of our forces to follow your lead. The initial strike must cripple them, Liliana. Leave no room for recovery."

"They'll have none."

Kale, standing just behind her, exchanged a glance with Rika, who offered a grim nod. The plan was clear, but he knew House Bloodthorn wouldn't go down without a fight.

"We'll make it quick," Liliana said. "House Bloodthorn ends today."

***

The Keepers of the Scarlet Veil were already assembling outside, the steady march of armored soldiers filling the hall with a low, rhythmic rumble. Their presence was a reminder of the magnitude of what lay ahead.

Kale's jaw clenched as he watched the Keepers take their places, an imposing presence draped in blood-red cloaks that flowed over gleaming white armor, almost ethereal in its pristine brightness. The armor seemed too pure for the warriors who wore it, but that contrast only made them more terrifying. Against the dark mission they were about to undertake, the white plates radiated an air of unforgiving judgment, like specters sent to cleanse the land of impurity.

Each piece of armor was adorned with sigils, carved with precision and infused with blood magic. The faint, pulsing glow of the enchantments marked their purpose—to strengthen, to protect, and to bind each Keeper to the Scarlet Veil's will.

Their faces were scarred and hardened, each one marked by the battles and bloodshed that had earned them their place in the Keepers' ranks. Their expressions were set in cold, unforgiving lines, while eyes devoid of mercy scanned their surroundings with a predator's intensity, their movements a silent promise of what was to come.

The red cloaks billowed as they took position, framing the armor with a stark, violent hue, as though drenched in the blood of those who had dared to oppose them. They moved with an eerie unity, each step purposeful and loaded with lethal intent.

Around their wrists and forearms, they bore intricate tattoos woven from dark ink and blood, symbols of their unbreakable oath to the Scarlet Veil. These tattoos weren't just ornamental; they were ancient sigils of power, enchanted to amplify their blood magic.

Their weapons—silvered blades and staffs with ruby inlays—seemed almost holy against the white armor, but they hummed with a dark energy, bound to each Keeper through sacred ritual. They looked like avenging spirits, warriors who had long left mercy behind, their pristine armor a symbol of their cold, relentless purpose. To face them was not merely to meet one's death; it was to be erased, to be purified by a force that would leave nothing behind.

Liliana caught Kale's eye, her expression difficult to read. With a subtle nod, she motioned for him to follow her down a quieter corridor, away from the marching soldiers.

They stopped by a set of tall windows overlooking the city. Below, the quiet streets stretched out, cloaked in a stillness that felt like the calm before a storm. For a moment, neither spoke, the silence between them carrying a tension neither could ignore.

Kale finally broke the silence. "How can you go through with this, Liliana? We're not just taking out soldiers. This… it feels wrong."

She sighed, crossing her arms, looking down on the city below. "I don't expect you to understand, Kale. This is how it's done in Nyridia. House Bloodthorn attacked us, and the rules here are simple and absolute. Attacking another house, especially a lord, means war. We cannot afford to look weak, that means that after this only one house can be left standing. Not to mention House Bloodthorn allied themselves with Xeroth—they're a threat to everything and everyone we care about. If we don't cut them out, root and all, they'll come back. Stronger, more dangerous." Her voice softened. "Sometimes survival isn't clean."

Kale shook his head in frustration. "There has to be another way, some way that doesn't… doesn't make us the same as them."

A flicker of sympathy crossed Liliana's face. "I wish there was. But we don't have time to look for alternatives. Not with Xeroth gaining power."

"That doesn't make it right," Kale said, his tone sharper now. "What about the people who have nothing to do with this? The ones who don't even know what their house has done? Are we just supposed to destroy everything?"

Liliana turned to face him, her voice cooling. "And if we don't? How many more will die when they strike again? How many more families will be shattered? You think I like this, Kale? You think I don't see the cost?"

Kale's jaw tightened, the conflict evident in his eyes. "I just... I don't want to become like them."

Her expression softened, but only slightly. "You won't, because you're still asking that question. But if we hesitate now, if we falter…" She turned back to the window, her reflection merging with the city beyond. "Then there won't be anyone left to ask it."

Before he could respond, Rika's voice echoed down the hall, sharp and impatient. "Are you two coming? We're about to move out."

Kale glanced back at Liliana, searching her face for some sign that there was still room for doubt, for mercy. But she simply turned and started walking back toward the main hall.

With a reluctant sigh, he followed, his mind swirling with doubts and a creeping sense of dread. As he walked he could feel Lifedrinker's whispers growing louder, taunting him, feeding off his inner turmoil.

From its place on his back, Lifedrinker's voice slid into his thoughts, cold and coaxing.

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