A Prisoner of War
The morning sun barely cut through the thick haze of smoke hanging over the war camp. The battle with Ardyn had left the soldiers uneasy. Even those hardened by war kept their distance from the tent where he was being held.
Billy stood just outside, hands resting on the hilt of his chaos blade. The whispers had been relentless since last night.
"Kill him. End it before he betrays you."
He exhaled sharply, shaking off the voice as he stepped inside.
Ardyn was strapped to a reinforced chair, heavy suppression cuffs around his wrists and ankles. His body twitched as if something inside him was still trying to claw free.
His eyes flickered open. The madness was still there, but dimmer—like a flame burning low.
Billy pulled up a chair and sat across from him. "You're awake."
A dry chuckle. "Barely."
"You said Erebus is already here. Explain."
Ardyn's fingers twitched against the metal restraints. "It’s not a question of ‘where.’ It’s ‘when.’ He’s already inside your army, Billy. Inside your *people*."
Billy’s jaw tightened. "You’re lying."
Ardyn’s smirk didn’t reach his hollow eyes. "Am I? How else do you think I ended up like this? Erebus doesn't break down doors—he whispers in minds. Finds the cracks. Fills them with promises."
Billy leaned forward. "Who?"
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Silence.
Then, a slow grin. "You’ll see soon enough."
Aelric stepped into the tent. "We’ve got company."
Billy stood. Ardyn’s voice followed him as he walked out.
"*Too late, Billy. The rot’s already spread.*"
---
The Crimson Vanguard’s Play
Outside, a dozen Crimson Vanguard soldiers stood in formation. Reinhardt Vale stood at their head, his polished cane tapping against the dirt.
Billy crossed his arms. "You bring your men for a show of force?"
Reinhardt chuckled. "Come now, Knight. If I wanted you dead, I’d have done it before signing your contract." His golden eyes glimmered. "I came for our prize."
Billy’s gaze darkened. "Ardyn is not up for negotiation."
"Ah, but he is." Reinhardt’s smirk widened. "Clause sixteen of our contract—any dangerous prisoners captured in battle fall under the Vanguard’s jurisdiction for interrogation."
Kaela tensed beside Billy. "That’s a stretch, Reinhardt."
He shrugged. "Is it? You agreed to the terms."
Billy’s mind raced. Giving up Ardyn meant losing any leads on Erebus’s infiltration. But denying the Vanguard might provoke a conflict he wasn’t ready for.
And then there was the chaos blade, whispering its own solution.
**No deals. No trust. Kill him and move forward.**
Billy took a slow breath, forcing the voice away. "You get nothing until I decide what to do with him."
Reinhardt’s smile thinned. "Careful, Knight. You wouldn’t want to break our partnership over a single man."
Billy met his gaze, unblinking. "He’s not a man anymore."
The two stared each other down, the air thick with unspoken threats.
Finally, Reinhardt sighed dramatically. "Very well. But don’t wait too long, Billy. Secrets have a way of rotting if you don’t cut them out."
As the Vanguard left, Aelric muttered, "We just made an enemy out of a viper."
Billy exhaled. "We were never friends to begin with."
---
A Warning in Blood
The camp settled into uneasy silence. Billy spent the rest of the day reinforcing security, questioning key officers, searching for signs of Erebus’s influence.
By nightfall, exhaustion crept into his bones.
Then the first scream rang out.
Billy sprinted through the camp, reaching the officer’s tent in seconds. He stopped cold at the sight.
The walls were streaked with blood. A soldier lay slumped against the table, throat slit, eyes wide in terror. But it wasn’t the killing that made Billy’s stomach twist.
It was the message carved into the wooden surface beside the body.
**“He’s already inside.”**
A pit formed in Billy’s gut.
Ardyn’s words had been right.
Erebus wasn’t coming.
He was already here.
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End of Chapter 75
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