Leaving the crypt behind, Argus set his sights on Beloved Zofia, guided by the haunting voices that echoed in his mind. The path to this enigmatic destination was fraught with an otherworldly ambiance, the air thick with an ancient magic that whispered through the moss-covered stones.
As he approached, the structure of Beloved Zofia loomed before him, a monument to an age long past. The stones seemed to pulse with a strange energy, and the gleaming eyes embedded within them watched his every move, giving the impression of a living, breathing entity.
The voice that had plagued his dreams now surrounded him, its words echoing with a chilling resonance.
-Your soul... We can sense its putrid aura. The stench of revenge, clouds your very being, suffocating all other desires. You wish for redemption. We can help you.
-What are you?
-Broken. A husk of what once was, and yet a being craving redemption similar to yourself. Our old self matters not, but your current self can still be redeemed.
-Redeemed?
-The stench is nauseating. You've died at the hands of those who abuse the Song, thus you strive to strengthen your resolve to overcome them. Yet you cannot do so. They have wronged us as well, long in the past... and we desire the same as you, hateful one.
-We could work together.
-Is this the fate you wish to pursue, then? A path of hate, a lust for revenge, one can never satiate? Do not take this as a meager matter, hateful one. The words you dare to speak weighs more than you could imagine.
-I want revenge.
-How far will you walk for your revenge, hateful one? To what means will you go to take the lives of those who once snuffed out your light with their petty Song? If you will let us walk with you... then we may offer power to aid your journey.
-Power?
-The path of the Silent is one of hardship, hateful one. You will not survive as you are now, but we can guide you to a power long dormant inside of you. If you slay the ones who have wronged us, then perhaps we can help you fully realize that power. Form a vow with us, hateful one. We will guide you.
-I will walk with you.
-Then let us make our vow, hateful one. Swear upon your being to walk this path of revenge. Swear upon your soul to become silent amidst the cacophony of the Song. Swear your very heart to us, and you will take our solemn Oath.
-I shall take your oath.
For a fleeting moment, he felt his heart cease its rhythmic beat. It was as if a fragment of his being had slipped away, drawn into the vast void of the Song. Time seemed to stand still as he struggled for breath, each second stretching into eternity as he clawed at his neck in a desperate bid for air.
In that timeless void, a sense of weightlessness enveloped him, his consciousness adrift in the endless expanse of the Song. It was as if the world had paused, holding its breath alongside him. Yet, amidst the stillness, he sensed a subtle shift in the fabric of reality, a subtle hum that echoed through the emptiness.
As abruptly as this sensation had overtaken him, a new essence seemed to fill the void. His heart now pulsated to a different rhythm, resonating with the world's cadence, untouched by the Song's melody, forever silent. It was as though time itself had flowed around him, leaving him unchanged yet inexorably altered.
With a gasp, he found himself back in the present, his surroundings unchanged yet somehow different. The once-familiar sights and sounds of the world seemed sharper, more vibrant, as if seen through new eyes. And as he looked out upon the world, he realized that despite the timeless moment he had experienced, it looked like years passed.
-My heart feels strange.
-Your old heart is no more, hateful one. We have exchanged it for one aligned with our ideals, deafened to the chaos of the Song. You are Silent now, hateful one.
-What must I do next?
-We will take our revenge, as the terms of our Oath declared. Across Lumen, there are masters of the heretical attunements, spreading their false teachings to the uninitiated. With each one slain, we shall grant you power to continue our redemption.
-How am I supposed to find them?
-...