Liliana looked between the shackled, bloody form of Kale and the creature standing beside him. Its hollow eyes, like endless pits, bore into her with mocking silence, as if it could read every dark, twisting thought flooding her mind.

One must stay. The creature's words reverberated within her. The knife glistened in its hand, hovering near Kale, who hung limp against the wall, his face bruised, his head bowed in a way that made her stomach twist. He looked broken.

Should I take his place? She took a step back, her breathing shallow, the weight of the choice pressing down with relentless force. Could she trust this thing to keep its word? What guarantee did she have that Kale would even survive if she made this sacrifice? That any of them would leave here alive?

She turned to Sadek, his face grim. "Sadek… what do we do?" she whispered. But he only stared at the creature.

Her mind raced, grasping for any way out. Could they fight it? If she was fast enough, if she poured every ounce of her strength into a single, blinding strike, maybe, just maybe, she could bring it down before it could harm Kale further. She felt the surge of power within her, her blood magic pulsing beneath her skin.

But the woman's warning lingered, her voice echoing in Liliana's mind: Choose wisely… for nothing is given without something taken.

She felt her frustration boiling over into anguish. If she surrendered herself, there was no guarantee it would keep its word, that it wouldn't take them both. It could kill her, then finish what it had started with Kale, leaving Sadek to face the creature alone. There was nothing binding it to a promise, nothing stopping it from taking what it wanted. Desperation clawed at her, cold and unforgiving.

The creature tilted its head, its hollow gaze fixed on her, and it raised the knife just slightly.

Her fists clenched, trembling. She felt paralyzed, trapped in a choice with no right answer. The creature's words echoed once more, each syllable tearing into her.

"One must stay… Decide."

Her mind spun, frantic. She wanted to scream, to tear down this entire realm if it meant freeing Kale, but her power felt small, insignificant against the relentless, towering presence of Runom's Departure. She felt Sadek's hand on her shoulder, a grounding touch.

"Liliana," he said, voice firm but quiet. "Whatever choice you make, I'm with you."

Tears began to blur her vision as she turned to look at the bruised, broken figure hanging against the wall. Her heart ached, torn between the impossible choices before her. What would Kale do? she asked herself, though deep down, she already knew. Kale would trade himself without hesitation. He would give anything—everything—to save her, just as he had done so many times before.

A pang of guilt twisted inside her, shame tightening around her chest. How could she even hesitate, knowing what he would do for her? Kale had already given so much, even died for her once. And when Alistair's attack had come for him, she'd leaped without a second thought, her instincts acting faster than her fear. But now… here, with her mind forced to weigh her choice, doubt crept in.

The tears began to spill over, tracing silent paths down her face. She wanted to be like him—brave, decisive, unflinching. But here she was, standing in the maw of despair, unsure of herself, trapped by the gravity of this choice. She closed her eyes, drawing a shaky breath as the creature's words echoed in her mind. One must stay… Decide.

"Fine," she whispered. She looked up, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Take me… but promise me you'll let him go."

The creature's face twisted into a sickly smile, its empty eyes glinting with dark amusement. "Of course," it replied, gesturing toward Kale's limp form on the wall.

She took a step forward, her heart filled with dread.

The creature's smile widened.

As Liliana took another step forward, ready to offer herself, a sudden rush of wind tore through the room. The air filled with a haunting sound—a thousand souls crying out in agony, their voices fading as quickly as they had come. Startled, she looked up to see Namara, her wings spread, her expression fierce as she set Kale safely down beside her.

The creature before them froze, turning its hollow gaze to Namara. "Lirath—" it began, but before it could finish, Namara moved and her hands were on its face, gripping its head with inhuman strength. Her fingers dug in and crushed its skull, causing it to explode in a mist of shadow. She drew in a sharp breath, and the creature's soul twisted from the remnants of its head, flowing directly into her as she absorbed it.

The form of Kale on the wall lifted its head, its bruised face twisting, its eyes shifting from familiar to monstrous. The illusion shattered, revealing a creature of grotesque proportions, its skin stretched too tight over misshapen bones, a sneer distorting its face as it tried to twist free from the shackles.

