Plan A Is a Bust; Let’s Go with Plan B

The solemn cathedral glowed with an ethereal hue, bathed in the warm, flickering radiance of the lamps.

A single golden-haired elf stood alone in the center of the hall. Clad in a Jet-black Dress, she turned her sapphire eyes toward the stone statue of Hero Olivier.

Her name was Alpha. In that dress, she looked like the shimmering moon itself, hung against the void of a dark night.

“We simply wish to know the truth,” she murmured.

She spoke as if the stone statue could hear her.

“Hero Olivier. What did you really do in the Sanctuary? The more I unravel the darkness of history, the more the truth and the lies begin to blur.”

The click of her high heels echoed through the cathedral as she began to walk. It was a pleasant, rhythmic sound that cut through the silence until she reached the red stain spreading across the marble floor.

“Archbishop Drake. What were you hiding? If you still had a tongue, I would have liked an answer.”

The "red stain" was a mess of blood and viscera. A corpulent man lay there, brutally hacked to pieces. He had breathed his last.

Alpha stopped at the edge of the pool of blood. Her porcelain-white legs, visible beneath the hem of her thigh-length dress, stood in stark contrast to the gore.

“Who killed you? To think you were discarded so easily, despite holding such a high position.”

The dead Archbishop’s eyes were wide, frozen in a mask of agonizing dread. The man’s dark rumors had reached all the way to the Royal Capital, and an official investigation had been imminent. He had been silenced just before it could begin.

“Tomorrow, we wait for the Gate of the Sanctuary to open.”

Alpha cast one last glance at the statue of Hero Olivier and turned on her heel. From the other side of the cathedral doors, she could hear voices calling out for the Archbishop.

She didn't care. She pushed the doors open and vanished into the night. As the sound of her heels faded, a swarm of the church’s Holy Knights burst into the hall.

They found the corpse, but not a single one of them mentioned seeing a blonde elf. It was as if she had never been there; none of them even registered that they had passed her in the hall.

Only the trail of bloody footprints on the white marble corridor proved she had existed at all.

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I was currently looking down at the Eve Festival from the top of the Lindwurm Clock Tower.

With the Goddess’s Trial coming up tomorrow, the festival was in full swing. Stalls lined the main street, and the lamp lights stretched out into the distance like a glowing river.

Rose was apparently at some party hosted by the Holy Church. Naturally, I wasn't invited. Even if I had been, I would’ve ditched it.

I let the night wind whip through my hair and gave a small, enigmatic smile.

Man, I love the "looking down on the world from a high place" trope. It’s a classic. Bonus points if it’s nighttime and there’s a big event going on below me.

“So, it has begun...” I muttered, really leaning into the atmosphere. “Is that... truly what they have chosen...?”

I narrowed my eyes sharply.

“Then I shall resist.”

In a flash, I shifted into my Shadow persona.

“We shall not permit this...”

I leaped into the night sky, my Jet-black Longcoat billowing behind me like wings, and touched down in a nearby alley.

It was a secluded spot, far from the festive noise. Standing right in front of me was a man with a mask hiding his face. I’d been tracking him ever since he’d fled the Holy Church looking suspicious as hell. He was probably a thief.

Actually, I could smell a bit of blood. Maybe a robber?

“Did you think you could escape...?”

The masked man took a nervous step back.

“Night is when the world fades into shadow. And the shadows... are our world.”

The man drew his sword.

“From which no one can escape.”

He leveled his blade at me, ready to fight. I didn't even bother drawing mine. I just waited for the perfect moment.

The second the guy tried to swing, his head went flying into the air.

I watched it fall in silence, then waited for the woman to step out from behind the fresh corpse.

“It has been a long time, My Lord.”

The woman knelt before me. It was Epsilon, the 5th of the Seven Shadows.

She pulled back her hood, revealing the face she usually kept hidden under her bodysuit. She was an Elf with hair like the surface of a clear lake and eyes of a slightly deeper blue.

There are all kinds of beautiful women in the world, but she was the "flashy" type. Her features were striking, and her figure... well, let's just say it was also "flashy." She had a certain rhythmic sway to her walk that would grab anyone’s attention, regardless of their gender or interest level. Of course, I was the only one who knew her little secret.

“A flying slash. Impressive work.”

“You honor me.”

Epsilon’s cheeks flushed as she smiled. Her voice was dignified—some might even call it overbearing—but I didn't mind it. It had a refined quality to it, like the clear notes of a piano.

Among the Seven Shadows, her Magic Power control was The Precise. Usually, magic is a pain to control once it leaves your body, but she handled it effortlessly, specializing in long-range shockwaves.

Hence her moniker, “The Precise.”

She had a reputation for being prideful and harsh, but she was always a total sweetheart to me. People misunderstand her, but back in the day, she was the kind of girl who’d make me tea every single day. She followed Alpha’s orders without question and was big on the whole hierarchy thing.

It had been ages since we’d seen each other, and I had plenty of questions, but I could tell from her vibe that she was in full Shadow Garden roleplay mode.

Fine by me. I knew how to play this game.

“What is the status of the 'plan'?”

Epsilon frowned slightly. Oh, she’s definitely scrambling to come up with some lore for the "plan" right now.

“The target was eliminated by the Cult’s 'Executioner.' We dealt with the lackeys, but the 'Executioner' has gone to ground.”

“I see...”

An Executioner, huh? Nice. That’s got a great ring to it.

“We are moving to the second phase of the plan.”

Ah, the classic "Plan A is a bust; let’s go with Plan B" routine.

“Very well. But you understand what this entails...?”

“I am prepared,” she said firmly. “Even if it means making an enemy of the Holy Church... even if our infamy spreads to the ends of the earth.”

“I shall move as I see fit. Do not fail me.”

“By your command!”

Leaving Epsilon bowing behind me, I suppressed my presence and moved at high speed, making sure to vanish into the darkness for maximum dramatic effect.