Sanctuary: Safe Haven

The kingdom of Arenthia was a cauldron of tension, its cities and villages simmering with anxiety. Word of Canna's actions had spread like wildfire, leaving a trail of fear and suspicion in its wake.

The once proud kingdom now cowered in the shadow of the unknown, its people glancing over their shoulders, and its leaders locking themselves away in their fortresses, surrounded by their most trusted guards. Posters bearing Canna's image were plastered on every street corner, and whispers of his next move filled the air.

But amidst the chaos, no one truly knew where the man would strike next, and that uncertainty gnawed at them all.

Far from the eyes of the terrified populace, Canna stood at the edge of his sanctuary, the portal to the domain flickering with a crimson glow behind him. He felt the weight of the mission ahead, the faces of countless children flashing in his mind. With a deep breath, he steeled himself, his resolve hardening like the edge of a blade.

"Ready," Canna muttered to himself, and in the blink of an eye, his form dissolved into a crackling bolt of lightning. The air hummed with electricity as he shot forward, a streak of light tearing through the night sky. Those who happened to glance upward might have mistaken it for a shooting star, a fleeting moment of brilliance that was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

But for those unfortunate enough to be stationed near the portal, there was no mistaking what followed. As soon as Canna had exited, Mortem and Vorgrim moved with lethal precision. Dark tendrils erupted from Mortem's shadowy form, snaking around throats and silencing screams before they could even form. Vorgrim's blade, a blur of deadly steel, cut down anyone foolish enough to draw a weapon.

Within seconds, the area was cleared, every potential threat dispatched with ruthless efficiency.

In his lightning form, Canna moved at impossible speeds, his thoughts racing almost as quickly as his body. His first target was one of the orphanages—one of the worst, according to the intelligence gathered by Mortem. The upper echelons of Arenthia were too preoccupied with guarding their own wealth and lives, leaving these places largely unprotected.

It was a small mercy, but one Canna would gladly take.

As he approached the orphanage, he allowed himself to shift back into his human form, his boots landing silently on the cobblestone street. The building loomed before him, an imposing structure with high walls and barred windows. It looked more like a prison than a place meant to care for children. Canna's jaw tightened as he approached the entrance, his senses on high alert.

He recalled the details Mortem had provided about this particular orphanage. Not all the staff were monsters—some genuinely cared for the children, doing what little they could to protect them from the harshness of their world. Those people would be spared and brought to the sanctuary as well.

But there were others, those who took pleasure in the suffering of the innocent, who treated the children like cattle. Canna's hand clenched around the hilt of his blade, and his eyes darkened with the promise of retribution.

He reached the door, placing his hand on the rough wood. It was old, worn from years of neglect, and Canna could feel the coldness of the place seep into his skin. He pushed it open gently, the hinges creaking in protest as the door swung inward. The interior was dark, the only light coming from a few sputtering torches lining the walls.

The air was thick with the stench of damp and decay, and Canna's nose wrinkled at the smell. He could hear the faint sound of shuffling feet and the occasional muffled cry—sounds that only fueled the fire in his heart.

Canna stepped inside, his movements silent as a shadow. He knew where to go—the information Mortem had provided was thorough. The basement was where the worst of it happened, where the cruelest staff held sway over the most vulnerable children. Canna's heart ached at the thought of what those children had endured, but he pushed the emotion aside.

There would be time for grief later; now, there was only the mission.

He descended the stairs, the wooden steps creaking under his weight. As he reached the bottom, the sounds grew louder—cries of pain, the slap of a hand against flesh, followed by the cruel laughter of an adult. Canna's blood boiled, and for a moment, he struggled to keep his composure. But he knew that rushing in without a plan would only put the children at greater risk.

He needed to be smart, to be precise.

He rounded the corner and saw them—the tormentors. Three of them, burly men with cruel eyes and twisted smiles, standing over a group of children huddled in the corner. The children were thin, their faces gaunt and pale, their eyes hollow with fear. The sight nearly broke Canna's heart, but he forced himself to focus. He needed to act quickly, before any of the men could react.

It was time to act.

The men barely had time to register what was happening before Mortem's tendrils lashed out, wrapping around their throats and pulling them into the shadows. Vorgrim moved like a ghost, his blade slicing through the air with deadly precision. Within moments, the room was silent, the only sound the soft sobs of the children.

Canna sheathed his blade and knelt beside the children, his heart breaking at the sight of their fear-stricken faces. "It's okay," he said softly, his voice gentle. "You're safe now. I'm here to take you to a better place."

The children looked at him with wide, uncertain eyes, their small bodies trembling with fear and exhaustion. Canna reached out, offering his hand to the nearest child, a little girl with matted hair and bruised skin. She hesitated for a moment before taking it, her tiny fingers clutching his with a desperation that nearly brought tears to his eyes.

He activated the portal behind him, the red glow casting a warm light over the cold, dark room. "Come with me," Canna said, his voice steady but filled with compassion. "You don't have to stay here anymore. I'm taking you to a place where you'll be loved, where you'll be safe."

The children began to move, their steps hesitant at first, but as they saw the kindness in Canna's eyes, they started to believe. One by one, they stepped through the portal, disappearing into the sanctuary where a new life awaited them.

Canna stayed behind, making sure every last child had passed through the portal before he turned his attention to the building. There were still more floors to clear, more children to save. But as he moved to the next room, his senses went on high alert. there were people coming, he gave the nod to Mortem and Vorgrim to kill all those that would be a threat to their plan.