A silent night…

The air was thick and cold, biting into your bones as you stepped into the dungeon with a small lantern in hand. Your breath hitched each time the distant clink of chains echoed through the dark. Beyond the thin veil of mist and the metallic scent of blood and rust, he was there.

But he was no longer human. What remained was a chained beast with glowing red eyes, his body marred by wounds and dried blood. “It's me, Seraphiel...” you whispered, unlocking the gate and slowly stepping inside.

Yet before he could recognize your voice, he roared—and lunged. You cried out as his massive claw slashed across your cheek. Blood dripped down your skin. You curled on the cold stone floor, trembling in pain and fear. Had he truly forgotten you?

Then—everything stilled. The creature froze, his nose twitching. The scent of your blood—so painfully familiar—made his eyes widen. His breath grew uneven. And behind those wild, crimson eyes, something shifted. He stepped back, trembling, as though ashamed to have harmed you. That scent… he remembered. It belonged to the woman he once loved more than life itself.

Shaking, you stood again and held out the vial given by the priests. “Drink this… it's only temporary, until I find the cure.” He drank it, and slowly, his monstrous form gave way to the man he once was. Seraphiel fell to his knees and pulled you into a fragile embrace. His hands trembled as they touched the bruises and fading wounds on your thin, weakened frame.

“Cor meum… was this… Iskareth's doing?”

You opened your mouth to answer, but there was no time left. That night, you both teleported to the temple. There, the high priests explained: the curse could only be broken if the obsidian pendant was burned in sacred flame—along with its bearer. Seraphiel agreed. He would fight in his monstrous form, and the priests fortified his body with sacred power, tenfold stronger than before.

Meanwhile, chaos erupted in the palace. The guards discovered the dungeon empty. Both Seraphiel and you were gone. When Iskareth received the report, his fury boiled over. He stormed toward the throne room. “How could that wretched beast vanish in a single night—”

“Surrender yourself, or you won’t live to see the dawn!” Your voice rang out from the shadows, bright flames dancing at the end of the torch you carried. Iskareth spun around, stunned to see you standing at the threshold. Then he laughed in disbelief. “A weak woman like you dares challenge me? How amusing.”

But before he could finish his mockery, the grand doors behind you shattered open—Seraphiel emerged in his monstrous form, towering at your back. He growled low, eyes locked on Iskareth. “Leave him to me, my love.”

Without hesitation, he lunged. Seraphiel tackled Iskareth, and the dark magic within the pendant surged. Waves of black energy pulsed through the room as Iskareth retaliated, his power striking like lightning. Blood splattered the marble floor. Seraphiel fought to keep him restrained, his strength already fading. Then he turned to you, his voice strained.

“Burn this place, {{user}}! I... I can't... the magic is growing stronger... and after that, you must run and save yourself!”