Nyx and Arahnos returned to the alley where, only days before, they had battled the beast. In the clear light of day, everything felt more real—the marks of their struggle, the scorched fragments of the beast’s body, and dark stains on the cobblestones. People passing by cast wary and disgusted glances, a few muttering to one another while others spat at the sight of the mercenaries.

– Looks like we haven’t exactly won many fans here – Nyx observed with a sarcastic lift of her brow. – If only they knew how hard we’re trying to save them.

– All they see is death, monsters, and chaos, – replied Arahnos without a hint of emotion as he scanned the crowd. – To them, we’re no better than those we destroy.

– Well, at least they’re paying attention, – Nyx quipped, though her voice carried a hint of weariness.

They stopped at the beast’s remains—or rather, what was left of them. The decaying, blackened remnants still lay untouched on the stones, as if no one dared disturb them. Around the scene, they noticed small, chaotic footprints, suggesting someone had circled the body, observed, then fled.

– These tracks aren’t ours, – Nyx noted, studying the ground. – Looks like someone else was here… didn’t stay long, though.

– Maybe they were watching, waiting for us to leave, – Arahnos replied, leaning over the beast’s remains. – Wanted to make sure we’d finished the job.

Suddenly, Nyx straightened, feeling as though someone’s gaze was on her. She scanned the alley, narrowing her eyes for any sign of movement, but there was nothing beyond the shadows cast by the walls.

– Something doesn’t sit right with me, – she murmured, still peering into the depths of the alley. – Like… someone’s watching us.

– Not the first time, – Arahnos responded with a cold certainty in his voice. – If that’s the case, we’ll find out where these tracks lead.

They followed the footprints, which led them deeper into the winding alleyways of the old quarter. They crossed several alleys until they reached a dark passageway, almost hidden between two buildings. At the end of the path, they saw something that immediately caught their attention—a small shrine, hidden in the shadows. At its top were their portraits, surrounded by burnt-out candles and strange symbols, the meanings of which they could not immediately decipher.

Nyx looked at Arahnos in disbelief. – Are those… our faces? – she asked, her expression filled with both confusion and unease.

– Looks like we’ve gained some fans, – Arahnos replied, his voice cold and devoid of any humor. – Or enemies with a clear idea of what they’d like to do to us.

Nyx crouched, examining the symbols surrounding the portraits. They were simple, but radiated an unsettling aura—there was something almost magical about them, though she couldn’t immediately grasp their meaning.

– Looks like some sort of ritual, – she whispered. – I’m not sure this is just meant to scare us. Maybe they want… to affect us somehow.

– Or summon something to take us out for them, – Arahnos replied icily. – Sacrifice us to draw forth something they can control.

– Arahnos, could it be that someone’s trying to take your place? How amusing that others now seek to cast you aside. And you still believe you have any control?

The Darkness whispered in his mind, its voice thick with mockery. Arahnos felt a cold chill pierce his thoughts, as if the voice were reminding him that, no matter what happened, he could never truly escape his fate.

– I hear you again, – he muttered under his breath, a trace of anger in his voice as he glared at the shrine with even greater disdain.

Nyx looked at him questioningly but let it go, seeing the expression on his face. Instead, she focused on their surroundings, sensing another presence. She raised her eyes toward the shadows, as if hoping to catch a glimpse of someone hidden within them.

– I don’t think we’re alone, – she said cautiously, listening intently. – It’s as if someone’s waiting for us… like this was all set up for us.

Arahnos looked at her with cold determination. – Then we have no choice. If someone wants us to see this place, let’s find out who’s behind it.

They moved in the direction where Nyx had felt the gaze, slipping quietly between the darkened walls. They soon spotted a figure in the shadows—a slim young man in a worn coat, pressed against the wall, his eyes filled with both fear and determination.

– Who are you? – Nyx asked, her voice calm, though tension glinted in her eyes.

The boy raised his hands, showing he had no intention of fighting. – I… I’m just a messenger, – he stammered, his voice trembling as his eyes flickered nervously between the mercenaries’ faces. – We don’t want you here… you only bring trouble. You need to leave.

Arahnos looked at him coldly. – So this is your doing? The shrine? This is your way of scaring us?

The boy swallowed but responded with a clear note of fear in his voice. – It’s a warning… many in the city believe that you bring evil with you. That your presence brings… misfortune upon us.

Nyx regarded the boy with a mix of irritation and understanding. – So this is your ‘warning’? And what then? You’re just going to wait until something gets us? – she asked, her tone edged with sarcasm.

The boy took a step back, a mixture of fear and desperation in his eyes. – We just want you to leave… for the city’s safety. Those who believe in these symbols think only your presence brings darkness upon us. Then everything will return to normal.

