A somber mood filled the air as the carriage continued on its journey. Sadness? Not really. I barely knew her. She was just someone I shared a meal with.

So why did it feel like a blow? Like the cold shock you feel when a stranger gets hit by a car in front of you. Sudden, brutal, and over before you can even process it. My mind kept circling back to all those times I'd clicked through NPC death scenes without a second thought. Funny how different it felt when you'd eaten their cooking, when you'd accepted their kindness, when you'd watched them try to protect a child from the horror their world had become.

I wondered what her final moments were like. Had she felt the change coming? Had she tried to get Eli somewhere safe first? Did she suffer through that bone-snapping transformation, or had it been quick? And Eli... what happened to him after she... after she...

I took another look at the golden locket, turning it over in my hands. The metal was warm to the touch, almost alive. My fingers traced the intricate engravings on its surface —delicate swirls and patterns as well as an emblem of two intertwined crescent moons.

As I held the locket, I couldn’t help but lament the irony of the whole situation. Ada and Elijah, bound by a promise that even light poisoning couldn't break. Together forever, just... not in the way they'd hoped.

Inspect Golden Locket of Eternity: Allows a loved one to teleport to your current location

I clenched the locket, realizing the potential of this. Teleportation. Fast travel without markers, emergency escapes, surprise tactical advantages... my mind raced with the possibilities.

But that requirement. "A loved one." Three simple words that might as well have been asking for a unicorn that breathed rainbow fire.

Must be nice, to have someone worth teleporting to. Yet another powerful item I couldn't properly use.

As these thoughts swirled in my mind, I became aware of Solcaeli's sharp eyes upon me. His gaze seemed to pierce through my contemplation, bringing me back to the present moment. His eyes were directed at the locket in my hand.

“Mayhap she one of thine companions?” he asked. His question seemed casual but I could not help but noticed that his hand drifted to his sword, hovering right above it.

I shook my head. “No, not really. she was an acquaintance at best… a stranger in the desert. But still, to see someone turn into … that. It’s a bit shocking.”

Something in my response must have satisfied him. Solcaeli relaxed his arm and regarded me with a calm steady gaze.

“Light poisoning is a reality of the world. A grievous thing, yes, but 'tis a fate we must learn to accept if we abandon the light.”

“What causes light poisoning?” I asked, wanting to understand more.

“A lack of faith.” His voice held the simple certainty of someone stating that water is wet.

“The benevolence of the lord of light shields all of his children. It is only through his grace that we can walk this world unscathed. But for those who stray from his light, his wrath is swift and the affliction of light poisoning doth follow.” His words carried the weight of doctrine, as if this was a truth burnt into his very soul.

So this was what Ada meant. The church’s explanation, a curse from a god… Doesn’t sound like a very compassionate god. But was there more to it than that? I wasn’t a very religious person and found this hard to believe. Besides, Ada’s theory about the sun was still stuck in my head.

“Could it be caused by overexposure to the sun?”

The temperature in the carriage seemed to drop as Solcaeli's serene expression hardened. "Lies," his jaw clenching almost imperceptibly as he spoke through gritted teeth. "Deceit spread by pagans to weaken thy faith. Heed not those words which distract thee from the light."

I should have noticed the warning in his tone, the way his fingers drummed against his tome. But curiosity pushed me forward. "What about the night? How did it vanish from this world?"

The change was instant. The holy knight's face darkened like a storm cloud blotting out the sun. “Thou dare speak such heresy in mine presence !” The tome slammed shut with a smash that made me flinch “The night is naught but a myth. A foul fantasy whispered by the Demon King to corrupt the souls of men”

I blinked, taken aback by his reaction. It had been an innocent question, but his response... Something deeper lurked beneath that anger, something that tasted of fear. Maybe that's why I pressed on, despite every instinct screaming at me to stop.

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“Have you really never seen night time before? Who is the Demon King?”

But that was a mistake.

"ENOUGH!" Solcaeli roared, all pretense of serenity shattered. “Shouldst thou persist in straying from the path of orthodoxy, then thou shall find no mercy from the lord of light” His hand moved to the hilt of his sword, gripping it with white-knuckled intensity.

I froze, taken aback by his aggression. I may not have fully understood his words, but his threat was clear as day.

