The Broken Halo

Simon and Tarvak looked toward the door at the same time the moment Korran entered.

Tarvak’s brows drew together into a deep frown.

He had not expected Korran to appear so quickly, and he certainly had not expected the Vice Commander of Black Horn to enter a guard office without knocking or waiting for permission.

As for Simon, he was not surprised.

A few moments before the door opened, Shadow Sense had caught Korran’s outline moving through the corridor. The wind slipping beneath the door had also carried the sound of Korran’s footsteps and his scent into the room.

Korran stepped inside and closed the door behind him as though the office belonged to him.

Tarvak stared at him.

"Do doors inside Black Horn open themselves for you, or have you simply forgotten how to knock?"

Korran did not even glance at the Tarvak. His gaze was entirely on Simon, and Simon could see the countless questions, suspicions, and confusion in his gaze.

"I did not come here for your hospitality."

The dismissive response made Tarvak’s expression darken.

"This is a guardhouse under my command."

"And?"

Tarvak slowly rose from his chair.

"And you should not forget that you are not inside the Black Horn Office."

Korran finally turned his full attention toward him.

"Was that a threat?"

A portion of his aura escaped, and the small inspection office seemed to shrink.

The air became heavier, the water inside the basin trembled, and thin dust fell from the corners of the ceiling. The two guards outside the room immediately became silent, their backs becoming drenched in sweat.

Tarvak’s expression darkened.

His own aura rose instinctively in response, but it was not as dense or oppressive as Korran’s. He knew the difference between their strength. Allowing anger to push him into attacking would achieve nothing except giving Korran a reason to humiliate him inside his own gatehouse.

The pressure would have forced the former Minor Archfiend Blackmoon to have a solemn expression, but the current Simon barely felt threatened by it.

Even so, he allowed his shoulders to tense and made his breathing slightly heavier. A supposedly injured Archfiend who sat comfortably beneath Korran’s aura would create another question before he had answered the first.

He was not trying to hide his aura. He was trying to maintain his injured facade.

For several seconds, neither demon moved. Then Tarvak unexpectedly smirked.

"I would be careful about threatening another city official right now."

Korran’s eyes narrowed, and Tarvak’s smile widened slightly.

"Rumours have been moving through Velmora since the convoy returned. Merchants are asking whether Black Horn can protect a wagon, much less a city. Citizens are questioning the guards, the walls, and every defence we claim will protect them."

He leaned one hand against the desk.

"And the higher-ups are asking how an operation under Vice Commander Korran lost soldiers, recruits, beasts, wagons, and important military cargo before reaching its destination."

Korran said nothing.

However, the pressure in the room became colder.

Tarvak felt it press against his body, but he did not look away. If anything, the taunting curve of his mouth became more obvious.

"The attack was a rather large blow to your reputation," he continued. "Starting a fight in the northern gatehouse might not improve it."

For a moment, Simon wondered whether Korran would strike him.

And Tarvak seemed to be wondering the same thing.

He looked almost as though he wanted Korran to lose control, even though both of them understood who would suffer more if the confrontation became physical.

Korran stared at him for several breaths, then the pressure disappeared.

The water inside the basin became calm, and the office seemed to breathe again.

Korran turned toward Simon.

"I am taking Blackmoon to the Black Horn Office for questioning."

Tarvak’s smirk vanished.

"No."

Korran looked back at him.

"The convoy operation was under my command. Blackmoon was one of the selected recruits, his War Tag was registered through Black Horn, and his disappearance is connected to stolen campaign materials. I have the authority to question him."

"There were city guards inside that convoy," Tarvak replied coldly. "Guards who served under Velmora and passed through this gate before your plan got them killed."

His hand tightened against the stone desk.

"Their bodies were brought back to us. Their families are asking what happened, and now one of the demons declared dead has walked through my gate. I have every right to question him."

Korran’s expression did not change.

"You are using their deaths to justify keeping control of Blackmoon."

Tarvak’s eyes flashed.

"They were my guards."

"And that does not change the rules."

Korran took one step closer to the desk.

"Black Horn has primary authority over the field assignment, the stolen strategic cargo, the rebel attack, and every recruit attached to the operation. Your authority covers his entry into Velmora, any crime committed at the gate and in the city, and matters involving your guards that are not already part of the campaign investigation."

His voice remained cold and even.

"You are trying to turn emotion into jurisdiction."

Tarvak’s aura rose again.

"And you are hiding behind procedure because the operation made you look incompetent."

Korran’s gaze became glacial.

"You should be grateful I understand procedure. Otherwise, this conversation would have ended when you tried to provoke me."

The two demons stared at one another.

Whoosh!

Their auras spread through the small office again, pressing against the walls from opposite directions. The desk between them gave a faint groan, and another ripple travelled through the water basin.

Neither attacked.

Tarvak’s position protected him from being casually removed inside his own gatehouse.

Korran’s greater strength and authority prevented Tarvak from forcing him out.

Simon watched both demons from his chair.

His burned hand rested against one knee, his clothes remained stained with dried blood, and the false weakness in his posture had not changed. Yet his eyes moved calmly between them as though he were observing two strangers arguing over an object neither of them owned.

Their disagreement was useful.

Tarvak wanted answers because his guards had died and because he disliked Korran’s disrespect and Korran as a whole.

Korran wanted control of the interrogation because Simon’s survival was now tied to the vanished cases, the empty spatial ring, and whatever had happened inside the Furnaceback Centipede.

Separating them would allow whichever demon questioned him first to control what the other later learned.

Keeping them together created a different advantage.

Simon would only need to tell one version of his lie.

He lifted his gaze.

"Why don’t you both question me together?"

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