Namara's expression remained calm as she approached the creature. She raised a hand and tapped it gently on the forehead. The creature shuddered, its skin graying, its body decomposing at a rapid pace, as though centuries were devouring it in seconds. With a final, rattling breath, it fell silent, its form crumbling to dust. Namara stretched out her hand, and its soul twisted free, drawn to her palm where she absorbed it with a satisfied smile.

Kale, Liliana, and Sadek stood frozen, their eyes wide with shock and awe. They exchanged glances, struggling to process what they had just witnessed—Namara, standing before them, her expression serene, her power undeniable.

Kale looked at Liliana and Sadek. With a casual grin, he lifted his hand in a little wave.

"Hi, guys," he said. "This is Namara."

Liliana stared at him, her expression a mix of shock, relief, and exasperation. Then, before he could say another word, she jumped forward, wrapping her arms around him in a fierce hug, holding him tight. She stayed like that for a moment, then pulled back and punched his chest, hard enough to make him wince.

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"You absolute idiot," she said, her eyes still filled with tears. "Do you have any idea what we just went through?" Her voice was half a growl, half a sigh, but the worry on her face softened as she held his stare.

Kale rubbed his chest, giving her a sheepish grin. "Guess I missed a lot."

Sadek crossed his arms. "You could say that."

As the shock of Kale's arrival wore off, Liliana and Sadek took turns recounting what had happened since he vanished.

"That creature… it was like something out of a nightmare," she said. "It wanted us to give one of ourselves up to free you. It… it almost had us convinced."

Sadek nodded. "It made us hesitate. Question ourselves. Then you showed up. Liliana nearly—" He stopped himself, glancing at Liliana.

Kale felt the guilt rise up as he looked between them. "I'm sorry you had to go through that… that it used me to make you feel that way."

"Just… don't disappear on us again, alright?" Liliana said.

Kale gave a nod, but Namara's voice cut through the moment. "The creature you saw, the one that used Kale's image… it's not unusual in this place. Runom's Departure feeds on choices, sacrifices, emotions—everything that can test your resolve. It twists them and offers them back to you."

Liliana turned to Namara. "So you're saying this place… feeds on us?"

Namara's lips curved into a faint smile. "In a way, yes. Runom's Departure is both a place and something… alive. It tests those who enter, determining whether they're worthy to pass or forever bound here." Her expression softened as she looked at Kale. "This realm is drawn to strong intentions, fierce loyalty, things it can consume or use to set a trap."

"So that's how you know about it?" Liliana said. "The whole 'feeding on people' thing comes naturally, doesn't it?" She paused. "Because you're a succubus. And you can't be trusted."

Namara looked at her calmly. "True enough. But trust or not, Kale freed me. I gave him my word. And I always keep my promises. You have nothing to fear from me. In fact, another promise I made was to help him find you, and without me, you might have been dead by now."

Kale stepped in. "She's right, Liliana. She helped me find you both, led me right here. Without her, I might not have found you in time."

Namara's smile returned. "Not only that, but I promised Kale something else. I know of a place here where you can find power beyond what you've ever known. Artifacts, knowledge, whatever you seek… it's close. I can take you there."

Liliana folded her arms. "And exactly where is this place? How will we get this power, and what kind of artifacts are you talking about?"

Namara tilted her head, a sly smile forming. "Well… it's someone's house, I suppose."

Liliana raised an eyebrow. "Whose house?"

"Oh, just some demon lord," Namara replied, waving a hand as if it were the most casual thing in the world. "You probably wouldn't know him, but he has a bit of a collecting habit. Artifacts, relics, objects of power—he hoards them all. You kill him, take his stuff, gain his power. Simple."

Liliana stared at her. "Just like that?"

Namara's smile widened. "Just like that."

Sadek let out a huff, crossing his arms. "That easy, huh?"

Namara shrugged. "Easy? No. But worthwhile? Yes. Think of it as… liberation. One less demon lord in the world, a treasure trove of power in your hands." Her gaze flickered between them, as if weighing their willingness. "Besides, if it's power you're after, this is the best place to find it."

