Kael did not move for several seconds after the small demon was dragged away.
The sound of chains scraping against the cathedral floor slowly faded down the corridor until it disappeared completely. Around him, the hunters returned to their duties with practiced indifference. For them, the scene had been routine.
Another demon captured.
Another interrogation.
Another execution.
Kael forced himself to turn away from the empty cage.
The system pulsed faintly within him.
[Emotional Stability Check… Stable]
He wasn't sure whether that message was comforting or disturbing.
Rask clapped a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"You did well," the captain said. "If it knew anything useful, Malrec will dig it out eventually."
Kael gave a short nod.
"Understood."
But inside his mind, the situation had already moved far beyond that small interrogation.
Gravecoil had been mentioned.
Which meant the hunters now had a thread.
And threads always led somewhere.
Kael left the cathedral quickly. He needed to reach Ashline before the courier returned—or worse, before the courier didn't return.
The Lower District tunnels felt tighter that night.
Kael moved through them quickly, boots echoing softly against damp stone. The deeper he descended, the more familiar the darkness became. The air carried the faint metallic scent of demonic energy that no human nose should have been able to recognize.
Yet the system sharpened his senses.
He could feel Ashline territory approaching like a pressure change.
Two sentries emerged from the shadows before he reached the enclave entrance.
They recognized him instantly.
"Ashbound," one of them said, lowering his blade.
Kael stepped past them.
Inside the Ashline chamber, tension filled the air.
More demons were gathered than usual, their voices low and uneasy. The moment Kael entered, conversations died.
Rethkar approached immediately.
"You're late."
Kael looked around the chamber.
"Has Serit returned?"
Rethkar's expression hardened.
"No."
Kael's stomach tightened slightly.
"How long?"
"Too long."
Vaelith appeared beside them, her expression more serious than usual.
"He should have reached Gravecoil hours ago," she said.
Kael stepped toward the map table.
"Or he never reached it."
Several demons shifted uneasily.
Rethkar folded his arms.
"You think hunters intercepted him."
Kael shook his head slowly.
"No."
Vaelith raised an eyebrow.
"Why not?"
Kael tapped the map where Serit's route had been drawn.
"Hunters patrol the outer tunnels. Serit was moving through collapsed sewer channels they rarely check."
Rethkar frowned.
"Then what happened?"
Kael looked up.
"Something else found him."
Silence settled across the chamber.
Everyone understood what that meant.
Vaelith spoke quietly.
"Crimson Court."
Kael nodded.
"If Varkhess is already monitoring smaller enclaves, he may have predicted Ashline would try to spread warnings."
Rethkar growled softly.
"So our courier walked straight into his trap."
Kael's mind worked quickly.
"If Serit was captured alive, they'll question him."
Vaelith crossed her arms.
"And if he talks?"
Kael didn't answer immediately.
Because everyone in the room already knew the answer.
Ashline's existence would be exposed to the Crimson Court.
Rethkar slammed his fist lightly against the stone table.
"Then we find him first."
Kael looked at the Gatewarden.
"You want to rescue him?"
Rethkar's molten eyes flared.
"No."
The word carried cold certainty.
"I want to make sure he can't talk."
The chamber went quiet again.
Kael understood the logic immediately.
If Serit was already captured, rescuing him would be nearly impossible.
But killing him before he revealed Ashline's location…
That was another matter entirely.
Vaelith studied Kael carefully.
"You're thinking the same thing."
Kael nodded once.
"Yes."
Rethkar's gaze sharpened.
"You know the tunnels better than anyone here."
Kael exhaled slowly.
"There are three routes Serit could have taken after the sewer collapse point."
He marked them quickly on the map.
"One leads toward Gravecoil territory."
He marked the second.
"One leads toward abandoned smuggler shafts."
Then the third.
"And this one…"
Vaelith leaned closer.
"…leads toward the eastern sinkholes."
Rethkar's jaw tightened.
"That's Crimson Court hunting ground."
Kael met his eyes.
"Yes."
Rethkar grinned faintly.
"Then that's where we start."
Above ground, Ironhold Cathedral remained active deep into the night.
Malrec stood alone in the interrogation chamber, studying the obsidian shard he had recovered earlier.
A guard entered quietly.
"Inquisitor."
Malrec did not look up.
"Yes?"
"The captured demon…"
Malrec raised an eyebrow.
"Did it speak?"
The guard hesitated.
"Only one thing."
Malrec finally turned.
"What?"
The guard swallowed.
"It kept repeating a name."
Malrec's pale eyes sharpened slightly.
"What name?"
The guard glanced down at the report tablet in his hands.
"…Ashbound."
Silence filled the chamber.
Malrec's fingers tapped slowly against the table.
"Interesting."
He walked toward the wall map and placed another black marker on the Lower District tunnels.
"This war is becoming much more complicated than a simple extermination."
The guard shifted nervously.
"What should we do?"
Malrec smiled faintly.
"Nothing."
The guard blinked.
"Nothing?"
Malrec's eyes glowed faintly in the lamplight.
"Creatures reveal more about themselves when they think they're unseen."
He placed a final marker on the map.
"And our Hunter Veyrin is about to lead us somewhere very interesting."
Far below the city, Kael and Rethkar moved quickly through narrow tunnels illuminated only by faint demonic glow.
Vaelith followed silently behind them.
The deeper they went, the heavier the air became.
Kael felt it first.
A faint ripple of unfamiliar demonic energy.
He stopped.
Rethkar immediately tensed.
"What is it?"
Kael crouched beside the tunnel floor.
There were marks in the stone.
Drag marks.
And drops of dark infernal blood.
Vaelith knelt beside him.
"That's Serit's."
Kael followed the trail deeper into the darkness.
It led toward a wide cavern partially collapsed by ancient earthquakes.
The smell of blood grew stronger.
Rethkar stepped into the cavern first.
Then stopped.
Kael followed a second later.
Serit's body hung from the cavern wall.
Pinned there by a long black spear driven through his chest.
Infernal blood had dried across the stone.
But the courier was still alive.
Barely.
His head lifted weakly when he saw them.
"…Ash…bound…"
Kael moved closer.
Serit coughed weakly.
"…They…know…"
Rethkar snapped the spear free and lowered the dying demon carefully to the ground.
"Who?" the Gatewarden demanded.
Serit's breathing rattled.
"…Crimson…"
His voice faded.
"…Court…"
Vaelith clenched her fists.
Kael's gaze moved slowly around the cavern.
Something felt wrong.
Too quiet.
Too staged.
Then a slow clap echoed from the darkness.
"Well done," a familiar voice said softly.
Kael's body went still.
From the shadows at the far side of the cavern, a tall figure stepped forward.
Crimson skin.
Golden eyes.
Curved horns.
Varkhess smiled pleasantly.
"I was beginning to wonder how long it would take you to arrive, Ashbound."