The wind howled through the vast canyon, whipping against jagged rock formations like distant whispers of a lost era. The landscape stretched endlessly, carved by time, its crimson stone basking under the fading glow of the afternoon sun.

  A battered vehicle rumbled through the uneven terrain, its wheels grinding against dust and gravel as it carried five travelers toward a long-forgotten altar. One that, according to Emmet, no longer held power.

  Inside the vehicle, the conversation flowed naturally, the familiar rhythm of the team settling into playful banter.

  "So this altar," Julian asked, his arms folded behind his head as he leaned against the window, "you said it doesn't hold any power anymore?"

  Emmet, his gaze fixated on the horizon, nodded. "Yes. I visit them to pay respect to the gods and honor my tribe's traditions."

  Raze scoffed, his arms crossed as he sat across from Emmet. "A pilgrim honoring tradition—what an honorable act."

  Arian rolled her eyes. "If it were any other pilgrim from the north, I'd believe Emmet was faithful. But come on, we're talking about Emmet. The guy is more obsessed with magic theory than tradition."

  Emmet exhaled. "Well, the altars may hold some secrets or traces of lingering energy. Any old remnants could lead to a new discovery."

  "See?" Arian said, smirking. Julian laughed, nodding in agreement. He knew all too well that Emmet's curiosity always lay in discovery, not faith.

  The conversation quieted as they approached the canyon's center, where the altar stood untouched by time.

  Emmet stepped out first, surveying the ancient structure. Its worn edges and intricate carvings were barely visible under layers of erosion. He murmured, half to himself, "I'm done here. You know the pattern: whenever there's a holy altar in an area, something strange happens."

  Raze narrowed his eyes. "Demonic rituals. Maybe they're here too."

  Julian stretched, cracking his neck. "Then let's see what we can find in the nearby city."

  Arian, already in the driver's seat, tilted her head toward the vehicle. "Hop in. Let's move."

  As the team climbed back into the vehicle, the conversation shifted to lighter topics: small talk, thoughts on past hunts, the occasional jest thrown between them.

  But Raze seemed restless.

  He hesitated before speaking. "Guys... We've been traveling together for a month now. We've fought monsters, hunted demons. Maybe it's time we formally make a name for our team."

  Arian raised an eyebrow. "You mean our party name?"

  Julian smiled instantly, leaning forward. "Well, whatever our leader Raze says, I'll follow."

  It was a quiet but absolute loyalty. Raze had become Julian's beacon of hope, a light guiding him through his dark past.

  Raze, shy with his suggestion, rubbed the back of his neck. "It was just a thought. No need to take it too seriously."

  Emmet, without hesitation, said, "Demoncrusher."

  Arian blinked. "What?"

  Everyone turned to look at Emmet. Even Eanne, emerging from his body in spectral form. No one reacted to her sudden appearance. They were used to it.

  Eanne floated beside him, arms crossed. "You were waiting for this moment, weren't you?"

  Emmet shrugged. "It just happened that Raze brought it up first."

  Julian laughed, shaking his head. "Of course. Of course, Emmet is the one who picks the most dramatic name possible."

  The team's vehicle rumbled along the rugged canyon path, the dust rising in golden plumes beneath its tires. The city lay ahead, waiting beyond the sandstone cliffs, but within the vehicle, the conversation had taken an unexpected turn.

  Emmet, arms crossed as he leaned against the side, spoke with his usual indifference. "The demons used to call me Totemwalker. Back when I carried a massive totem around."

  Arian raised a skeptical eyebrow, smirking as she shot him a teasing look. "Yeah? That must've looked ridiculous. A small guy like you lugging around something bigger than yourself? Honestly, if anyone should get a title like that, it's Raze. He's the one carrying a sword the size of a person. Shouldn't he be 'Bigswordwalker' instead?"

  Julian chuckled, glancing at Raze, who, despite Arian's remark, said nothing, merely exhaling quietly.

  Emmet ignored the jab, continuing with ease. "The demons also called me Demoncrusher. Before I met Raze, I actively hunted them."

  Raze blinked, interest sparking in his crimson eyes. "So that's why some bloodbound demons call you Totemwalker sometimes, and other times Demoncrusher." He thought for a moment, his fingers tapping idly against the hilt of his sword. Then, with a decisive nod, "It feels right. We should call our team Demoncrusher."

  The words hung in the air.

  Arian scoffed. "Seriously? You're just adopting that name outright?"

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  But Raze didn't waver. "Think about it." He leaned forward slightly, his voice low but steady. "The name's already known among the bloodbounds. If we make it official, it will carry weight. The moment demons hear it, they'll be on guard. They'll know exactly who's coming for them. The Demoncrusher is in town."

  Julian grinned, nodding. "I see where you're going with this. It also means we attract them. All their attention will be on us."

  Emmet smirked. "That's the idea."

  A pause settled, as if the name itself had begun to shape something more tangible: an identity forged from battle, strategy, and reputation.

  Then Arian sighed, dramatically resting her head against the back of her seat. "Well, congratulations. We're officially Demoncrusher now. And Raze? You better make sure the demons really start fearing us."

  Raze only smiled faintly, gazing toward the city ahead. "Don't worry. They will."

  As the sun dipped toward the horizon, casting long shadows over the canyon, the vehicle rolled up to the gate of Redrift Town: a settlement built into the rugged cliffs, its towering stone walls standing like silent guardians against the wilderness beyond.

  The gatekeeper barely hesitated upon seeing the insignia of Northveil emblazoned on the vehicle's side. A pilgrim's mark. With a nod, the gates swung open, granting the team immediate entry.

  Julian smirked as he leaned back, arms folded. "This idea of yours, Emmet, putting your insignia on the vehicle. It makes things way easier for us. It's like a free pass to every town."