"It might be risky," Kale started, "but if we can pull it off, it could change everything. This is why we came here isn't it?"

Liliana and Sadek exchanged wary looks, but at last, Liliana nodded. "Fine. Lead the way."

Namara's smile deepened, satisfaction gleaming in her eyes. She turned and gestured for them to follow, her pace smooth and assured as she guided them through the strange, shifting terrain.

***

The landscape around them was in flux, caught in an endless cycle of forming, fading, and reforming, as if reality itself couldn't decide what it was supposed to be.

At times, they passed through what resembled a forest, but it was wrong. The trees did not simply stand; they shifted, growing and shrinking, blooming and withering without pattern or reason. Some gnarled and ancient, their trunks thick with age, only to snap back into saplings in the span of a heartbeat. Others sprouted from bare ground, racing toward the sky before twisting inward, collapsing into themselves as if time had devoured them.

Leaves formed, turned brittle, and crumbled to dust midair, only to regrow the moment they touched the earth. Branches unfurled, then curled back into tight buds, trapped in an endless cycle of birth and decay. The air buzzed with a silence that felt crowded, as if a thousand voices had just finished speaking but left their echoes behind.

A river carved through the shifting terrain, yet the water did not flow forward—it bled backward, retreating toward some unseen origin, ripples moving in reverse. Stray leaves lifted from the ground and reattached themselves to branches, only to fall again seconds later.

Kale stepped forward and felt something cold press against his skin, not like wind, but like the lingering touch of something that should not be there. A figure flickered ahead—a traveler, hunched beneath a heavy cloak, face hidden. He blinked, and it was gone, leaving behind only footprints in the dust that vanished one by one.

He exhaled slowly. "This place creeps me out."

Namara put a hand on his shoulder. "You're fine, Kale. Nothing here will harm you… not yet."

"Just to be clear," Sadek said, "we're going up against a demon lord who may or may not be waiting in his 'house', and who also may or may not have expected us the moment we entered Runom's Departure?"

Namara glanced back, her smile faintly amused. "If he's paying attention, perhaps. But demons like him tend to get… complacent. When you hoard power, you expect others to fear it, not challenge it."

Liliana felt her unease growing with every step. "And what kind of artifacts are we talking about here? Cursed swords? Armor that twists your mind? Last I checked, most things demons keep for themselves aren't exactly friendly."

"Oh, some of them are quite unfriendly," Namara replied, "but not all. He's said to have objects that amplify one's strength, artifacts capable of drawing energy directly from Runom's Departure. Things crafted in the realms beyond, forged from pure intention and power."

Kale frowned. "Forged from intention? What does that mean?"

Namara shrugged. "The purpose of their creations becomes part of them, like a seed of their own nature. They don't change their users; they reveal something about them."

"If the demon lord hoarded them, I'm guessing they're meant for destruction?" Sadek said.

"Some of them, certainly. But destruction has its uses," Namara said.

A vast structure appeared in the distance, towering above them—a fortress of black stone. It did not look built, but conjured, forced into existence. The walls bore no signs of craftsmanship; they were simple, square, and absolute, as if the very idea of a fortress had been stamped onto the land without need for builders.

"There it is," Namara said cheerfully. "His sanctuary."

"Call that a house? That's a damn castle," Sadek said.

Kale felt a chill run through him as they drew closer, the fortress looming higher with each step, and the air felt heavy, thick with ancient, powerful magic.

A low growl rumbled from within the fortress, and the ground trembled. Shadows began to coalesce at the base of the structure, taking shape and moving toward them.

"Ah… it seems he's noticed us after all," Namara said.

Kale's hand instinctively went to his weapon as the first shadow took form, becoming a figure clad in twisted armor. More shadows followed, emerging from the darkness, each one more twisted than the last.

The ground trembled once more as the massive stone doors of the fortress began to creak open, revealing only darkness within. And then, from deep inside, a voice boomed, echoing across the realm.

"You dare enter my domain?"

Kale, Liliana, and Sadek exchanged a glance, but Namara only smiled, a spark of excitement in her eyes. "Well," she said, "This will be entertaining."

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