Kaleb led the party through the great doors and into the reception hall where Iridia had bravely stood her ground. The only sign of battle was Iridia’s spear on the floor but its master was nowhere to be seen.

Esme moved before Kaleb and ascended the stairs with a half run, “Come now, we must move quickly if we are to find her, we cannot lose her.”

Vince scoffed, “Casualties are inevitable.”

Kaleb gripped Vince’s shoulder and pushed him forward, “You will have a price to pay should that be the case.”

He laughed as he stumbled forward and made up the steps. “Come then, time for you to earn your pay.”

Esme pulled apart the doors atop the stairs, and before them was a warped field with two shadowy figures behind it, too blurry to make sense of. “Here is why your skills are needed, Kaleb.” She faced Kaleb and placed a hand on his chest, “You must go beyond that field, it will cause great pain but you will heal.”

Kaleb's eyes narrowed, like a simple card in a game of Iron Seeker he had been slapped on the table with only a thought of victory for its player. “I will hold you responsible like I will Vince.”

Esme glanced at Vince and back to Kaleb. “You must trust me.”

“I do not, I have no choice but to follow your request now.”

Flencer grunted, “I’ll keep my eye on these two for ye.”

“I see that Iridia is alive, but her time is running short, you must move quickly.” Her voice was hushed.

“She’s right, Paladin, pass through the gate, shatter their ark crystal and allow us through, we will help you then,” Vince smirked and turned back to wink at Flencer. Flencer lifted his crossbow to show the nocked bolt.

Esme bowed her head, “When you are through, I will toss your weapons across.”

“I am to go unarmed also?”

“The less resistance the better.”

Kaleb stepped before the shimmering purple that drew a line between them and whatever waited on the other side. As he approached he could feel his skin prickle with a spiney heat that kissed every inch of his front. The small hairs on his face vaporised and the water in his eyes dried, he closed them but the heat slipped under his lids and reddened his eyes like deep smoke from a wood fire.

He filled his lungs and the air was like sulphur, yet he still pressed forward until his nose touched the quivering gate. The skin from his nose flaked and blew away like ashes scattered over a lake. Kaleb understood the pain he was about to endure and that it would be legendary if he survived.

“Kaleb, help!”

He could hear the faint voice of Iridia, perhaps through the veins of the divine heart or a trick of the mind played by foul sorcery, for better or worse it was enough to draw Kaleb’s remaining courage forth.

He plunged into the gate and began to march.

It was like walking against the greatest storm winds he had experienced, the gale's strength danced with the fiery nails of the evil magics. Kaleb's skin was but chaff and blew from his flesh like soggy parchment paper. He let forth a seismic roar as he pressed onward, the doorway had extended from inches to what felt like miles, and every step brought him no closer to the other side. He fell to a knee as his flesh was ripped from the bone in chunks of sizzling viscera. Kaleb could smell his body being cooked as he tried to stand.

“Keep going, Kaleb!”

Flencer’s voice was a distant bird song from a land he sought to return to. Kaleb’s healing ability fought to keep him alive, anybody else would have blown to dust. He pushed himself up and stood once more, and held his skeletal hand in front of his eyes. Kaleb charged forward and emerged through the other side. The coolness of the air felt like he had pressed his face into a bucket of ice.

“How is this possible?”

The voice of something croaked angrily but Kaleb was too busy writhing on the tiled floor, his flesh smacking bloodily as it reformed on his broken body. He cried in agony, his eyeballs had been melted from their sockets, his lips peeled back and his heart was charred but still beat with defiance.

“Two of them!”

Kaleb was able to clamber to his feet, his vision returned when his eyeballs had reformed. He was but a moment from death and was not ready to face a new foe.

“He seems to have taken it much worse than the girl.”

“Kaleb!”

Iridia’s voice was clear in the misty haze, she ran towards him and helped him. “You are hurt!”

He grunted as he stood, the flesh had reformed on his body but he was completely bald and his skin was reddened and pruney. His eyes were new and glistened with a beauty that stood out, like two gems affixed to a rotten wall. “How did you get in here?”

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“I was taken here, by Saldagor.” She motioned to him, he sat upon one of the throne seats in the room. There was another to its left, Kaleb assumed the woman sitting in it was Trinius.

Kaleb rubbed his new eyes as his vision adjusted. The room was circular, stained glass windows depicting many great Paladins stood as the walls.

“We have a proposition for you, Paladins.”

Iridia’s spear and the Hammer of Zale came crashing through the shimmering wall of pain from behind. Kaleb lifted them both and handed Iridia her spear. “I’ve had about enough of propositions.”

“It’s clear why they sent you.” The woman stood, she was tall and beautiful much like Esme, clad in silvery armour and holding a spear with a hooked tip.

Iridia moved close to Kaleb, she whispered, “They are all black in heart, I do not trust them, or Esme and Vince.”

Kaleb nodded darkly, “Indeed,” he whispered back and walked toward the crystal that stood up in the centre of the room, it balanced upon nothing and turned around like a dancer spinning.

