A hunk of metal frozenly kneeled at the cold stone pavement; the Silver Demon’s very circuits are compromised to the extent that forcefully stimulating its basic mobility might cause its internal system to be affected.

It took the Silver Demon some time to circumvent the excess mana that invaded its system. The Silver Demon ignored the corpses of the slavers scattered around it.

The Harkhall city even without its citizens remained standing till this day, its inside facilities maintained at their barest functionality. To think that such a desolate place remained like this for decades…is unbelievable~ there is never a manmade structure that could withstand the test of time. Even for the legendary Harkhall city.

The truth is… Harkhall city’s people never left, they were never gone.

The sound of clanking metal echoed in the supposed-to-be desolate city. All sorts of humanoids filled the place with activity. The Silver Demon slowly stood as it watches over its people. Their metallic skin and their rigid structure spoke of their presence.

There were robots.

They continued in their mundane lives like how a human would, for years... Some went to the shops they are designated to, tending the clothes, shoes, and other items. Some did maintenance to the different facilities across the city. Some… just strolled… It was an uncanny sight…

After Empyrea’s army marched and destroyed Harkhall, the Silver demon hid for a long time as it struggled with the persistent pursuit of Empyrea. When Empyrea decided that there is no more use in hunting the Silver Demon, the Silver Demon took it upon itself to rebuild.

And this is where it all led. When it returned, the city was in shambles and in so much ruination. The Silver demon doesn’t have any idea where it should begin… Alas, the power of free will possesses miraculous properties that the human mind would never comprehend.

The Silver Demon started by going inside that place~ the lab where it was born, and from there ~ it found its purpose once more.

When the Silver Demon realized the presence of humans beyond their perimeter through the few stealth drones that roam the forest, the Silver Demon made its kin hide. Human activity represents a considerable danger to what the Silver Demon has built. The Silver Demon doesn’t want to test the harmful possibilities.

Nay, it’s not even a possibility, for it was already certain… That’s why the Silver Demon did its best to destroy the intruders. Although it has some internal conflict about a certain pair, the Silver Demon didn’t find it in itself of chasing them.

The Silver Demon found itself in the underground lab at the core of the city. Its rigid form halted at the metallic door as if hesitating whether to go in or not. Emotions aren’t a thing to machines; even the Silver Demon that doesn’t dwell much on feelings is ignorant of the reality that it can actually feel.

It is as if the inherent apathy among machines is genetic, despite their lack of blood and fiber.

The Silver Demon moved the metallic knob, opened the door, and then went inside unhindered. Long ears greeted the Silver Demon’s sight. Vyrna with her flaxen hair exudes an adorableness that would make any dads dote on her. Not for the Silver Demon though.

The sub races among Aetherius are few and have complex societies. One of them is the dark elves, a subterranean race that humanity drove out since the medieval era. Dark Elves aren’t really their natural name, it’s just what humanity has called them for so long that the name has now also stuck.

During the Dark Ages when humanity’s greatest war erupted, many sub-races found a foothold to propel themselves to prominence once more. The Dark Elves, essentially the ‘Ev-Dar’ in their native tongue, are among the most notable races that made their comeback.

The thing is, though there are Dark Elves, there was never an actual elf... as in a white elf. The Ev-Dar was only called as such because of the appearances they share with the elves in the tales that bards sing.

“Dem-dem, how did it go?” Vyrna asked the Silver Demon intimately addressing it with a rather cute nickname, her voice a higher pitch than usual. She is worried that the Silver Demon might have incurred some injuries.

“Fi-ne,” The Silver Demon answered succinctly in its electronic voice. “Mage. Odd. Analysis. Needed.”

Vyrna frowned. She has long done the analysis with the data collected from the hyperactive lenses that are covertly distributed across Harkhall. Vyrna in her white lab coat, walked back in forth, thinking deeply about what she has seen.

The Silver Demon watched the elf intently, not really sure what is there to worry about.

Though Vyrna looks and feels like a 10-year-old in appearance both physically and emotionally, she is actually much older than that, given her odd constitution. Vyrna’s growth as a person is miserably slow, but that doesn’t deny that she has seen much in her life.

“Dem-dem, that human may not be human at all…” Turbid air escaped Vyrna’s lungs as she contemplates the fact that an inhuman mage suddenly unearthed himself in their city. It is their luck that it all happened while the other machines are stashed away. Vyrna cannot afford to extend her resources; doing so would be detrimental to rebuilding Harkhall.

Resources are precious and in Vyrna’s caseꟷ they have not much of them. At the rate they are going now, they are hardly scraping by. Vyrna manipulated the hologram in front of her with a thought.

“I fear that this mage is far more ancient than the city itself… and his methods… are ingenious. The control of his mentality and mana is immaculate. What is weird though is that he isn’t casting any spells…” Vyrna is well versed both in science and mysticism. Her knowledge of them may pale in comparison to Empyrea, but not to the Conglomerate’s science and the Mage Guild’s magic combined.

“He appeared in our city like it was nothing, strolled with familiarity as if he has been to a similar place… It is highly possible that this person came from the Dark Ages.” Vyrna carefully suppressed the excitement in her mind.

Vyrna’s benefactor, the Silver Demon possesses free will, but lacks the intelligence to accomplish its objectives of rebuilding Harkhall. It was fate that led them together. Vyrna can still remember that day, while she was trapped in a liquid capsule forever unmoving; it was the Silver demon that made her wake up.

Maybe, this is also fate at work.

WANG! WANG! WANG!

Red and blue alternated as the warning signals blare in the lab.

“This is bad, there are mages. Lots of them, they went through a spatial passage…this level of magic… it’s Empyrea!” Vyrna exclaimed, fear overriding her senses for what is about to come. The console in front of her indicated strong magical pulses that suggest the sudden danger that is about to befall them.

