The icy wind of the Capital swept across the rooftops as four figures moved through the shadows.

Nox leapt from building to building with the old man’s corpse strapped to his back by his Chains of the Forgotten King.

The black chains held the body firmly in place to prevent it from falling during the jumps.

Audrey, Misty, and Tessa moved alongside him.

None of them said much.

The old man’s death was still too recent, and the silence weighed heavily on them.

Misty was the first to break it.

"Hey, Tessa."

The red-haired woman turned her head.

"What?"

The dancer smiled.

"I don’t understand how your family works."

Tessa let out a sigh.

"This again?"

"It’s just weird."

Misty began counting on her fingers.

"Your mother seems to care about you a lot."

Tessa looked at her with obvious annoyance.

"You seem to hate talking to her."

Tessa looked away.

"It’s complicated."

"And now it turns out your brother almost killed all of us, but you’re defending him."

Audrey raised an eyebrow.

"Misty."

"What?"

"Don’t bother Tessa."

The huntress continued jumping between the buildings.

"We don’t need to know about her family problems."

Misty let out a small laugh.

"Sorry."

Tessa looked at Audrey.

"Thank you."

Audrey simply shrugged.

"You don’t need to thank me."

For the first time since they’d met, the response didn’t sound hostile.

Tessa smiled faintly.

Nox watched the exchange out of the corner of his eye.

It seemed that little by little, the two of them were beginning to tolerate each other.

Which was far more than he had expected, considering the history between them.

◇◆◇

After several minutes of moving across the rooftops...

Nox slowed down.

He looked around.

The buildings were beginning to look more rundown.

The streets were empty.

Many windows were broken.

And most of the structures seemed abandoned.

"I think this place will do."

The girls stopped behind him.

Nox landed on the flat roof of an abandoned building.

Then he slowly crouched down, and the chains disappeared.

The old man’s body settled gently onto the roof tiles.

After a few moments of silence, Misty looked at the corpse.

"So... what now?"

Nox remained silent.

"Are you just going to leave him here?"

The demon shook his head.

"No."

He knelt beside the body.

"We’re going to say goodbye properly."

The dancer blinked.

"A funeral?"

"Yes."

Nox looked at the old man’s blood-covered face.

"I’m not going to let him simply disappear."

Audrey slowly stepped forward without saying a word.

She grabbed part of the black fabric of her dress and cut it with one of her knives.

Then she carefully covered the old man’s face.

The huntress stared at the body for a few seconds.

"He never even told us his name."

Misty crossed her arms.

"The Saint said he was the former Thunder Knight."

Nox slowly shook his head.

"No."

The three women looked at him.

"I’m sure he wouldn’t want to be remembered that way."

The demon smiled faintly.

"We don’t need to know his name."

He lowered his gaze.

"The only thing that matters is that we were fighting for the same thing."

The wind stirred his hair.

"He was a strong man."

He paused.

"But not because of his power."

He looked toward the place where the old man had died.

"He was strong because he kept fighting even after they took everything from him."

Misty listened carefully.

So did Audrey.

"And in the end..."

Nox clenched his fists.

"...he left his will to me."

The girls remained silent.

"I’m going to destroy the Church."

His voice was firm.

"And the gods as well."

He remembered the old man’s final words.

"Not just for myself anymore."

A small smile appeared beneath his makeup.

"But for everyone who was betrayed and deceived by them."

Tessa lowered her head.

"Hearing that..."

Everyone looked at her.

The woman sighed.

"It makes me feel guilty."

Nox looked at her.

"Why?"

"Because I was part of the Church."

The woman tightened her grip on the spear strapped to her back.

"For years, I followed orders."

She looked away.

"And I never questioned anything."

Audrey stepped closer.

Then she placed a hand on Tessa’s shoulder.

The former inquisitor’s eyes widened.

The huntress gave her a small smile.

Her first one.

"You can’t change the past."

Tessa looked stunned.

Audrey continued.

"I don’t forgive what happened to my sisters."

Her voice was sincere.

"But we’re teammates now."

Tessa felt a knot form in her throat.

"Thank you."

◇◆◇

Nox slipped a hand into his coat.

Then he pulled out a nearly empty bottle.

The same one he had shared with the old man on the mountain.

Misty recognized it immediately.

"You’re still carrying that around?"

"Yeah."

Nox pulled out the cork and began pouring the contents over the body.

The strong scent of alcohol mixed with the cold air.

When he finished...

He looked at Tessa.

"Can you do it?"

The woman nodded.

"No problem."

Her black spear materialized amidst golden flames.

Tessa stepped forward slowly.

She placed the tip of the spear against the body, and the flames began to burn.

Fire completely engulfed the old man.

The flames grew until they illuminated the entire rooftop.

Nox watched the fire.

He tried to smile, but couldn’t quite manage it.

Misty stepped up behind him and took the bottle from his hands.

Nox looked at her in confusion.

"What are you doing?"

The dancer lifted the bottle, took a long drink, and smiled.

"It’s in honor of the old man."

Audrey let out a small laugh.

She took the bottle and drank as well.

"It’s in honor of the old man."

Then she offered it to the redhead.

Tessa shook her head.

"I’m not drinking."

Misty laughed.

"I figured."

Nox took the bottle back.

He looked at the little liquor that remained.

Then he finally drank the last sip.

"It’s in honor of the old man."

He tilted the bottle.

The final drops fell into the flames.

For someone who was no longer there.

The fire continued to burn.

And for several minutes, none of them spoke.

They simply watched.

Until eventually, the body was consumed and disappeared into the ashes.

◇◆◇

Down below, in the streets...

A few people began looking up.

"Do you see that smoke?"

"Where’s it coming from?"

"Is someone cooking on that roof?"

"That’s strange..."

"Maybe some vagrants."

Their voices drifted up to them.

Nox watched the smoke rise into the sky.

Then he sighed.

"I think it’s time to head back."

Misty nodded.

"I’m tired too."

Audrey adjusted her knives.

"And we’ve already done what we came here to do."

Tessa looked at the ashes one last time.

Then she lowered her head silently.

Nox walked over to her.

"You okay?"

The woman nodded.

"Yes."

She looked at the ashes.

"I hope he finds peace."

Nox smiled.

"I hope we avenge him."

That made Misty burst out laughing.

"That sounded a lot more like you."

Nox laughed too.

Then he looked toward the horizon.

The enormous city stretched out before them.

"Let’s go."

His Marauder Mask appeared on his face once again.

Misty activated the wind beneath her legs.

Audrey gathered momentum.

And Tessa’s wings of fire emerged from her back once more.

The four of them jumped from the building.

Leaving behind the smoke, the ashes, and the funeral.

As they moved across the rooftops of the Capital.

Returning to the Pyrell Household.