“Go no further!” The woman held out her hand, “You must not let him in.”

“What’s going on in there?” Flencer dared not go near the warped gate, instead choosing to stand with the two Orcs at some distance.

“Silence, Dwarf.” Vince’s voice had lost all of its charm, now a cold croak.

“I would show me some damn resp-ugh!”

An Orc had struck Flencer on the back of his head, rendering him unconscious.

“Just who should I not let in?”

Saldagor moved calmly, he could see Kaleb’s pain and fury, a ball amassing in the centre of the room. “See how we do not aggress you, the man who brought you here seeks to deceive.”

Iridia pointed her spear at him, “You are a demon, you brought me through the gate in hopes of killing me!”

“Indeed, for that, I apologise.” He bowed his head softly, “Your resilience is something I have not seen before, your master was mortally struck within moments of passing, but you remained intact.”

Kaleb couldn’t see how this was possible, but he knew one thing, Iridia was full of surprises. “So you fear our retribution?” He smiled and hefted his hammer threateningly.”

“Indubitably master of House Zale, but I assure you, we keep the peace here and if you let him through, that will end, better the evil you know…and so forth.”

“I don’t know your evil.”

“I will show him to you, he will persuade you of such power and show you the right path.”

As Saldagor spoke Trinius approached with an open book in her hands, Iridia saw it was much like the one that had taken hold of Morgan, and then she thought of Morgan and great worry flushed through her chest down to her stomach.

Kaleb noticed a wry smile on Trinius’ lips, she could not hide it for lack of trying and her mouth twitched. “Ah, and who is your master?”

“He will reveal himself, it’s why you have come no?”

Iridia gripped Kaleb’s arm, “The book has evil inside it, it brought Morgan to tears, he said he wished to kill himself, it’s a trap I am certain.”

“I agree, but I must walk into this trap.”

“Why?” Iridia shook her head.

“If I cannot survive a moment in its presence, our quest is lost, I will return sane in mind.”

Iridia squeezed his arm tightly, “We cannot lose you to that thing.”

Kaleb nodded, “You have my word.”

Her hands loosened and Kaleb's arm slipped from her fingers like a silky ribbon, she caught his finger for a fleeting moment and watched him approach the open book. A confident Trinius waiting proudly.

Kaleb looked upon the unfamiliar black words of the offered page and fell as Morgan did, deep into the great ocean. Unlike Morgan, however, his vision was augmented with the truth of the divine heart. He sank deep into the blood-red waters, the sea base was but acres of flesh, a billion hands held up with open palms and wiggling fingers, all calling for mercy in their unyielding tormented afterlife, souls to be used as a throne for the pretender god that perched upon them.

“Man of Zale, house of fools, you come to look upon greatness?”

Even with the augmentation of the Divine heart, the black was too thick for him to penetrate, only the low groan of the abyss gave away its position in the vast unknown.

“I was told you had information for me.”

“Your hubris is blinding, you come before me in search of my name, and you believe you can survive this moment with me.”

“Morgan did.”

“The fraction of time he spent in my presence was a gift, I granted him release.”

“Why?”

“So my horror could be reflected in eyes back to you.” The demon let forth a guttural chuckle.

“Perhaps you don’t have the effect you think you do in the hearts of good men.”

“You speak to me of hearts, Paladin?” A great red light beamed up and drew Kaleb’s attention, they were beneath the vast hallways and chambers of the Divine Heart, blackness encroached its base and it crept with vile intentions. “See how your divine heart sits upon my palm, you draw from it because I permit it.”

“Lies!”

“I see all, your heart made a pact with me before these lands were sung into existence, I granted it the power, and now I collect a payment, you are nothing.”

Kaleb could feel a mournful lamentation fill his soul, he contained the grief within his steel exterior, remaining focused on the Demon's wretched words.

“You feel hopelessness, you will not know my name, it is too perfect for you to say, creature.”

Kaleb closed his eyes and tried to contact the Divine Heart, instead, he was met with a series of fast-flying visions. They depicted great suffering. Angelspree was flooded with blood, a crimson tidal wave tore through a spire, the grasslands withered and blackened, bones piled up to the clouds and a sprawling sea bed of clambering souls languished in their new hell. The hammer of Zale shattered against the cold stone of a once-great monastery and the Divine Hearts temple collapsed within itself. He could feel the Divine Heart beat with uncertainty for the first time, resistance was futile.

“Your end tastes sweet, I assure you.”

Kaleb struggled before the great Demon, his insides wanted to escape into the sky and fold away into the great heavens to hide behind the stars and look upon his failure for eternity. Perhaps death was the only option, maybe if he took the lives of himself and Iridia he could ease her suffering. Drowning was the best way to kill a Paladin of his ilk, yes, they could walk into the sea off the port of Farlow and let the world succumb to this impossible evil.

Kaleb shot up, back to dry land, back into the circular room. He took up his hammer and looked to Iridia, his eyes were dark and his lips tightly shut.

“Kaleb, what did you see, do you know what you must do?”

Kaleb nodded with a great knowing.