Nyx chuckled softly, though her eyes remained cold. – So you think getting rid of us will solve your problems?

The boy swallowed, his gaze shifting away. – Yes… at least some of us believe that.

Arahnos took a step closer, staring him straight in the eye. – Tell your people that if they want us gone, they can do it themselves. And if they have the courage, let them face us.

The boy lowered his gaze, clearly terrified and at the same time defeated.

The young man stood still for a moment, as if his mind was torn between the urge to flee and the duty to complete his mission. Finally, he looked up at Nyx and Arahnos, his gaze filled with desperation and unmistakable fear.

– They’re afraid of you, – he admitted quietly, his voice barely trembling in the air. – Everyone is convinced that you’re the reason all this is happening. The disappearances, the strange shadows, the chill that seeps in at night… it all started when you arrived. That’s why… we want you gone.

Nyx tightened her grip on her sword hilt and glanced at Arahnos, a shadow of frustration in her eyes. Though she understood where such fears might stem from, she knew they had little basis in reality.

– So we’re the monsters to you – she said, shaking her head with an ironic smile. – As if we don’t have enough of our own problems...

The young man bit his lip, gathering courage to add something. His gaze lingered on Arahnos, a glimmer of anger flickering in his eyes, though clearly held back by fear.

– And what if it’s true? – he asked unexpectedly, his voice steadier. – Maybe you really are the ones attracting all this misfortune. Maybe your presence is… cursed.

Arahnos narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning icy. He reached out, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder and drawing him closer. Although his grip was light, the young man shivered.

– If you believe we’re the source of your troubles, then come face us yourselves, – Arahnos hissed through clenched teeth. – See what true darkness is, if you’re so eager to summon it.

Nyx looked at Arahnos, noticing the anger in his eyes, but also something else—a shadow growing within him, slowly but inexorably.

– Arahnos, – she said quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to diffuse the tension. – He’s just a boy, a messenger. There’s no point in scaring him.

The young man glanced at Nyx with a mixture of gratitude and relief, sensing that at least one of them wasn’t bent on harming him. He straightened, though he still avoided direct eye contact.

– I’ll deliver your message… but… I warn you, you’re not safe here. Those who believe in these rituals won’t rest until they drive you out, – he added with a hint of conviction, as though his own words were giving him a shred of courage.

Nyx nodded, though her gaze remained steely. – Tell them we’re not afraid of their ‘rituals’ or their attempts at intimidation. If they’re convinced we’ve brought trouble upon them, let them come and try to stop us. We’ll see if their faith holds up against reality.

The young man, visibly shaken, cast one last glance at the shrine as if to ensure his mission was complete. Then he turned on his heel and disappeared into the shadows of the alley, leaving Nyx and Arahnos in a heavy, oppressive silence.

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Nyx looked at Arahnos, her expression tinged with worry. – What now? If a cult truly has formed here, convinced that we’re a threat, they might attempt to use magic to neutralize us. And if they’re desperate enough…

Arahnos nodded, though his gaze remained unchanged, cold and resolute. – It doesn’t matter what rituals they perform. Whatever they’re planning, we won’t let them intimidate us. If we must face them, we will, even if it means confronting their fear and superstitions.

Nyx sighed, knowing that for Arahnos, the answer was always the same—confrontation. She looked at the shrine, at their portraits in the dim light of burnt-out candles, and felt a chill run across her skin.

– I hope they’re ready for whatever they’ve summoned, – she murmured, her voice echoing in the silence, filled with both uncertainty and determination.

Nyx and Arahnos stood in silence for a moment, gazing at the shrine, where the flickering candles cast trembling shadows over their own portraits. There was a weight in the air, something neither of them could quite name—perhaps fear, perhaps sheer uncertainty, or maybe the inevitable tension of an impending confrontation.

– Can you imagine what they’ll be willing to do to “rid themselves of evil”? – Nyx finally broke the silence, crossing her arms and looking at Arahnos with a hint of skepticism. – If they really believe we’re the source of their suffering, they might try something foolish… or dangerous.

Arahnos looked up, shrugging with a facade of calm, though his eyes glimmered with a cold fire.

– Let them try. If they have the courage to face us, they’ll find only one thing—the end of their beliefs. Their faith in superstitions won’t save them. We control our fate, not them.

Nyx wasn’t entirely convinced. She rested a hand against her cheek, lost in thought, as if searching for a way to avoid confrontation with these townsfolk who, blinded by fear, might stop at nothing.

– You can’t always see it that way, Arahnos. Sometimes, when people are desperate… they won’t stop for anything. Even if it means bringing their own ruin upon themselves. – Her voice trembled, full of something that sounded like sorrow and disappointment in humanity.

Arahnos regarded her coolly, as though trying to understand her concerns, but his own beliefs felt solid as rock—unshakable and immune to influence.

