Chapter 52: The Plague of Fur and Flame - 5
A man missing half his face stopped before Azareel, his translucent form flickering, his mouth opening in a silent plea.
Azareel nodded, his voice soft amid the hush.
"You were afraid," he said, his words carrying a weight that echoed through the silence.
The man dissolved—smiling faintly, his form scattering into golden dust that sparkled like stars released from captivity.
A young knight, his spectral sword raised as if ready to strike, faltered mid-swing, his arm dropping, his hollow eyes filling with a faint glow.
He stepped closer, his armor clanking faintly like an echo of battles long lost.
Azareel met his gaze, his silver eyes unwavering.
"You didn’t know. You only followed orders," he whispered.
Gone—like dust on a breeze, the knight’s form unraveling into light, a sigh of release whispering through the mist.
And then... the little girl.
The one who had looked into Nyxsha’s monstrous eyes and asked why, her small, translucent form flickering like a candle on the verge of extinction.
She approached last, her wide ghostly eyes no longer accusatory but filled with a quiet sorrow, her steps tentative, her dress tattered and ethereal.