For several seconds, no one moved. The river flowed beneath the bridge with that dark, steady murmur that sounded far too much like the slow breathing of something enormous. Mist drifted over the water like a living sheet, sliding between the ancient stone pillars, and the air had grown heavy—so still that each of us seemed to breathe carefully, afraid of breaking the silence. Agramor stood before us. He did not walk like an ordinary man. Each of his steps felt like a decision made by the world itself. His black cloak fell elegantly across his shoulders, moving with a slow, almost ceremonial grace, as though some invisible wind belonged only to him. Serah knelt beside Eldran. Maelor too. Both were trying to hold his body upright. Aldric stood a few steps behind me, his sword already drawn.
—Captain! —Serah shouted— He's not breathing!
I knelt beside them. Eldran's skin was cold. Cold in the way that only the end can be cold. The wound in his side had split open completely, and the blood pouring from it was no longer red. It was black, thick and glossy like fresh tar, spilling slowly across the ancient stones of the bridge, forming dark veins that crawled toward the Devil's feet. Agramor watched the scene with a serenity that was almost unbearable.
—The black wound —he murmured with curiosity—. I've always found it a fascinating side effect.
I lifted my gaze toward him.
—If you came to watch, you've seen enough.
Agramor tilted his head slightly.
—Not exactly —he took a step closer —. I came to talk.
Maelor clenched his teeth as he held Eldran's body.
—Then talk fast.
Agramor allowed himself a small smile.
—Oh, there's no hurry —his eyes slowly drifted down toward the body Serah and Maelor were holding —. After all… your friend is no longer exactly with you.
He gestured calmly toward the wound. I felt Aldric tense behind me.
—What do you mean? —Serah asked.
Agramor looked back at Eldran with an almost affectionate calm.
—The black wound is not merely a wound. It is an invitation —his voice was soft, almost instructional —. The wolf that bit him was no ordinary beast. It was one of mine. And that bite leaves a mark —his gaze returned to us —. What you see now is not just blood leaving his body. It is his soul finding its way home.
Silence fell across the bridge. Serah shook her head.
—No.
Agramor smiled.
—Yes, my dear —his eyes settled on me —. Your friend is already closer to me… than to you.
The words hung in the air. Maelor tightened his grip on Eldran's body.
—Captain —he murmured— we need to act fast.
Eldran's breathing was barely a tremor in his chest. Agramor took another step toward us.
—But he hasn't crossed completely yet. The final line still awaits him —he raised one finger —. Which leaves us with an interesting margin for negotiation.
Aldric raised his sword.
—We're not negotiating anything with you.
Agramor didn't even look at him. His eyes remained fixed on me.
—You have two choices, Captain. You may try to kill me. Many have tried… —he paused and smiled —. Or we can make a deal.
I did not answer immediately. Serah looked up at me.
—Captain…
Agramor continued.
—I can save him. Close that wound. Give him back his breath. Pull him from the very shadows of my realm.
Maelor frowned.
—And what do you want in return?
—It's not something you can offer —his eyes burned in the darkness —I want him.
A pressure stirred inside my chest. Old. Heavy. Like a door that had remained closed for far too long.
—I know you don't remember many things, Captain —Agramor continued softly—. The mist saw to that. But inside your head there is something that belongs to me. And I want it back. Your memories. Your secrets. Your forgotten names… your wars and your gods.
The river struck the bridge pillars harder now. His eyes gleamed with an ancient hunger. Serah rose abruptly.
—No!
Agramor ignored her.
—In return… I will release all of them. Aldric. Serah. Maelor —his eyes shifted briefly toward Eldran —. Even this poor man who is already halfway to me —then he looked back at me —I will allow them to leave the valley. No pursuit. No traps. No games.
Aldric gripped his sword so tightly his knuckles turned pale.
—Captain, give the order. Just give the damn order!
Maelor spoke as well
—This smells like a lie.
But Agramor only smiled.
—One memory for four lives. I think that's a reasonable price. After all… shouldn't a captain sacrifice himself for his men?
Something shifted inside my mind. As if those words had struck a forgotten door. An echo. A shadow. A strange sensation that I had heard his voice before. I realized my hands had risen to my head, pressing against my helmet as if I could hold my skull together. Serah's voice pulled me back.
—Don't do it! —she shouted.
Maelor looked down at Eldran's wound. The black blood was still flowing.
—Captain…
Agramor extended his hand toward me.
—Tick… tock. Time is running out. Give me your memories… —his eyes burned in the shadows —and they will all go free.
The wind began to blow again across the bridge. The mist swirled around us. Inside my mind, everything slowed: Eldran releasing a final breath, Serah shouting my name, Aldric stepping forward and Maelor rubbing the rings on his fingers. Then something ignited within me. An ancient fury. A fire thousands of years old carrying the voices of my fallen brothers. I drew my sword and hurled myself at the Devil. Blinded by rage. Not knowing if I possessed the strength to win the battle. But certain of one thing: I would not lose.