  Emmet, glancing at the gates as they passed through, shrugged. "Never had problems entering towns when I showed it to gatekeepers before."

  As soon as the vehicle slowed inside the town square, Emmet made his priorities clear. "I'll buy us food and restock our supplies. You all do your thing."

  Arian, adjusting her gloves, nodded. "Make sure to bring the com device and update each other if you find anything."

  Raze, already unbuckling his seatbelt, exhaled. "Great. I'll investigate the town, ask around."

  Julian stretched his arms, grinning. "I'll check if they have an orphanage or a church, see if I can help."

  Raze glanced at him, a hint of approval in his tone. "Then I'll come with you."

  Julian nodded, and without hesitation, the two stepped out onto the streets, disappearing into the bustling evening crowds.

  Emmet remained inside the vehicle, his gaze drifting toward the marketplace ahead. Arian, still seated beside him, watched as their teammates hurried off.

  "They were in a hurry," she noted, tilting her head.

  Emmet sighed, leaning against the doorframe. "Aren't you going to do the same?"

  Arian smirked. "Board and lodging first. Supplies later. We need a place to stay."

  Emmet nodded, cracking the door open. "Right. Let's get that settled before anything else."

  The dim glow of lanterns flickered along the streets of Redrift Town, casting elongated shadows on worn cobblestone paths. The air was thick, but not with heat or dust. It was a stillness that seemed to cloy at the back of their throats, a quiet unease that pressed against the walls of buildings, suffocating the streets with an invisible weight.

  Julian and Raze walked through the humble orphanage, their presence bringing momentary relief to the weary staff and the children who eagerly reached for the candy and food they'd brought.

  Julian admired the way Raze interacted with the children so effortlessly. There was an ease in his movements, a natural warmth that made even the shyest ones gather near him without hesitation. It was something Julian couldn't help but admire. It reminded him of a part of his own past he had lost.

  As Julian handed over several bags of supplies to a staff member, he finally noticed her face properly: exhausted, dark circles under her eyes, her posture sagging with fatigue.

  "Please, take these," he said gently, but the woman barely nodded before her shoulders trembled.

  A breath. A pause. And then, a sudden, uncontrollable release of emotion.

  "Huu huuuu... I'm sorry..." she sobbed, her voice strained. "I'm tired... but that's not why I'm crying..."

  Julian instinctively softened his tone. "What's wrong?"

  The woman wiped her face, inhaling sharply. "The children... upstairs... they're sick."

  Julian frowned. "Sick? What kind of sickness?"

  Her voice trembled. "We don't know. It started months ago. Not just here, but across the city. People keep getting sick. Doctors can't explain it. No one dies from it, but... but the children suffer the most."

  She hesitated, then whispered: "Some say it's a curse."

  Julian looked toward Raze, who had already heard enough to know this wasn't ordinary sickness. The symptoms, the unexplained nature. It all felt eerily familiar.

  This smelled of demonic energy.

  And if it was, there was only one person who could confirm it for sure: Emmet.

  Raze tapped the communication device clipped to his belt, his voice steady but laced with urgency.

  "Emmet, Arian. Julian and I found something. People are getting sick in the orphanage. Not just the kids, but across the town."

  A short pause. Then Emmet's reply crackled through.

  "Same on our end. We've been hearing the same reports. Let's meet."

  Arian quickly transmitted the hotel coordinates, a secure lodging they'd booked earlier, ensuring the team would have a quiet place to strategize.

  As night fell, the team gathered for dinner, but there was no warmth to the meal, no casual conversations.

  Only questions.

  Only uncertainty.

  Only the first whispers of a mystery that would soon pull them deeper into something far greater than they ever expected.

  The warm glow of flickering candles illuminated the inn's dining hall, casting soft shadows along the wooden beams overhead. Plates were half-eaten, cups untouched—not because the food was bad, but because their minds were elsewhere.

  The sickness. The demonic energy. The unsettling unknown.

  Arian shifted uncomfortably, gripping her wrist as she stared at the table. "I'll go to the orphanage," she said, her voice steady but carrying a subtle weight of hesitation.

  She exhaled, forcing herself to admit it. "I know my healing isn't as strong as a real life divinant. But I have to do something. At least ease their pain."

  Julian, ever the poet, leaned back with a wistful look in his eyes. "Gloom and doom everywhere," he mused dramatically, gesturing toward the dimly lit room. "Someone has to bring smiles back to this town."

  Raze, arms crossed, watched the exchange, then said with quiet certainty, "There may be bloodbound demons hiding here."

  Emmet barely glanced up, his tone flat but decisive. "Eanne sensed the energy. We're following it."

  Raze nodded. "Then we go together."

  But Emmet shook his head. "No. You stay here."

  The table stilled.

  "If there are demons, we need you here to defend the town," Emmet continued, meeting Raze's gaze. "It's a more practical way to handle this."

  Raze didn't argue. He knew Emmet's strength. He knew that sending him alone wasn't reckless but practical.

  Julian and Arian, however, exchanged uneasy glances. "What?" Julian blurted out. "Alone? What if demons attack?"

  Emmet sighed, setting his fork down. "I'm not going alone. I have Eanne."

  Eanne, busy chomping on her meal, nodded mid-bite in agreement, then pointed to Emmet's untouched plate. "You gonna eat that?"

  Without a word, Emmet pushed the plate toward her, a silent offering. Eanne grinned, happily digging into the food.

  Emmet leaned back, eyes scanning his teammates. "Besides, if there are bloodbounds, it's better I go alone. You three focus on defending the town."

  A pause.

  "I'll leave after we eat."

  No one spoke, but the weight of their individual responsibilities settled heavily over the table.

  Tonight, they would begin unraveling the mystery.

  Tomorrow? That mystery might unravel them.