The battlefield still echoed with the cries of victory from the surviving knights, but the tension around Luci, Brianna, and the disembodied head of Brian grew thick. Brianna, her grip tightening on her blade, kept her cold, calculating gaze locked on Luci. The faint glow of dawn breaking the horizon only deepened the shadows cast by his chains.
Brian's silver aura flickered faintly as he hovered closer to Luci. "Luci, stop dodging the question. I want to know why you're here. You infiltrated our ranks, hid your identity, and now you claim you don't care. Start talking."
Luci sighed dramatically, his chains rattling softly as he leaned casually against a broken tree. "I thought it was obvious, Head Honcho. I needed the holy water to loosen these chains." He gestured lazily to his left arm, where the blackened chain had weakened. "You knights were the perfect opportunity. I saw you crack that door open during your little mage war, and I walked right through."
