The origin of the Lich

Bella’s expression turned cold, “Because they were a liability,” she stated simply. “The priests, the acolytes, the guards… they were the only people in the world who knew what the real Serenya looked like. The public had never seen her. Even the last Saint before her, a woman named Rumaya, lived her entire life behind a veil. By eliminating the witnesses, the board was wiped clean and Serenya will be freed.”

She spread her hands, “I became the first Saint in living memory to show her face. The people saw a confident, powerful protector. They trusted me instantly. It was all to protect her,” Bella’s voice softened, “Serenya wanted freedom. They wanted a symbol to lock in a cage. I broke the cage, gave her the freedom she craved, and took on the duties she always hated.”

She looked at Anna, “But Serenya knew Yarte’s obsession wouldn’t just fade. When a powerful mage died, their magic would stay. And she told me, twenty years ago, that him becoming what he is now—a lich, a master of the Morvanium—was her worst nightmare. 

She made me promise that if that day ever came, if she ever saw the absolute worst scenario unfolding, she would do what she felt she had to do, and would no longer listen to me.”

Bella let out a final, shuddering breath, “So now, with Yarte on the move and the corruption spreading… I don’t know what Serenya’s plan is.”

The heavy confession settled in the hall of the temple, leaving a silence.

It was Maren who spoke first, her usual cheerful light dimmed to a soft, sorrowful pulse. “So now without her telling you what to do, you’re confused... I know that feeling.”

Finally, Anna spoke, “Let me change it then. Now it doesn’t matter what she wanted,” Anna stated, her tone devoid of sympathy. “What matters more is what she’s doing now.”

“Let’s summarize the current strategic situation,” she said, more to herself than to Bella. “We have Yarte, a lich who wants to destroy you out of a twisted, personal vendetta. We have you, trying to hold a kingdom together with a well-crafted lie. And now we have Serenya, moving her own pieces on the board and actively interfering with our operations.”

She stopped and looked at Bella, a flicker of something cold and appreciative in her eyes. “Killing everyone in the temple was a bold move,” Anna noted. “Ruthless, but it secured your position completely. I can respect the strategy.”

Maren let out a small, scandalized gasp, but Anna ignored her.

“The past is irrelevant now,” Anna continued, her voice hardening. “Now how do we use Serenya actions to our advantage? Or, at the very least, how do we keep her from completely wrecking ours while we deal with Yarte?”

“Lady Serenya!” the nun gasped, her voice trembling. “A report from the scouts! It’s a miracle!”

Bella’s voice was still sharp. “What is it?”

“The corruption!” the nun explained breathlessly. “It has turned to a halt! More than that, it’s actively being purified! The scouts report that the outer forest and the Ironwood farm have been fully cleansed! At this rate, they estimate it will now take a full week for the main force to reach us!”

Bella’s gaze sharpened. She had already suspected the answer, but she needed the confirmation. “Is it Serenya’s doing?”

The nun nodded emphatically. “Yes, my lady! The scouts found blade marks all along the forest’s edge where the corruption was thickest. They radiate a holy energy so pure. They confirmed it is the work of Ars Caelus.”

Bella nodded slowly and dismissed the ecstatic nun. A week. They had bought another week. She turned to Anna, a complex, weary relief on her face, expecting to see a similar reaction.

She saw the exact opposite.

Anna's orange eyes narrowed into icy slits, and her face was as hard as stone. No joy, no relief. All that was visible was the solemn, determined face of a general who had just realized a huge, unexpected weakness in her strategy for battle.

To someone like Anna, this was not good news.

“This isn’t a miracle, Bella,” Anna said, her voice flat and devoid of emotion. “It’s a strategic nightmare.”

Bella’s relief vanished, replaced by confusion. “It buys us time—”

“Time is irrelevant when you’ve lost control of the board,” Anna cut back sharply. “Think about what this means. She’s not fighting with us. She’s not coordinating with you. She is acting unilaterally, cleaning the board on her own terms and in her own time. She is proving, to herself and to anyone who might be watching, that she can handle this threat by herself.”

Anna stopped and looked at Bella, her gaze piercing. “Right now, we’re flying blind. And an unpredictable power of that magnitude—thirty-four million mana—is infinitely more dangerous than a predictable enemy like Yarte.”

She crossed her arms, her final assessment delivered with chilling finality. “She's demonstrating that she doesn't need us. But what about our plan to save people in the mines?”

Bella’s shoulders sagged in agreement. “I understand. With the threat of Yarte’s army at the gates, we could pressure them into granting you access. But now…” She sighed, the sound heavy with frustration.

“With Serenya’s interference, the corruption is slowing. The King will see no urgency. He may not give you the key now, claiming the crisis has been averted. This is bad.”

She looked at Anna, her eyes sharp and desperate. “What do you want, Anna? What do you need? I will help you in any way I can to make sure the people in that mine are safe. No matter what, it has been my highest priority to find a way in there for a very long time.”

Anna’s analytical gaze narrowed. “Helping your own father will never be a bad thing. I’ll help you. I need a book. Everything you have on the Ars Weapon Series. The kingdom has been digging that mine for fifteen hundred years to find one. I want to know what, exactly, they’re looking for.”

Bella’s expression cleared, a flicker of hope returning. She turned and gave a sharp, quick nod to a nearby nun. The woman understood immediately and scurried away.

A few moments later, she returned bringing a leather-bound tome titled Spiritus Armorum: A Treatise on the Ars Series.

The nun placed the book on a nearby pedestal. Bella looked from the ancient book to Anna’s determined face. “Whatever plan you have, I have a feeling it will work. I believe in you, Anna.”

Anna let out a dry chuckle as she ran a finger over the book's dusty cover. 

“I don’t know what makes you believe in me so much. But since I can remember, it’s a matter of fact that people around me just do.”

Bella’s lips curved into an amused smile, “What an arrogant vampire.”

Anna’s faint chuckle died in her throat, the word “arrogant” was a trigger.

To Anna, it was a fundamental invalidation of her entire being.

Her confidence was not born of ego, but of ruthless, logical analysis of her own proven competence. It was a conclusion, not a feeling.

“It is not arrogance,” she said, “It is an objective assessment based on repeated, verifiable outcomes. Arrogance is unearned confidence. My confidence is a conclusion drawn from evidence.” She glared at Bella,

“To call it arrogance is to ignore the facts simply because you find them distasteful.”

Bella just stared and then nodded, “I see, that’s wrong on my part.”

“Very well then.” She took the book and walked away. The goodbyes at the temple were brief and efficient.

“I will be back next night,” Anna stated to Bella, “See you later, Lady Bella!” Maren chirped, bobbing in the air.