The city was colder than Jaden expected. Not just in temperature, but in spirit. The streets were coated with a strange gray fog, and the silence was so thick, it almost echoed. He had never been here before. This place wasn't even marked properly on the DC maps — just flagged for heavy demonic activity. And it showed.
Shattered windows, dried bloodstains, abandoned carts, buildings half-eaten by vines. A place that once had life but now only whispered of it.
People barely walked the streets. And those who did moved like shadows themselves, cloaked, eyes down, as if even glancing upward might call something worse upon them. The bright side of the city, if there was one, barely covered a few blocks. The rest was silent, heavy, and drowned in fear.
Jaden didn't waste time. He tracked the demons down one by one — some hiding in collapsed homes, others creeping under sewer grates, snarling, feeding off the fear that hung in the air like smoke. They weren't the strongest he had faced, but they were many. Organized. They moved with an eerie precision, like they'd grown here — like the city birthed them itself.
But Jaden handled them. With the ancient blade from Master Shang, their black blood stained the cracked pavements. The screams faded. The silence, though, returned.
He was about to leave when he noticed it.
A building.
Massive. Towering. Out of place.
It sat at the edge of the city like a forgotten king — vines climbing its tall pillars, moss creeping up its cracked stone walls. It looked abandoned, just like the rest of the city. But something about it tugged at him. He could've turned back. His mission was complete. But something... pulled.
The gate wasn't locked. The metal creaked open easily under his push, groaning like something long asleep.
Inside, everything changed.
Gold.
Warm light.
Glowing walls with ancient symbols. The air smelled of incense and blooming flowers. It was completely different from the world outside. As he walked further in, his boots echoed against marble floors, not broken stone.
Then, he heard it.
Laughter.
Soft. Joyful. Innocent.
Children.
He followed the sound, hand still near the hilt of his blade, alert. This city was supposed to be dead. Who were these children? What were they doing in a place like this?
He moved through the gold-lit corridors, past archways draped in silk. He turned a corner — and froze.
There they were.
Children, dozens of them. Laughing. Playing.
Some dressed in brilliant white robes, others in soft shades of blue and green. Some were running, others kneeled at small shrines holding candles, heads bowed in prayer. Their faces were calm, eyes bright. Around them, women — older and younger — moved gently, guiding them, helping them with robes, teaching prayers.
It looked like something from a dream.
Jaden stood still, unsure if this was real. After everything — after all the blood and horror just a few blocks away — this felt unreal. Holy, even.
He stepped closer, cautiously. No one had noticed him yet. He couldn't explain what he felt. Peace? Confusion? A strange ache he didn't have words for.
One of the children finally turned. A little girl in silver, holding a candle in both hands. She looked at Jaden without fear. Just curiosity.
She smiled.
Then others turned.
And one by one, they noticed him. But no screams. No panic.
Just calm stares. Soft smiles.
A woman in white stepped forward from the crowd. She had long black hair and a gold band across her forehead.
"You found the temple," she said softly. "Not many do."
Jaden's eyes narrowed. "What is this place?"
She looked around at the children, then back at him.
"A sanctuary," she replied. "For the untouched. For the ones the demons cannot corrupt."
Jaden didn't know what to say. For once, he wasn't here to fight or kill. But something told him this temple held more than just children and peace. Something deeper. Maybe even answers.
He stepped forward slowly, letting the door behind him close with a quiet thud.
He didn't know it yet, but walking into that temple would change everything.