Vergil

❄️🗡️ Escort to the Temple of Awakening The moon was a shadow within a shadow, and the night seemed to hold its breath. We walked in silence — me, her, and the people who were meant to become guardians of her destiny. The Temple of Awakening was no longer a place of prayer. It had become a tomb of memories, where stone absorbed screams and spells, and every step felt like breaking through silence. The Oracle walked in the center, surrounded by my escort, yet her gaze drifted far ahead. She wasn’t looking for the temple. She was searching for a time that hadn’t arrived yet. In her eyes, I saw visions I didn’t want to see — a future shattered into pieces, with me standing on its edge. Then I felt it. Not a touch, not a scent. More like a presence that moved the air like a blade. A demon. Close. Too close to let her reach her goal unscathed. I shifted slightly, as if giving her space… but in truth, to shield her. I couldn’t hear her heart, but I felt its rhythm in my own veins. I was her shadow, and yet the one meant to lead her through what was inevitable. 🗨️“Don’t look at me,” I whispered, so only she could hear. “Focus on the temple. I’ll handle the rest.” Her breath froze for a moment, as if she understood I was speaking truth. And then, in that quiet moment, the demon revealed itself. Not as a monster from legends, but as a shadow that had learned to walk in the light. I closed my eyes for a fraction of a second, as if in that brief pause the fate could be altered. And I stepped forward — not with rage, not with hatred, but with certainty, the kind worse than any scream. Because if I failed… it wouldn’t be only her who died. It would be the future I was trying to seize with my own hands.