***

The Faceless Believer gathered his forces. He plans to bring a small elite force of mages on this excursionꟷ one archmage, seven high mages, and fifty elite mages. It is certainly not a small force… but for Empyrea, it is just a drop in a bucket. But considering the presence of an Empyrean god, this might as well be a force that can level a whole country.

“Today, we shall march on a holy crusade, to slay the heretics that share Trimystery’s name. It is our sacred duty to annihilate them.” The Faceless Believer raised his hands carving formations in the air with his magic. Space folded once, twice, thrice, and so on… He exhibited the prowess of a demi-god, ignoring the natural laws of the world with his intent.

A magic circle of magnificent purple occupied the sky. From the center of the formation, lightning elements gathered, then it struckꟷ lightning descended from where the Faceless believer stoodꟷ light blinded the eyes of the mages, and when they opened it, they are already in a different place.

The Faceless Believer’s gaze landed on the machines tending to their tasks. The sight of mangled blood and flesh incited a frown to archmage Horton, it was the slavers’ remains that the Silver Demon recently butchered.

“Your excellency, I thought that the Harkhall city was already in ruins. Did the assimilation project for the Harkhall citizens not work? This place doesn’t seem right.”

The Faceless Believer ignored the archmage’s words, and simply invoked his magic.

Dark energy gathered among the corpses. Bit by bit, the flesh, blood, and bones gathered at a singular point, eventually growing into something bigger.

FLESH GOLEM! The Faceless Believer doesn’t specialize in necromancy, but his attainments of dark magic are still something to behold. The monster he conjured stood 4 meters tall; its bulky exterior is of messy unity of bones, flesh, and netherꟷ an insanely awful monster.

“Horton, search for Trimystery. I will take care of this place.” The Flesh Golem roared, revealing a horrifying maw in its belly, its sharp teeth arranged like that of a shark. The mass of meat left destruction in its wake as it bulldoze through buildings. Archmage Horton complied without a word as he instructs the mages inferior to him, with haste, eager to proceed on the hunt.

Empyrea’s surveillance network is stretched thin, given that many of its resources are being focussed on planar explorations. So it is understandable that Empyrea hasn’t had a clue about Harkhall’s rebuilding. But still, it came to Horton as a surprise how bold whoever is responsible for any of this was.

Horton watched in pity s the Flesh Golem thrashed the place.

The Faceless Believer’s control over his magic is godly. With a simple tug of his mana, he was able to pinpoint the location of the sole living flesh in this city. He walked forwards with nonchalance as his Flesh Golem makes a path for him.

***

“Escape.”

“Dem-dem… No, I can’t…”

“ESCA-A-A-A-A-PE!” The Silver Demon repeated emphasizing in an unquestionable tone that this is non-negotiable. There was a tinge of rage that is unbecoming of the Silver Demon.

Vyrna is this world’s first elf, a product of the sciences that Harkhall gleaned from the nefarious magic they hypocritically try to rationalize. Harkhall pursue a path of pure scientism, something that Empyrea didn’t agree to…

Empyrean doctrines say that magic and science coexist with one another, are part of the same knowledge, and were never meant to be separable. Vyrna’s existence possesses strategic value to Empyrea by leaps and bounds.

Vyrna knows this, so she should be aware that staying here meant nothing good for Harkhall. After all, Vyrna resents Empyrea as much as the Silver Demonꟷ there is no exact reason as to why, but Vyrna despite her long age has a childish notion that whatever the Silver Demon feels, she feels it too…

The little elf, Vyrna has extensively developed her feelings for the Silver Demon. Though she is not aware of its exact nature, it is thereꟷ the Silver Demon is her family. She has grown attached, and doesn’t want to leave the hunk of metal’s side… But Vyrna knows, the Silver Demon’s feelings are too strong for this place.

“If I were to escape, let’s do it together…” Vyrna pleaded.

The Silver Demon paused. If it were human, hesitation would have filled its eyes. But even if it is not, the dormant emotions of the machine are evident enough to Vyrna’s long-time of being together with her Dem-dem…

Alas, this was never a fairy tale, to begin with. There is no happy ending for the two of them.

“Pardon me for my intrusion.” A masculine voice, lacking humanity dreadfully echoed in Vyrna’s ears. The Faceless Believer clasped her neck, lifting her from the ground. The Silver Demon grabbed the mechanical broadsword only to freeze at the sight.

“Harkhall’s technology is something to behold. Teleporting here is difficult, but I managed.” The Faceless Believer nonchalantly complimented.

“Ku-hu-kk~” Vyrna struggled. She found it difficult to breathe, talk and move. From the corner of her vision, she can see the silhouette of a masked man. Dread assailed her, made aware of an Empyrean God’s presence.

The Silver Demon can’t move. For the first time, anxiety made its presence to the machine’s stiff circuitry. It doesn’t want harm to befall Vyrna.

Still, the machine chose to move, because something has to be done. Resolve filled the Silver Demon’s, metaphorical heart.

ZZZZZZzzzzzing!

The sizzling of the Silver Demon’s broadsword emanated a dangerous heat. It only took the murderous machine a flicker to instantaneously arrive at the Faceless Believer’s blind spot.

Snap!

But… a crunching SNAP is all it took. The Faceless Believer simply snapped his fingers, and the next thing Vyrna knows is that the Silver Demon is dead. She watched with dull eyes as the fragments of steel scatter everywhere. Vyrna recognized the severed head of her Dem-dem in her peripheral vision.

The Silver Demon exploded within, caused by the mana that the Faceless Believer compressed where the spatial fluctuation surged.

Vyrna lost consciousness as an unknown force seep into her mind.