**Chapter 22: "Confronting the Corrupted"**

The relief of actually having a deal with Azazel, the most powerful demon I have ever met, was quickly overshadowed by the mountain of… stuff I still had to do. Like taking out the trash, but if the trash was a cabal of corrupt nobles trying to usher in a demonic apocalypse. And like… what *did* I do with Keala?

“So,” I said, turning to Lyra who was already sharpening her god damn sword again, and was probably going to kill me after the things she was going to heard from my mouth after this conversation. “Azazel wants… someone. Kael got him some power that I couldn't give. It has got to be someone powerful. And… well, Keala's soul is… pretty damn tainted.”

Lyra finally stopped sharpening, setting the blade down carefully. The look she gave me could curdle milk. “You’re considering… offering her to the demon we just bargained with?”

I winced. “Sounds bad when you put it like that, doesn’t it? But she's corrupted to hell and back. She's a ticking time bomb, and her soul is going to cause bad problems on earth. Maybe… maybe this is the only way to put an end to it while getting what we need.”

She stood. "There is always another way, Elias. We can find somebody to purify her, we can run. Maybe the answer is inside of her."

I knew she was right. But a part of me was so tired. So damn tired of trying to fix impossible situations. “And if we can’t? What if she ends up opening another gate for the demonds to get through? We don't know everything, even with the knowledge of the First Weaver." I really needed her to trust me on whatever decision there was.

“It's wrong, Elias." Lyra's voice was resolute. "Regardless of her state, she is still someone to save. We have to think and try again, and for God's Sake, do not kill and just offer people as a prize. You are better than that.” She was right, but... God, I was so torn. I knew the world isn’t black and white, but what was I supposed to do? The only thing I wanted to do for once was the right thing. After I fucked up my life in all the possible universes.

The silence stretched, taut and heavy.

I finally exhaled, defeated. “Okay. Okay, you’re right. We’ll… we’ll try to find another way. But we keep it as the last option. If she becomes a threat, you have my permission to just kill her.” I said, the last part with a bitter feeling.

The weight of that decision settled over me, a cold, hard stone in my gut. Lyra’s belief in my innate goodness – whatever was left of it – was both a blessing and a curse. It forced me to be better than I thought I could be, even when every fiber in my being screamed for the easy, dark path.

“Okay, so, Keala is off the table for now,” I said, trying to inject some levity into the situation. “Which means… back to the original plan. Expose the corrupt nobles, use Soul Weaving to shore up the barrier, and somehow not get killed in the process.”

I began to pace, running through the plan again in my head. “The meeting is tonight, right? The one where they’re going to decide who gets what piece of the kingdom now that they’ve successfully undermined the throne itself.” The information came from Keal's sister. It was the only way to bring peace to her hearth.

Lyra nodded. “The informant was very clear. It will be at the Grand Ballroom. All the major players will be there, ready to divvy up the spoils."

"All right," I said, a flicker of grim determination igniting in my chest. "Then that’s where we’re going."

I moved towards the door… Then stopped. “I don’t want you going after me.”

"Are you out of your mind?!" Lyra practically yelled "I have followed into hell if it was necesary! I am going with you even if you want it or not."

"The last place I went you almost died" She looked away, down and sad. That was true, and seeing her like that and remembering that she almost gave their life into a plan I was doing, wasn't good...

"At least hear me out," I turned to face her. "With Azazel on my side, temporarily, all I need to do is expose the nobles and use Soul Weaving. Having you there, wouldn't change anything. I want you to take care of Keala. Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid"

Her face was one of disgust. I knew I was asking a lot. But after all, she did trust me... right? I really didn't know at that point. "If you get in trouble, yell. I will come to wherever you are. Promise it" She asked. She was broken, but not out of words.

"I promise."

I watched Lyra’s retreating figure, a knot of anxiety twisting in my stomach. Leaving her behind felt wrong, like going into battle without my sword. But I needed her safe, needed her to be the anchor that kept me tethered to the world of right and wrong.

Now, with soul weaving magic, I only need to make an illusion to turn into someone else. It was kind of funny, to be honest. I can only hope it does what I need.

