"Karion!" I flinched as I heard Theron shout for the first time.
Several seconds of silence reigned after this, as both sides seemingly collected themselves. Eventually, Karion spoke up. "I apologize, old friend. Saying such a thing was cruel, mocking your efforts this far. I admire what you have done, I really do, but surely you can see their lies no salvation at the end of this path? Why do you refuse to take a stand, to brandish the light to repel all darkness?"
"A Blessed of Shadow desires light?" Theron laughed in faux amusement. "I have your God to blame for much of this in fact, for allowing death and misery to proliferate unchecked like it has!" "Shadow merely created death," Karion retorted.
"It was War and Beast and Sun who spread it. War...those mad zealots destroyed our world and even still marched forward to claim more. Let the Rot take them all, those bastards. If I could, I'd go out of my way to uproot that sickening empire of theirs."
"Why do you not?"
"Because the Empire of War no longer exists" he said simply, stunning Theron and I into silence. Well, I was already silent, but my heart still dropped.
"How?" the Saint whispered.
"I am not entirely clear on that myself, but I've heard a group calling themselves "The Nine" played a part in that. Organized revolts, important Nobles assassinated in their homes, churches and temples burnt alongside their priests...the entire country went mad with bloodlust and suppressed desires. The Daemons' have charged suicidally against the Divine, and the aftermath even I do not know yet, though my soul tells me it cannot be good."
"The Nine?" Theron question with a troubled tone. "I have never heard of such a group: the Venerable One has never mentioned it either. And besides, even if the Gods are preoccupied against the Daemons and Nephilim, how could They just watch the Empire fall? It doesn't make sense!"
"Perhaps there is more going on than we know" Karion offered calmly, seemingly unperturbed by his own revelations. Silence once again dropped before Theron asked with a weary tone, "Karion what exactly do you seek here?"
"Nothing, or rather, nothing that you can give me. I merely want to inform you that time is running out. You have five, maybe six, days before every soul in the temple is destroyed. A flood of twisted monstrosities are sweeping through the valley, and this is the only safe place left. If you are unwilling to use the Radiance, then death is the only fate awaiting you."
"Death awaits us either way" Theron dismissed bitterly. "The Gods have fallen silent, and I cannot use the Radiance multiple times. No one in this temple can, and having anyone less than a Transcendant will kill them after a single use anyways. If the Venerable One was here then...but he is not, so that's a moot point. I am not blind to the future coming Karion, but I cannot see a way out. Perhaps this is the fate woven for us. I have lived a long and good life."
"And of the people?" I could hear the loaded question in his words.
"...I will handle that" he spoke quietly, a deadly level of resignation in his voice. Despite his loud outburst at Karion's recommendation of mercy killing, I couldn't help but be alarmed. If a quick and painless death was the only alternative to being eaten by corrupted beasts, would Theron take it? My heart wanted to deny it, but I couldn't. What would I do in his place? The answer, I already knew.
"In that case, I wish you good luck. I will be on my way now."
Hearing the sound of a chair moving backwards, I quickly fled from the door and around a corner. As I heard the door open and low murmuring taking place, I steeled my hard and tried to appear normal. I "walked" around the corner and pretended to be surprised to see Theron and the shadow man standing together, the Saint walking him out. Theron gave a slight smile at me, while Karion just silently observed me. If either knew I had been eavesdropping, they didn't show it.
I passed them by and continued on my way, taking another corner and leaving them behind. I kept walking until I reached my quarters, then locked the door and sat on my bed with my head between my hands. Karion had been a key figure as I had guessed, but he brought only bad news. I thought I would have more time after his appearance, but if it was only four or five days then I would need to speed things along.
The fact Theron might be planning to murder everyone here in their sleep was another concern for me to deal with. Karion's warning had cut my timeline from weeks to mere days, and Theron's fatalistic resignation was now an active threat. Passive observation was no longer viable. My first move must be to neutralize the immediate danger: Theron's potential "mercy killing."
I needed to discreetly monitor the Saint, perhaps using his enhanced perception to track his movements and any preparations for such an act. Simultaneously, I have to solve the riddle of the bronze door. Theron's guarded secret was the only anomaly in the temple's otherwise hopeless equation. It represented a power—the "Radiance"—that Karion believed could save them, but Theron refused to use. According to him, it could only be reliably used by a Saint and others would perish, but even then it carried a price high enough to terrify the man.
This meant I would have to risk exploring the inner sanctum again, searching for a way to bypass the sealed door, perhaps by finding a key or deciphering the sun-and-chains emblem. Finally, I had to prepare for the siege itself.
My powers as a Spectator could no longer remain a secret though. I would need to identify potential allies among the guards and Awakened, like the simple-minded Jeryl, and begin subtly planting the seeds of defiance, convincing them that a fight—however desperate—was better than a quiet, administered death. Rallying the people, which I originally dismissed due a lack of time and authority, was once again the best option. Groaning painfully, I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes. I would deal with everything tomorrow, riht now I just wanted to sleep.