– Nyx, if I’ve learned one thing, it’s this: mercy is a weakness that people will exploit at the moment you least expect. I won’t let them turn us into victims of their own irrational fears.

At his words, the Darkness stirred again in Arahnos’s mind, its ominous whisper reminding him that he was never entirely alone.

– Don’t be weak, Arahnos. Their fears are your weapon. Frighten them; remind them what it means to dread the true dark… for I am your blade.

His eyes gleamed as he grasped the meaning of the Darkness’s words. He looked at Nyx, still uncertain and caught between her loyalty and her better judgment.

– They already think we’re monsters, Nyx, – he said quietly, almost a whisper. – Maybe it’s time they truly feared us.

Nyx pressed her lips together, holding his gaze for a long moment. In her eyes was more than fear—there was determination, but also something that resembled concern. She knew the Darkness was drawing Arahnos ever deeper, and she could only watch, unsure how to pull him back from that trap.

– If you keep going down this path, Arahnos, they’ll never stop fearing us. And one day, we’ll pay the price for what we do now, – she whispered, her voice soft but piercing, like a blade.

Arahnos gave a small nod, as if acknowledging her words, though he knew deep down that the chasm between them was widening.

– Pay the price? – he murmured with a faint, cynical smile. – Perhaps. But not today. Today, they’re the ones who are our problem.

Nyx sighed heavily and looked away, knowing she wouldn’t change his mind. She cast a final glance at the shrine before deciding to leave that place, which felt like a stage set for an impending tragedy.

Together they moved on, their steps carrying them ever further from the world they once knew as truth.

Nyx and Arahnos walked down the city’s main streets, where their presence drew hushed whispers and wary glances from passersby. The air was thick with tension, as if the city itself breathed with anxiety and hostility. People gave them a wide berth, while some looked on with barely concealed fear. Nyx could feel the hostility growing with each step, yet she walked with her head held high.

– They’re looking at us like we’re the embodiment of their worst nightmares, – she remarked quietly, bitterness lacing her voice. – Whatever we do, it seems like it’s already too late.

Arahnos glanced at her briefly, but his expression remained cold and unreadable.

– Maybe that’s for the best, – he replied. – If they see us as a threat, so be it. Maybe that’s what they need—something to blame, something to bear the weight of all their fears.

Nyx halted abruptly, forcing Arahnos to turn and face her. She looked at him with a mixture of uncertainty and anger.

– Is that really what you think? – she asked, bitterness clear in her voice. – That we’re just here to be their scapegoats for every superstition? We came here to help, not to be the victims of their irrational fears.

Arahnos shrugged, as if it all meant little to him.

– Help or sacrifice, it’s the same to them. You can see it for yourself, Nyx. The more we try, the more we become their enemies.

Nyx sighed, turning her gaze away. She knew Arahnos was right, but it was hard to accept his cynical view. Once, she had believed their mission could make a real difference, that they could save these people. Now, she felt as if the ground was slipping out from under her.

– Maybe there’s still a way to turn this around, – she said, almost to herself. – If we can figure out what’s really happening, maybe we can convince them we’re not the enemy.

Arahnos looked at her with a slight, ironic smile.

– Idealism has no place here, Nyx. The only language they understand is fear. If they don’t want us as enemies, they should stop treating us like monsters. And if they won’t… well, then let them see what darkness really is.

There was a hint of something deeper in his voice, something Nyx tried to understand but knew she’d never fully grasp—the influence of the Darkness, which slowly but surely seemed to gain more control over him.

They came to a stop in front of a stone plaza, where a few townsfolk stood, watching them with open distaste and fear. An older man, his face lined with years spent in the city, stepped forward, his gaze filled with anger.

– Why don’t you just leave before you bring more misfortune upon us! – he shouted, desperation ringing in his voice. – Your presence brings nothing but doom. We don’t want you here!

Nyx felt a surge of anger rising within her but suppressed it, forcing herself to find the last reserves of her patience.

– We came here to help you deal with a threat you’ve seen yourselves, – she said calmly but firmly. – If you won’t let us finish our work, your fears will only keep growing.

But the man shook his head, his gaze still filled with rage.

– We don’t need your help! It’s you who bring these shadows, who bring us misfortune. Leave us!

Nyx cast a desperate glance at Arahnos, who only looked at the man with a cold expression, his eyes glinting with a hint of contempt.

– Fine. If you’d rather live in fear, so be it, – he said icily. – But when real danger comes, don’t expect that you’ll be able to chase it away with prayers and rituals.

The townsfolk began whispering among themselves, their eyes filled with both fear and determination. It was clear they weren’t willing to let strangers—even those who might help them—stand in their way.

Finally, a younger man stepped forward, his voice cautious but carrying a trace of curiosity.