Lyra didn't say anything or even look at me. She was probably scared or mad. I knew I was hurting her, that I was pulling away. But what choice did I have? To protect her, but how many others was she supposed to give it's life for me?

I took a deep breath and started the spell. I had been a guard there some time ago. What was his name? Oh, yeah. John. I did the illusion and then I went into the castle. Just like that.

The Grand Ballroom shimmered with opulence. Crystal chandeliers cast a dazzling light on the assembled nobles, their faces flushed with wine, their voices a low, greedy hum. The air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume and ill-gotten gains. I walked through the crowd, blending in, doing my best John impression. How would he act? Well, with the amount of gold they get, he would be pretty damn smug.

Finding the head noble wasn't hard. He was talking pretty loud about his plans and how the King, with all the problems we had with society didn't make to. He seemed very confident that his plans were okay. "You do not have the authorization to do that." I said.

He turned to me. "And who are you?" He seemed confused, but then I erased the illusion.

Silence descended like a suffocating blanket. All eyes turned to me, faces morphing from smug satisfaction to stunned disbelief. I could see the whispers rippling through the crowd, the subtle shifts in body language as they assessed the threat.

“Elias,” the high-ranking noble, Lord Valerius, spat the name like a curse. “What is the meaning of this intrusion?”

I smirked, reveling in the moment. “Intrusion? I thought I was invited. After all, who here hasn't heard of my name".

I saw on his face that he was scared. Oh so good, this was getting. He tried to speak, but I continued. "All of you, I know, have been doing bad things. From hiring assassins to kill me, to using power to turn againts the Kingdom,"

“Guards!” Valerius roared, his face contorted with rage. “Seize him!”

The room erupted in chaos. Royal guards, their faces a mixture of confusion and fear, surged forward, drawing their swords. Other nobles, their faces twisted with malice, began chanting spells, their hands crackling with arcane energy.

I held up a hand, a pulse of Soul Weaving energy emanating from my fingertips. "I wouldn't, If I were you, you are going to see more than you want." I said before clapping two times. I saw some demons, but where were the gods? I felt their light, but not so strong as last time. And some other creatures that I couldn't recognize.

The first guard lunged forward, his sword aimed at my heart. I sidestepped, grabbing his wrist and twisting, sending him sprawling into a table laden with food. A mage hurled a bolt of fire magic, which I deflected. This felt so damn amazing. All the chaos that they have been using.

The numbers advantage was overwhelming. The nobles, fueled by desperation and a lust for power, unleashed a torrent of spells. Fireballs, bolts of lightning, shards of ice – the air crackled with destructive energy.

But they weren’t the only ones with power. I unleashed the First Weaver’s power, the souls of thousands of Gods, making their spells even slower. It felt good, but that made the demon mark on my wrist even more furious.

I tried to focus, to weave together a cohesive defense, but the sheer volume of attacks was relentless. A spell clipped my shoulder, sending a jolt of pain through my body. The First Weaver’s voice echoed in my mind, urging me to focus, to channel the energy, to find the balance.

*Balance* I thought

*Balance*

“I am not letting you kill me!” Valerius cried, as his eyes started to glow. He wanted to get my soul, and I wanted is death. One of them had to get its will.

But as the demon mark burned, I was scared. The power that he wields and what the others do is nothing compared to that. Was this worth it? All the things I’ve done? Was that it? I had no clue.

I saw flashes of the past, the things I had done, the people I’d hurt, the choices I’d made. A wave of regret washed over me, so potent it threatened to drown me.

*Lyra*

That thought was enough. Lyra, with her unwavering belief in me, her unwavering determination to see the good in the world and her strong power. I thought about her face and told myself that this can’t be it. I needed to keep going to find Keal's family peace and get to be able to give Lyra the true gift of having her with someone that loves her with their entire hearth.

But the nobles were relentless, their attacks growing fiercer, their determination fueled by the knowledge that their lives were on the line. I was tiring, my body aching, my mind struggling to keep pace with the chaos.

The end was near but what was supossed to do?

I needed power.