The se was undeniably bizarre. The ingruity was almost ughable, like an archaeologist digging into the Mausoleum of the First Emperor and finding a thriving utopia instead of Terracotta Warriors. “Good thing Gustav isn’t here,” Kayvaan muttered under his breath. “The puy would lose it. He spent months meticulously brushing the surface, thinking he’d uhed some treasure. If he saw this, it’d break him.”

  Elizabeth, still processing, finally spoke. “This is… uling. But there are people here. Actual people.” She looked at Kayvaan. “The person who passed us just now—was that a human?”

  “It looked human,” Kayvaan replied, though his tone carried doubt. “No danger, no psychic signature. But it’s hard to be sure.”

  Elizabeth nodded. “If they’re human, then this isn’t an a reliot in the way we thought. This pce is… something else entirely.”

  Kayvaan's brow furrowed. “Then what is this pce?”

  “Simple,” Elizabeth said, her voice steadier now. “We cateone and ask.”

  Just as the group began sing the area, pnning to intercept a pedestrian, a sharp sound broke the tension—rapid, deliberate footsteps. From a nearby alley, a woman in a red windbreaker emerged. Her wide-brimmed hat cast shadows over her face, and her high heels clicked urgently against the pavement. The woman didn’t eveate upon seeing the group’s unusual appearance. Instead, she hurried directly to Kayvaan and spoke in a hushed, urgent tone. “You’re outsiders, aren’t you?”

  Kayvaan blinked, momentarily stunned. “Who are you?”

  The woman ignored his question. “There’s no time. Follow me! The streets aren’t safe. The city is crawling with the Eyes of the Devils. We o leave—now.” She started to walk away but stopped when she realized no one followed. Turning back, she lowered her voice further. “Please, trust me. I won’t harm you. I’ll take you somewhere safe, and we talk there. But we ’t stay here any longer.”

  Kayvaan turo Elizabeth, his eyes questioning. “Devils?”

  Elizabeth shook her head. “No signs of Chaos. She feels human, but I’m not certain.”

  Kayvaan sidered her words before nodding. “Fine. We’ll follow.” He turo the woman. “Lead the way, ma’am. But first, your name?”

  “Seraphea,” she said hurriedly. “Now e on—this way.”

  As they followed her down a dimly lit alley, Kayvaan pressed further. “Seraphea, where are you taking us?”

  “To a hiddeer,” she replied without looking back. “This city—no, this entire world—has been invaded by beings from beyond. Their Eyes are everywhere, watg, hunting. We must stay out of their sight.” The so-called “hiddeer turned out to be an ordinary apartment in a residential block. Upoering, Elizabeth’s retinue immediately fanned out, assuming defensive positions. Some guarded the door and windows, ensuring no silent infiltrations, while others meticulously searched ea for hidden threats.

  “They’re thh,” Kayvaan remarked, watg the Sisters work with precision. “One guards the perimeter, another checks for potential ehey make sure it’s secure before deg the space safe. It’s like they’ve dohis a thousand times.”

  Elizabeth responded coolly, “Every Battle Sister is traio do this. It’s sed nature to them. But don’t mistake their as as a measure of prote for the people inside.”

  Kayvaan uood the implication. He sighed but refrained from enting further. He followed Seraphea upstairs, watg as she unlocked a door ahem into peared to be her personal quarters. The room was simple but well-kept, with furnishings that suggested someoill lived here. “Please, sit down,” Seraphea said warmly, gesturing to the seats. “Make yourselves at home. Would you like something to drink? What do outsiders usually drink?”

  “We’re in a hurry,” Kayvaan said bluntly. “No drinks. Just tell us what’s happening here—and about these devils you mentioned.”

  Seraphea’s face tightened, but she maintained her posure. “All outsiders are so impatient,” she muttered. “Fine, I’ll expin. The universe beyond is harsh and unfiving. tless horrors lurk in the void, and survival itself is a relentless struggle. “But here…” Her tone softened. “Here, it’s different. We’ve lived in peace feions, untouched by war or the tyranny of mankind. This city is a sanctuary, a true paradise where no one suffers, and disputes are resolved peacefully. We’ve built a life far removed from the chaos of the outside world.” Her expression darkened. “But that peaded a week ago. They came—those devils. They tore apart the harmony of this pce.”

  “They?” Elizabeth asked sharply. “The devils?”

  “What else could it be?” Seraphea’s voice trembled. “We’ve had outsiders stumble into our world before. They marveled at our tranquility and chose to stay. But these creatures… they’re nothing like anyone we’ve entered. They severed all es betweeies and levels, isoting us pletely. Now, people are too afraid to leave their homes. The devils hunt openly, roaming the streets and alleys. Most, however, have gathered in the tral square.”

  “The tral square?” Kayvaan asked. “Why there?”

  Seraphea hesitated before answering. “There’s… a circus. A massive tent domihe square. It looks like something from a grand ival—bright colors, exaggerated decorations, lively music. But it’s all a facade. Nearly every devils is trated there, and every day, they ‘invite’ residents to attend their performances. No one who enters ever es back. We don’t know what happens inside, but it’s something terrible.”

  “No os?” Elizabeth’s voice rose, her anger barely tained. “You let yourselves be taken without a fight? Even if you ’t wier to die standing than to walk into their clutches like sheep!”

  Seraphea lowered her gaze, shame etched into her features. “We’ve fotten how to fight,” she admitted. “Our aors were warriors, but geions of peace have left us defenseless. We’re powerless against such evil. All we do is pray—pray for salvation. And then… you came. You’re the ao our prayers, aren’t you? Please, save us!”

  Kayvaan's expression remaioic. “We aren’t the warriors of your false gods,” he said coldly. “We serve the God-Emperor, and we’re here to eradicate all evil.” He turo Seraphea, his voice firm. “We’ve heard enough. Leave us for now. I o discuss our steps with my team. It might involve… unsavory details you wouldn’t want to hear.”

  Seraphea hesitated but nodded, retreating quietly. As the door closed behind her, Hilsa ehe room, saluting sharply. “Your Excellency Elizabeth,” Hilsa reported. “The apartment is secure. We found no one else inside. However, there’s something odd. While the furniture is intact, there are no signs of life—no personal items, no lingering sts, nothing to suggest this pce is truly lived in. Every surface looks carefully ed, almost sterile.”

  Elizabeth sneered. “As expected. Something is definitely off.” She turo Kayvaan. “So, ander, what’s our move?”

  “If I had more time, I might have indulged my curiosity—arrested Seraphea, interrogated her, maybe even killed her,” Kayvaan thought, scratg his head. “But time isn’t on our side. The clock is tig, and we ’t waste it on distras. We’ll deal with these people ter if we have to. For now, we focus on the mission.” He sighed, his voice tinged with frustration. “And as expected, we’re in trouble. Things always take a turn for the worse the moment we arrive. The Daemons aren’t just guarding the altar—they’ve hidden it. If we find it, we’ll o storm that circus and start killing.”