The Messenger stood motionless.

Its silver mask reflected nothing. Its robes, woven from something darker than shadow, did not stir in the wind. It had no eyes, no expression—yet Aelric could feel its attention, heavy and suffocating.

“Prove it.”

The words carried no emotion, no malice—only command.

The villagers remained kneeling, their blank faces undisturbed. They did not need to hear more. They had already surrendered long ago.

But Aelric and the man beside him—they had hesitated.

That was why the Messenger had singled them out.

And now, it had issued a test.

“The weak must be discarded,” the Messenger repeated. “Kill one of the fallen.”

Aelric did not react.

His mind, however, raced.

The Messenger was watching for obedience—not loyalty.

It didn’t care about faith. It didn’t care about devotion. It only cared about control.

This was a trap.

If they refused, they would die.

If they hesitated too long, they would die.

But if they followed the order too eagerly—if they showed intent without the proper submission—they might still die.

The nameless man’s fists clenched. Aelric saw the tension in his arms, his shoulders. He was holding back, but barely.

He wants to fight. He wants to kill it.

Aelric couldn’t let that happen.

“Think,” Aelric murmured, his voice too low for anyone but the man beside him to hear. “If you attack, we both die.”

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The man didn’t speak. But his body trembled, the rage pressing against his skin like something alive.

Aelric had seconds.

There’s always a loophole.

He just had to find it.

Aelric stepped forward smoothly, keeping his movements measured.

“I will obey,” he said, his voice steady. “But first, I ask for clarity.”

The Messenger said nothing.

Aelric knew that was not a rejection—it was an invitation to continue.

“The Supreme One’s Order is absolute—therefore, the weak must be those who can no longer serve it. Correct?”

Silence.

“The Order also teaches that those who cannot function are burdens. Correct?”

Again, no answer.

But it did not correct him.

That was enough.

Aelric turned to the collapsed villagers, scanning them.

Then he pointed—at a corpse.

“This one,” he said. “He no longer breathes. He no longer serves. I will discard him.”

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, the Messenger spoke.

“Accepted.”

Aelric felt the tension in his chest ease—but only slightly.

The Messenger turned away, satisfied.

It had been a gamble.

But Aelric had won.

The Messenger’s form shimmered.

Then, without a sound, it vanished.

Aelric exhaled slowly.

He turned to the man beside him.

But he wasn’t looking at Aelric.

He was looking at the body Aelric had pointed to.

Aelric followed his gaze.

The man wasn’t dead.

He was barely breathing, his chest rising in the faintest motions.

Aelric had already checked before choosing.

The Messenger couldn’t tell the difference.

The nameless man stared at him.

“You tricked it.”

Aelric met his gaze. “I adapted.”

The man didn’t reply immediately. But his fists slowly relaxed.

His body was still tense, as if the weight of years of buried rage had nowhere to go.

But something had changed.

Aelric could feel it.

For the first time, the man was looking at him differently.

The villagers had already resumed their routines, their faces as empty as before.

To them, nothing had happened.

The two men stood in the empty square, surrounded by silence.

Aelric spoke first.

“You’re not like them,” he said. “You still feel.”

The man was quiet for a long moment.

Then—

“I shouldn’t.”

Aelric tilted his head.

“But you do.”

The man exhaled through his nose. “And that’s a problem.”

Aelric studied him carefully. “Not necessarily.”

The man gave a dry, humorless chuckle. “That depends on what happens next.”

Aelric nodded, thoughtful.

“Then let’s find out.”

The nameless man stared at him. Then, after what felt like forever, he exhaled.

“My family…” His voice was low, heavy. “They were given a command. My father refused.”

Aelric listened, saying nothing.

“My mother was chosen instead. He was given a choice—kill her, or defy the Order.”

His eyes darkened.

“He killed her.”

Aelric remained still.

“He did it because he thought it would save the rest of us. But once he obeyed, the Messenger gave another command.”

His voice shook with barely contained rage.

“Prove your loyalty.”

His hands clenched.

“My brother was next.”

The silence between them was heavier than before.

“In the end, my father killed all of them. One by one. Until I was the only one left.”

Aelric understood now.

The test was never about obedience. It was about breaking them completely.

And this man had survived it.

Aelric stepped forward. “Then tell me,” he said. “Why are you still here?”

The man exhaled. Then, he said—

“Because I have no name.”

End of Chapter 2