Nightfall settled over the quiet street, the air growing cool as the group prepared to depart. Azick emerged from his room, carrying a small black box, its surface matte and featureless. His expression was serious as he signaled to Belial and Xin, nodding toward the door. "It’s time to go."

The trio stepped outside, heading to the side of the house where an electric-powered wagon was waiting. The wagon had a black, sleek exterior, though its edges showed signs of wear, with dark, worn-out silver linings along the railings. The tinted windows glinted faintly in the dim light, giving the vehicle an ominous air.

As they approached, a sudden realization hit them: none of them had discussed who would be driving.

"Uh... so who’s going to drive?" Xin finally asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over the group.

Azick clutched the black box tighter. "One of you two will have to drive. I need to focus on holding onto this artifact."

Belial and Xin exchanged glances, both clearly hoping the other would volunteer. Xin arched an eyebrow at Belial, expecting him to take the lead. Belial, feeling the weight of their stares, sighed and gripped the hilt of his sword in frustration.

"Wait, aren’t you an elf?" Belial muttered inwardly, scowling at himself. "You’re supposed to have better knowledge of this stuff!"

Despite his reluctance, Belial finally gave in. He approached the front of the wagon and opened the driver’s door, sliding into the seat. The interior was simple, but Belial immediately noticed a lever and an old manual gear system.

"An old manual?" Belial groaned to himself. "This is bad..."

He hesitated for a moment, recalling the more advanced vehicles of the demon realm. While he had some experience driving them, this wagon seemed far more primitive. Resigned, he switched the vehicle on, and with a low hum, the engine sputtered to life. After fumbling with the gear system, he managed to get the wagon moving, though it felt sluggish and slightly uncontrollable under his grip.

Azick climbed into the back, still clutching the box tightly. Xin took the passenger seat, casting wary glances at Belial as he wrestled with the controls. "You sure you got this?" Xin asked, half-joking but clearly concerned.

Belial shot him a sideways glance. "If I crash this thing, we’ll all be walking, so let’s hope I figure it out."

The vehicle jolted forward as Belial got the hang of it, and soon they were driving steadily down the quiet streets, the hum of the electric engine filling the air. The night passed slowly as they made their way toward their destination, the roads gradually growing more desolate as they left the city behind.

As the first hints of dawn began to paint the horizon with faint shades of blue, Xin, keeping an eye on the sky, spoke up. "Looks like this is where we’ll be staying for the night," he said, glancing at Azick, who had remained eerily quiet for most of the journey.

Azick nodded, his grip on the box never wavering. "We’ll rest here for a few hours and continue the journey before dawn. We can’t afford to travel during daylight. It’s too risky for the artifact."

Belial brought the wagon to a stop on the side of the road, near a small inn that seemed to cater to late travelers. The engine sputtered out, and the vehicle went silent as Belial climbed out, stretching his tired limbs. "Right," he muttered, taking in the quiet surroundings.

As he did, a thought crossed his mind—since they were being paid to protect Azick and complete the escort mission, it only made sense that Azick would cover the cost of their accommodations.

Belial turned to Azick, his expression firm. "Since we’re here to protect you, I think it’s fair that you cover the cost of the rooms. After all, we’re putting our necks on the line for this job."

Azick seemed caught off guard by the request but quickly composed himself. "Very well," he said, nodding. "I’ll pay for the rooms. Just make sure we leave before daylight."

Belial smirked slightly. "Don’t worry. We’ll be ready."

They headed inside the inn, the wooden floors creaking under their boots as they approached the innkeeper’s desk. Azick, still clutching the black box, asked for rooms, but Belial wasn’t about to settle for just any accommodations.

"I want a luxury room," Belial said, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "With heavy curtains."

Xin chuckled quietly beside him, clearly amused by the demand.

The innkeeper raised an eyebrow but handed Azick the key without question, and Azick begrudgingly agreed, handing over the payment. "Fine, but make sure you’re up before dawn," he reminded them.

Belial took the key with a grin, and they made their way up to the rooms. As Azick retreated to his own room down the hall, Belial and Xin entered their room next door. It was small but comfortable, with thick, dark curtains that blocked out most of the moonlight.

"Not bad," Belial said, tossing his belongings onto the bed before flopping down with a satisfied sigh.

Xin leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching his friend. "You think this artifact’s going to be trouble?" he asked after a moment, his tone more serious.

Belial stared up at the ceiling, his mind running through the possibilities. "Probably," he admitted. "But thats why we're here. We need to prepare for whatever may happen during this escort mission”  .

The first light of morning started to escape between the gaps in the heavy curtains inside the bedroom. Rubbing his eyes and trying to suppress a yawn, Xin looked over at Belial, who remained sprawled out on the bed. Running his hand through his hair, he felt his exhaustion setting in as his lengthy elven ears drooped a bit. He approached Belial and nudged him to wake up.

"Your turn, man," Xin mumbled, his voice heavy with fatigue. His eyes were barely open, his body already surrendering to the exhaustion from the journey.

Belial stirred, stretching out his limbs as Xin collapsed onto the bed in his place. With a tired groan, Xin curled into a ball and fell asleep almost instantly, leaving Belial to take the next shift. 

Belial sat up, rolling his neck to relieve the stiffness before dragging a chair over to the window. He was fully alert at this moment, but there wasn't anything interesting to occupy his time. He sighed and grabbed his katana, choosing to spend his time cleaning it. He drew out the sword, examined its keen edge, and started dismantling it.

Belial had always been very careful with his sword. With practiced precision, he removed the small bamboo pins from the handle using his hands.

 Once the handle was off, the blade lay exposed in his hands. He took a clean cloth and, starting from the base, began wiping the blade in smooth, straight motions, making sure to avoid touching the sharp edge. Dust, fingerprints, and any moisture from the journey were carefully removed as he worked. The room was quiet except for the faint sound of the cloth sliding over steel.

His mind wandered as he cleaned the blade, thinking back on the job and their strange employer, Azick. Something about this whole situation felt off. Belial found it hard to shake the feeling that they weren’t being told everything. What exactly was this artifact they were transporting? And why was it so dangerous in the daylight?

While putting his katana back together, Belial looked at Xin, who was peacefully sleeping, and reattached the handle to the tang, securing it with the small bamboo pins. Furrowing his brow, he wondered, 

How did he manage to stay awake the whole time?

Belial leaned back in the chair, feeling bored and restless, letting out a sigh. Almost in a state of sleep, he suddenly heard a soft noise; groaning was emerging from the neighboring room. His body tensed up, his intuition taking over. Something seemed off.

Belial swiftly rose, seized his sword, and headed towards the door. He tapped on the door, his ears tensed to detect any indication of activity.

"Azick, is everything okay in there?" he called out.

There was no response, only more groaning. The sound was low and pained, like someone was struggling. Belial’s grip on the doorknob tightened.

"I’m coming in," he announced, though he doubted Azick could hear him in his current state.

Before he pushed open the door, a thought flashed through Belial’s mind—The artifact doesn’t like light. If something’s wrong in there, exposing it to light could make it worse.* He quickly raised his hand, summoning a dark dome that enveloped the door. The shadows clung to the wood, blocking any stray light from leaking in as he entered.

In the room, the lighting was low, yet Belial could distinguish Azick's figure, lying on the ground. He was contorting in agony, his body contorting as if being ripped apart internally. The curtains were partially open, with only a single candle lit on the nearby table, creating dancing shadows throughout the room.

Belial’s eyes darted to the black box sitting on the floor next to Azick. It was shaking violently, the artifact inside clearly agitated by the dim light.

*That must be the source of all this, belial thought, piecing things together.