– Velmont Soldiers' Barracks (Morning After the Mine Incident)
The sun had barely risen when Anderson's voice echoed like a cannon blast.
"Get up! Everyone on your feet!"
Colt was the first to be shaken awake.
Fourteen men had been handpicked. Anderson made fifteen. This was the Durnium Retrieval Unit.
With bloodhounds snarling and horses snorting, they rode south, following the scent trail left behind by the stolen Durnium… and the runaway girl.
It was nearly noon when they arrived at a breathtaking sight—a colossal waterfall, beautiful yet ominous. At its base lay a crystal-clear pool, and the thirsty soldiers dismounted to drink.
Anderson cursed under his breath.
"This doesn't make sense," he growled, tossing a rock into the water.
"The scent ends here. Damn dogs can't track through water."
Suddenly, a low rumble shook the ground.
The waterfall stopped.
The howling of dogs turned to terrified whimpers. The horses screamed, rearing up before fleeing into the forest.
The soldiers scrambled for cover, hiding in thick underbrush.
Before their stunned eyes, the curtain of water parted—revealing a secret village hidden behind the falls. It looked ancient, arcane… sacred.
Then, from the village's heart, Castiel emerged.
He didn't see them. His coat flared as he shot northward, back toward Velmont, at inhuman speed.
"Get inside, now!" Colt shouted, rushing for the waterfall.
He leapt through.
But the moment he passed, a magical barrier surged up, sealing the falls again with a deafening crash.
The other soldiers were locked out—Colt was trapped within.
"Damn it. Leave him. We need to inform Morel," Anderson ordered.
"This isn't just theft anymore. The city's in danger."
Their horses gone, the men began their long march back to Velmont—on foot.
Would they return in time?
---
– Velmont Soldiers' Barracks (Afternoon)
Inside the war room, Morel addressed the assembled troops. His voice was sharp, feverish.
"When the scouts return, they will tell us where the Durnium was taken."
He turned, pacing like a wolf.
"We are going to war—with forces unknown. Use every weapon at your disposal. No mercy. No hesitation."
Whispers filled the air. Velmont hadn't seen war in over a decade. Not since the siege of Grimrock—a city Morel and his allies had crushed.
That war earned them their crown.
And to win it… Morel had made a deal with a demon named Greed.
As his name would suggest.He feasts on man's greed and becomes even more powerful.The more man wants-the more greed becomes unstoppable.
In exchange for power and victory, Morel was given command over the metal Durnium—a cursed mineral toxic to demons in its raw form. His one task:
"No unprocessed Durnium must ever leave Velmont."
And he had failed.
The black snake embedded in his arm—a living curse placed by his demon overlord—had grown heavier, thicker, curling up to his shoulder now.
Its tongue flicked across his sweating skin.
Time was running out.