– But what if… what if you really can help us? – he asked hesitantly. – If you actually know what’s happening here?

Nyx looked at him, sensing a faint glimmer of hope in him, faint but visible.

– We know more than you might think. Just let us do what we must. Otherwise, your fear will only bring even greater misfortune.

The older man shot them one last look of disdain, but seeing the young man’s curiosity, he simply turned away and left with the others. It seemed at least one of them had decided to listen.

Nyx turned to the young man.

– We need to know everything you’ve seen about the recent events. Anything strange—shadows, symbols, people who don’t belong—anything might be important to us.

The young man nodded, his expression becoming serious.

– Lately, we’ve seen… strange figures. They appear at night, but no one knows where they come from. They vanish before anyone can really see them. People say they’re spirits… but I’m not sure.

Nyx looked meaningfully at Arahnos.

– Spirits, shadows… whatever it is, we need to find it before the townspeople’s fear boils over.

Arahnos nodded, a shadow of determination darkening his gaze. Any hint of hesitation vanished, replaced by a cold certainty.

– If these shadows truly are here, we’ll find them. And we’ll show these people what true darkness is.

Nyx and Arahnos followed the boy’s directions through the winding alleys, searching for any trace of the “shadows” that haunted the city. They checked narrow passages, peered into darkened corners, and searched any place that might shelter whatever strange presence had gripped the town. Hours slipped by, and Arahnos’s frustration grew with every empty step.

– This is ridiculous, – he muttered through clenched teeth, stopping to scan the empty street with irritation. – We’re chasing something that isn’t even here. Maybe these people have all just lost their minds.

Nyx glanced at him, sensing his tension mounting with every moment, as though something was boiling within him, threatening to break free.

– Maybe we misinterpreted the clues, – she suggested, trying to keep her voice calm. – We’ll find something. We just need a bit more time.

But Arahnos was in no mood to wait. The Darkness began to murmur in his mind, a quiet yet insistent whisper, slipping into his thoughts.

– Why do you let these wretched souls deceive you? They’re the source of your frustration. Entertain yourself with them, if that’s what you desire…

Arahnos felt cold anger simmering within him, steadily shifting into a thirst for action. Just then, they heard footsteps approaching. Emerging from the shadows was a group of townsfolk, led by an older man whose face twisted with anger and fear.

– It’s them! – one of the men shouted, pointing at Nyx and Arahnos. – They’re trying to intimidate us, and now they’re here to destroy us!

Nyx realized something had gone wrong, but before she could react, Arahnos stepped forward, his eyes gleaming in the darkness, his face a mask of icy resolve.

– Do you truly believe you can accuse us without consequence? – he spoke quietly, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. – You have the audacity to claim that we’re the source of your misery?

The elder looked at Arahnos with a mix of fear and desperation but held his ground.

– We’ve seen you! Disappearing into the shadows, searching for… something. Leave us before you destroy our lives!

In Arahnos’s mind, the Darkness whispered in triumphant tones, fueling his anger.

– This is the true face of these people. They will never accept you, never understand you. If they want a monster… then give them one.

Nyx noticed the shift in Arahnos’s expression. She called out to him, trying to snap him out of the trance of rage, but it was too late. Arahnos raised his hand, and dark energy began to swirl around it, a shadowy, cold flame that seemed almost tangible. The elder took a step back, but there was no time to escape.

– You’re always looking for enemies where there are none, – Arahnos whispered, his voice now an echo of the Darkness itself. – Let me give you a reason to fear.

Nyx shouted, desperately trying to stop him, but before she could intervene, Arahnos struck. The dark energy surged forward, engulfing the man. A choked gasp escaped the elder’s lips before his body slumped to the ground, lifeless, as the rest of the townsfolk scattered in terror, horrified by the power they had just witnessed.

Nyx stood frozen in shock, her breaths coming fast, her heart pounding wildly. She could see that this was more than just Arahnos’s usual anger—this was something deeper, something she had hoped never to see.

For a moment, she thought she wouldn’t be able to move, but then, suddenly, she sprang into action. She approached Arahnos, gripping his arm tightly, as if that alone could bring him back to reality.

– We have to leave, – she whispered, fear lacing her voice. – It’s over, Arahnos. They’re really going to hunt us now. We need to go before they all come back.

Arahnos looked at her with a distant gaze, as if only now realizing what he’d done. He took in her fear, the horrified faces of those retreating from him as if he were something inhuman.

– Nyx… I… – he started, but his voice trailed off as he fully comprehended his actions. The Darkness within him only chuckled, reveling in his weakness, basking in its newfound hold over him.

Nyx squeezed his hand tighter.

– It doesn’t matter anymore, – she interrupted sharply, though tears glistened in her eyes. – Just come with me.