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Chapter 4 — The Gallows Do Not Decide Fate
Morning came to Valenfall wrapped in tension.
Church bells rang across the capital, slow and heavy, echoing through narrow streets and crowded plazas. Citizens gathered in waves, whispering excitedly as they moved toward the central square.
An execution.
People always came to see those.
At the heart of the square stood the gallows—fresh wood, new rope, raised higher than usual. Holy banners fluttered around it, glowing faintly with divine magic meant to suppress mana.
Today’s criminal was considered dangerous.
Lyra watched from the edge of the crowd, her hood pulled low. Her heart pounded so loudly she was sure others could hear it.
“They’re really going to do it…” she whispered.
Beside her, Arjun stood calmly, hands bound with enchanted chains that drained mana. His face showed no fear. No anger.
Only boredom.
“These chains,” he muttered quietly, “are poorly designed.”
Lyra stared at him. “You could break them?”
“Yes.”
“Then why—”
“Because timing matters.”
Trumpets blared.
A high priest stepped onto the platform, robes white and gold, voice amplified by magic.
“Citizens of Valenfall,” he announced, “today we cleanse our kingdom of a traitor and heretic—Arjun Noctis!”
Boos and cheers mixed together.
Lyra clenched her fists.
The priest continued, “Born of corruption, consorting with darkness, and accused of treason against the crown—his death will serve as a warning.”
Arjun was pushed forward.
He looked up at the sky.
Clouds drifted lazily above.
“So many lies,” he thought. “And yet… they sound so confident.”
The executioner placed a hand on his shoulder.
Lyra’s breath caught.
⟡ Warning ⟡
Multiple High-Rank Entities Observing
Divine Attention Detected
Arjun smiled faintly.
“Ah,” he whispered. “So they are watching.”
The priest raised his hand.
“Any final words?”
Arjun lifted his head.
“Yes.”
The crowd quieted.
“I was sentenced to die for crimes I did not commit,” Arjun said, voice clear and steady. “But today, I accept this stage.”
Confusion rippled through the square.
The priest frowned. “What do you—”
The chains shattered.
Dark mana burst outward—not violently, but absolutely. The holy banners burned away. The gallows cracked down the middle.
Gasps turned into screams.
Lyra shielded her eyes as shadow and pressure swept across the plaza.
Arjun stepped forward, free.
“This execution,” he continued calmly, “is canceled.”
Knights rushed in, weapons drawn.
“Kill him!”
They never reached him.
The ground froze them in place, shadows binding their legs like living chains.
Arjun’s eyes glowed black.
“I will not s*******r innocents,” he said, gaze sweeping the crowd. “But those who a***e power…”
He turned toward the priest.
“…will answer to me.”
The priest staggered back. “D-demon! God of Light, smite—!”
The sky darkened.
Not with lightning.
But with silence.
A pressure descended so heavy that everyone fell to their knees.
Even the priests.
⟡ Authority Unlocked ⟡
Abyssal Core — Partial Awakening
Arjun raised his hand.
The priest’s divine magic dissolved instantly, leaving him powerless and trembling.
“I reject your gods,” Arjun said quietly.
“And they can do nothing about it.”
The priest collapsed, unconscious.
Arjun turned.
His gaze met Lyra’s.
She was staring at him—not as a savior, not as a monster—but as someone standing against the world itself.
He walked toward her through the frozen crowd.
“Are you scared?” he asked.
Lyra shook her head, tears in her eyes.
“…No,” she said honestly. “I feel safe.”
Something in Arjun’s chest tightened.
From a distant tower, a robed figure observed through a magical mirror.
“The Black Star has declared himself,” the figure murmured.
Behind him, an enormous sealed door trembled.
“Prepare the Apostles,” he commanded.
“This world is about to change.”
Arjun and Lyra disappeared from the square, swallowed by shadow.
Behind them, Valenfall burned—not with fire, but with fear.
The execution had failed.
A legend had begun.
- Writer
