Chapter 37 - Chapter 37- The Chalice of Bedlam

As Helios and Bow ran across the rooftops, searching for civilians caught in the disaster Belanor had unleashed upon the city, they began to notice something strange. Knights surrounded the cathedral, an entire perimeter, blocking anyone from getting even remotely close. Bow and Helios split up, guiding civilians toward safer paths while avoiding patrol routes. But deep inside the cathedral itself, Belanor walked slowly down the aisle between the rows of benches facing the podium. His smile said everything: greed, obsession, and a narcissism that dripped from every step. Each footstep echoed through the empty cathedral. He reached the podium, slid his hand along its surface, and found a hidden lever. With a dull click, the podium shifted aside, revealing a descending staircase. Belanor began his descent. As he moved downward, the torches along the walls ignited one by one, lighting the spiral staircase with eerie, hellish glow. When he reached the bottom, his smile twisted into something darker. Ancient scriptures coated the walls. Forgotten texts, carved in languages older than the kingdom itself. And pressed against the far wall was a tomb. The tomb of the First Holy Priest. Belanor stepped forward, whispering with admiration, "So this is Oliver Dragonheart… the First Holy Priest." He dragged his finger slowly along the corpse, starting at the skull, tracing down the ribs, over the arms, and finally resting at the skeletal hands. "The man who sealed away one of the three ancient artifacts connected to Hell." Belanor's grin widened grotesquely. "The first creation… the Bementis Regalia. The second… the Cry of Chronos. And last, though certainly the most beautiful…" he said, voice dripping with reverence, "...the Chalice of Bedlam." He placed his hand on the chalice. Immediately a magic seal appeared, shocking his hand with such force that blood dripped from his fingers. Snarling, Belanor slammed that same bleeding hand into the seal. His mana poured into it, purging, cracking, and finally shattering the protective barrier. "At last…" he whispered, exhaling in relief. "The artifact I have searched for… finally within my grasp." Footsteps echoed behind him. One of Belanor's Dark Paladins appeared at the base of the stairs. "Lord Belanor," the paladin said respectfully. "It seems you have found what you were searching for. May I ask… what does this relic do?" Belanor turned, eyes gleaming. "You see," he began, "what makes this artifact so special is that it possesses two functions." He lifted the chalice reverently. "The first function allows the user to sacrifice their own soul… and release a cursed dragon. The dragon of blood and black flames." His smile sharpened. "Umbrazor, the dragon feared by all in ancient times." The paladin swallowed. "And… its second function, sire?" Belanor's grin split wider. "The second function," he said slowly, "is the power to perform a mass sacrifice. The more lives offered… the stronger the being that emerges." He stepped closer, his voice a cold whisper. "That is why I gathered the slaves. That is why I orchestrated the purge. Their lives… all of them… will serve to summon the one true calamity." Belanor raised the chalice toward the dim torchlight. "Azazel the Black Sun." Above the cathedral's secret chamber, life in Sanctus had erupted into chaos. Screams carried through the streets. Knights marched in tight formations, corralling civilians like livestock. Smoke drifted from broken stalls, and the shimmering barrier overhead pushed the panic into a frenzy. Helios felt none of the power beneath the cathedral, but he did feel the fear. A group of trapped civilians huddled behind a toppled fruit cart as knights approached with ropes and chains. Bow and Helios arrived just in time, dropping from a rooftop and landing between the civilians and the soldiers. Bow cracked his knuckles. Helios didn't say a word. Within moments, the knights were unconscious on the ground. "Alright, everyone!" Helios shouted, waving the terrified group closer. "On your feet. Stay low. Stay quiet. Follow us." He and Bow began guiding them through narrow alleys, using rooftops and shadows to avoid patrols. More civilians joined as they moved, mothers carrying children, elderly men limping, merchants clutching whatever belongings they could carry. Bow frowned. "Helios… there are too many of them. We can't keep slipping around like this. We need a place to hide them." Helios nodded. "Yeah… somewhere the knights won't dare look." A voice came from the crowd. A woman with soot on her face stepped forward cautiously. "I… I know a place," she whispered. "The Black Market tunnels. They're illegal… hidden under the trade district. The guards hate going down there." Bow grinned. "Perfect. Illegal means safe." Helios turned to the civilians. "Everyone who can walk, move. Everyone who can't, Bow will carry." Bow blinked. "Wait…" Helios glared. "Bow will carry." Bow sighed. "Got it…" They pressed onward, slipping through backstreets until they reached a cracked stone archway behind an abandoned spice shop. The woman pushed aside a loose slab, revealing a dark stairway leading underground. The air smelled like dust, iron, and old secrets. Helios stepped inside first, checking for danger. "Alright," he said. "This place will keep you safe for now. Bow and I will bring more people. Stay hidden. Stay quiet." A child tugged on Helios's cloak. "M-Mister… will we be okay?" Helios knelt and smiled gently, remembering Cael's words. "Yeah," he said softly. "You'll be okay. I promise." He stood, turning toward the streets again. "Bow, round two." Bow rolled his shoulders. "Race you." Helios smirked. In a burst of mana and firelight, the two of them shot back into the burning streets of Sanctus to save whoever was left. Helios and Bow emerged from the Black Market tunnel and were heading back into the burning streets when a familiar voice called out from above. "HEY! HELIOS! BOW!" They both looked up. Halo sprinted across a rooftop, vaulted off a chimney, and dropped down into the alley beside them, skidding across the dirt. He was breathing hard, clothes ripped, knuckles bleeding from the fight he'd been in. Bow blinked. "Bro… what happened to you?" Halo didn't waste time catching his breath. "I found something. Something big." Helios's expression hardened. "Speak." Halo pointed toward the cathedral rising over the city. "Belanor. I'm certain he's inside the cathedral." Bow raised an eyebrow. "How certain? Like… I have a theory certain or actually certain?" Halo shot him a look. "Bow, shut up. This is serious." He continued, urgency rising in his voice. "I got close to the plaza. The knights aren't patrolling anymore, they're forming a full perimeter around the cathedral. Three rings of them. Shields locked, weapons drawn, nobody getting within fifty feet of the doors. That's not defense…"Helios finished the thought. "...that's protection. They're guarding their leader." Halo nodded. "Exactly. Belanor is in there. And the only way we're getting to him is by breaking through every knight around that cathedral." Bow groaned dramatically. "All of them? Seriously?" Halo snapped, "Yes, all of them. If we don't clear that perimeter, we'll get pinned down the second we step onto the plaza. And worse, the civilians still inside the city won't be able to escape to the tunnels." Helios took a long breath, looking toward the rising smoke and the cathedral spire cutting through it. "We stop the knights," he said. "Then the people can run free… and we can hunt Belanor." Bow smirked. "Finally. Something straightforward." Halo tightened the wraps on his hands, flexing sore knuckles. "I can take the right flank. No gem, just me. I'll manage. You guys take the center and left. Hit the weak spots in their formation." Helios stepped forward, eyes blazing with quiet resolve. "Belanor wants a fortress?" he said softly. "Let's tear it down." The three of them stood together, battered but determined, facing the distant cathedral bathed in firelight. Then they moved.