The holy aura around him flared, radiating an intensity that threatened battle. His eyes, once calm and steady, now burned with an inner fire. The silence between us was thick and suffocating. A single wrong move would ignite a conflict.

WARNING: Combat Not Recommended Threat Level: Catastrophic You are severely under-leveled for this encounter. Survival chance: 0%

The system's warning flashed red in my vision, as if even it was panicking. Not that I needed the warning. My gaming instincts were screaming loud enough already.

Name: Solcaeli Caelum Base Class: Knight Elemental Affiliation: Light Advanced Class: ??? Level: ??? Combat Rating: ???

The dreaded question marks.

In any game, that's the universal symbol for 'run away, you fool.' You don’t mess with the question marks. It wouldn’t be a fight. It was suicide with extra steps.

But then, I didn’t need the system to tell me this. I had witnessed his strength up close. The ease with which he had dispatched the light zombie, in not more than a single strike. This was not a man I wanted to antagonist.

Besides, this man had saved me from the desert. I would feel ungrateful if I got into a conflict with him now. At least, that's what I told myself.

“You’re right” I relented. “I’ll speak no more of it.”

Solcaeli studied me for a long moment. On ascertaining my compliance, he relaxed the grip on his sword and dimmed his aura. “May thou never stray from the lord’s light” he said curtly. The carriage was silent for the rest of the journey.

The tension in the carriage slowly dissipated with the passing of time. Solcaeli returned to his quiet contemplation, occasionally muttering prayers under his breath. I, for my part, retreated into my own thoughts, mulling over everything I'd learned and experienced.

The Light that blessed. The Light that cursed. The night that never was. The Demon King who whispered lies, or perhaps truths. Each revelation felt like another piece of a puzzle I couldn't quite see.

Hours passed and my brooding was interrupted by movement outside the window. The endless sea of sand was changing, yielding to stubborn signs of life. It started with sparse patches of desert shrubs. Cresosote bushes and white bursages that littered the desert floors. I was impressed they were able to cling to life even in the unforgiving sands.

As we headed further, live continued to flourish. The shrubs dwindled, replaced with clusters of palm trees that grew by pools of water. Birds could be seen flying between trees, using this habitat to nest and forage. This oasis was truly the desert’s jewel, supplying the waters of life that supported this ecosystem

Finally, Solcaeli broke the silence. His earlier anger seemed to have faded, replaced by a serene expression as he gazed out at the changing landscape. "We draw nigh unto Caelivitas," he announced.

A city came into view. It was a large city encircled by towering walls of stone and clay. Its high walls had been weathered by time and battered by the scorching sun. On top of the walls stood sentinels. Upon noticing the arrival of our caravan, they hastily opened the gates.

“It amazing. How does the city survive in the middle of a desert?" I asked

"The grace of the Lord of Light provides. Ancient aqueducts, blessed by His divine power, bring water from oasis. It is His gift to the faithful."

The carriage slowed as we approached the gates. I leaned out, eager for a better view, and was struck by the eerie sight that greeted me. Lining the entrance to the city were dozens of marble statues. They were uncanny, almost lifelike. Their expressions conveyed fear and sorrow, as if they were frozen in a moment of anguished lament.

"Light poisoning," Solcaeli explained, noticing my gaze. "They were fortunate. For those who repent while afflicted, the Lord grants them mercy, merely turning them to stone. Only the unrepentant are turned to vile fiends."

This is what counts as fortunate in this world?

I couldn't tear my eyes away from the statues. Each one told a story of fear and pain.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from their frozen agony. A young woman, arm outstretched toward something, or someone, forever beyond her reach. An old man on his knees, face carved with terror and regret, eternally begging for a mercy that had already been granted. And there , I held my breath ,a child no older than Eli, frozen mid-run, mouth opened in a scream that would never end.

The carriage rolled forward, and the gates of Caelivitas loomed before us. Massive and imposing, they seemed to promise safety from the horrors of the desert. As we passed through, the statues disappeared from view, replaced by a crowd of people who had gathered.

“Lord Solcaeli is back!”

“Knight Captain Solcaeli has returned from the capital!”

“All hail Solcaeli!”

It was clear Solcaeli was beloved by the people.

As we reached the town square, the carriage came to a halt. His entourage of knight cleared a path and opened the door of the carriage. On exiting the carriage, he turned back to me, his voice taking on a welcoming tone.

“Welcome to Caelivitas”