"Ah, so you know," Tobias said, his voice dripping with a mockery that was as cold as the icy wind that had picked up. "But fear not, my dear Arteus. I had hoped that you would cooperate, that you would see the beauty in what we are doing for this town. But if you wish to play the hero, so be it. There are many paths to All-Sky, and none of them are easy."

With a flourish of his cloak, he turned to the crowd, his eyes gleaming with a dark excitement. "People of Sovereign, I bring you news! News that will change the course of our history!" His voice grew stronger, more commanding. "The prophecy is true, but it is not what you think. The gods have chosen me to lead you to All-Sky, and in doing so, I have made sacrifices, yes. But they are not what you believe. The children we have taken are not lost, but merely the first to ascend to our new home!"

"Their innocent blood," he continued, his eyes alight with a manic fervor, "will be the key to unlocking the gates of All-Sky! They will pave the way for our salvation, their souls a bridge between this world and the divine realm!" The crowd looked on, some in horror, others in dawning understanding. "The prophecy speaks of a purifying fire, a cleansing of the land before the new era can begin. And that fire, my friends, is the blood of the innocent!"

A murmur grew among the townsfolk, a tide of doubt and fear that seemed to ebb and flow with every word that fell from Tobias' lips. His grin widened, feeding off their confusion. "But fear not, for I shall not leave you behind! Once bound with the blood of the nobility, once we have offered up these pure souls to the gods, we shall all ascend together!" His arms spread wide, as if to embrace the entirety of Sovereign. "The prophecy is clear: the chosen ones will rise, and the rest will follow!"

Arteus' gaze was like a sword, cutting through the lies to the very core of the man before him. "Do you not tire of hiding behind your mother's skirts, wielding the fear of the prophecy like a weapon?" His voice was a low growl, a thunderstorm brewing in the quiet square. "Or perhaps you truly believe the lies you spin?"

Tobias' smile never wavered. "I am not the one hiding, dear Arteus," he said, his voice smooth as silk. "I am the light in the dark, the shepherd guiding his flock to the promised land." His eyes searched the crowd, finding pockets of belief and fear. "I am the holy man sent to save you all from the prophecy's wrath."

"Then so be it," Arteus said, his voice cold and hard as the stone of the execution block beneath them. His hand tightened around the hilt of his axe, the metal whispering its readiness. He took a step closer to the false prophet, the weight of his decision heavy in every move he made.

Tobias' smile grew wider, a chilling sight that sent a shiver down Lilly and Millie's spines. "You think fear moves me?" he taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. "You believe your brutish ways could ever sway the will of a chosen one?"

Suddenly, without warning, the sky above the square darkened, as if a shadow had been cast over the town. The purple light grew stronger, the air thickening with an electric charge that made the hair on the back of their necks stand on end. The crowd gasped in unison as a sigil, ancient and foreboding, appeared in the sky. It was a complex web of arcane symbols, the center of which pulsed with a light so intense it was almost painful to gaze upon. The sigil grew larger, the purple light casting a ghastly glow upon the cobblestone streets and the terrified faces of the townsfolk.

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"Behold!" exclaimed Tobias, standing tall despite the tremble in his voice. "The gods have heard your challenge, Arteus, and they do not take kindly to your defiance!" His eyes were wild, the grin on his face manic. "They shall have their way, with or without your consent!"

With a roar that seemed to shake the very foundations of Sovereign, Arteus launched himself at the false prophet. The ground beneath him cracked with the fury of his approach, a boom echoing through the square as if the earth itself were rejecting the blasphemy that had been spoken. The crowd fell back, the energy of his rage pushing them away like a physical force.

As he swung his axe, the blade gleaming in the purple-tinted light, a sudden burst of blue light enveloped Tobias. It was as if an invisible barrier had sprung to life around him, the arcane sigil in the sky pulsing in time with the shield's activation. The axe blade sliced through the air, leaving a trail of sparks as it connected with the magical barrier. The impact sent a shockwave through the square, knocking over benches and sending dust pluming into the air.

Tobias smirked, a knowing glint in his eyes. "Ah, so you wish to test the limits of my divine protection," he said, his voice dripping with a sinister amusement. "Very well."

As if on cue, the priests flanking him began to chant in an ancient language, their voices rising and falling in an eerie harmony that seemed to resonate with the very fabric of reality. The air grew thick with magic, the hairs on the backs of Ava's and Lilly's necks standing on end. The purple light grew more intense, the sigil in the sky pulsing in time with the incantation.

The ground beneath the execution block began to shake violently, the tremors spreading out like ripples in a pond. Cracks appeared in the cobblestones, webbing outwards until the entire square was a mosaic of shifting earth. Then, with a sound like a hundred thunderclaps, the ground split open, revealing a chasm that seemed to plunge into the very bowels of the earth.

From this abyss, a horrific sight emerged. Altars of stone, ancient and stained with a dark history, pushed themselves up through the earth, each one holding the broken and lifeless forms of children. Their eyes were vacant, their tiny bodies mutilated beyond recognition. The smell of death and decay wafted through the square, mingling with the scent of burning incense and the coppery tang of fresh blood. The crowd's jubilation turned to screams of horror and despair as they realized the truth of Arteus' words.

The city folk of Sovereign, driven by fear and the sudden revelation, attempted to flee from the square. But their path was blocked. The soldiers that had once protected them had formed a human wall around the edges, their expressions cold and emotionless. The priests who had once offered them solace now pointed their weapons at their own congregation, their eyes gleaming with a fanaticism that was more terrifying than any beast's. They had been complicit in the very crimes they had been sent to prevent.

Tobias watched the chaos unfold before him, a twisted satisfaction etched upon his features. "You see," he shouted over the cacophony of screams and the rumbling earth, "I did not wish for it to come to this. I tried to save you all!" His voice took on a tone of feigned regret, as if he were a benevolent ruler delivering an unwelcome but necessary truth. "But your doubt, your refusal to embrace the prophecy, has forced my hand!"

Arteus's eyes never left the false prophet, his rage a living, breathing entity that seemed to pulse with every beat of his heart. "Ava!" he bellowed, his voice carrying over the din of the panicking crowd. "Now!"

And with that single command, Ava's power surged. The ground beneath her trembled, and from the very edges of the city, she felt her spirit stir. The air grew thick with magic, the very essence of the earth responding to her call. Her eyes flashed with a light that mirrored the sigil in the sky, and she raised massive arms all across the city, her fingers splaying wide.

-To Be Continued-