Dominus studied the coin in his hand, his expression unreadable beneath the shadows of his hood.

  Dominus: “You’ve done well uncovering Eclipse’s interest in von Virtus’ son, Lunalus... But I fail to see how this coin furthers our cause. It confirms their involvement, yes, but the boy’s whereabouts remain as much a mystery as ever.”

  Lunalus leaned down, whispering something inaudible into Barr’s ear. With deliberate care, he placed the coin into the creature’s hand. For the first time, Barr stirred. His lifeless form moved with unsettling fluidity, as if guided by unseen strings. Black, tar-like appendages emerged from his limbs, writhing and undulating as they enveloped the coin.

  Lunalus: “Perhaps for you and me, Dominus, this coin is a dead end... But Barr no longer perceives the world as we do. He doesn’t sense it as we sense it. I believe he can find the coin’s owner.”

  Dominus scoffed, a sound of disgust reverberating through the cathedral.

  Dominus: “‘He'... You still refer to that thing as though there’s something human left inside! The host you mutilated is gone... The least you could do is let the memory of what he once was rest in peace.”

  Lunalus ignored the rebuke, his attention fixed entirely on Barr. Black tendrils scraped and probed the coin’s surface with methodical precision, their alien grace captivating him.

  Lunalus: “You are correct, Dominus. If Barr remains within, he is no longer himself. He has been made one with the ichor, bound to the will of Nox -- the will to destroy. A demigod now walks among us, heralding an era of eternal silence and peace. He is our Novilunium -- the new moon of Nox.”

  Dominus narrowed his eyes, skepticism etched into every word he spoke.

  Dominus: “There is but one will of Nox, Lunalus. It is the will of Dominus Noctis. *My* will.”

  Lunalus stiffened, immediately bowing his head in submission.

  Lunalus: “Your will is absolute, Dominus... Forgive me if my words suggested otherwise.”

  Dominus raised his hand, dark sigils forming in the air. Their ominous glow pulsed with malevolent energy, causing Barr’s body to convulse violently. The black veins across his arms and skull twisted and tore away from his flesh bit by bit.

  Barr let out a guttural, inhuman screech, his voice filled with raw agony.

  Dominus: “A demigod, you call it. Yet its ‘godly’ appendages are ripped away with ease by a ‘lesser’ being such as I. What does that say of your creation, Lunalus?”

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Lunalus watched in silent horror, his lips trembling as Barr’s tortured cries echoed throughout the cathedral.

  Lunalus: “Dominus, please! Stop this! The pain... It is unbearable. He does not deserve such torment!”

  Dominus froze, caught off guard by the desperation in Lunalus’s voice.

  Dominus: “This *thing* means that much to you...?”

  Lunalus dropped to his knees beside Barr’s trembling form, tears streaking down his face.

  Lunalus: “Hideous though he may appear to you, he feels deeper than any human ever could. He experiences pain far beyond our comprehension, suffering in ways our limited bodies cannot fathom. What you subject him to now -- this excruciating torment -- surpasses even the cruelest human inflictions.”

  For a long moment, Dominus was silent. Then, with a subtle flick of his hand, the sigils vanished. Barr collapsed to the cold stone floor, his mutilated body shuddering in the aftermath of the spell. The coin slipped from his grasp, rolling across the ground until it came to rest with a soft cling.

  Dominus: “I once thought there was no being more attuned to the feeling of suffering than you, Lunalus... It seems I was mistaken. Fitting that the one to best you is a creation of your own hand...!”

  Dominus approached the fallen coin, retrieving it. He turned it over in his hand before tossing it back to Lunalus, who now cradled Barr’s motionless form.

  Dominus: “Our agents are engineered to numb their pain. The weight of existence is lessened so they may better serve our cause... I assumed your creation would be the same.”

  Lunalus stared down at Barr, his voice quiet but resolute.

  Lunalus: “How can one protect others from pain if they cannot feel it themselves? For the rank-and-file, such measures are acceptable. But Barr is *not* a soldier. With power like his, he must feel pain. He should feel it... Just as we do.”

  Dominus returned to his throne, sinking into it with a contemplative air. He rested his chin on one hand, his fingers drumming the armrest.

  Dominus: “Do you believe your creation is strong enough to take the boy from Eclipse?”

  Lunalus stood, still holding Barr’s limp body.

  Lunalus: “I believe that together, we can succeed. Barr and I --”

  Dominus: “No.”

  The interruption was sharp, final.

  Dominus: "I'm willing to give your Novilunium the benefit of the doubt, but I will not waste time. If you wish to test it, it will go alone... I have other tasks for you, Lunalus. You are our Spymaster, and your efforts should be dedicated to uncovering Eclipse's activity. The sooner we capture one of their agents, the sooner we can extract the answers we need! If your creature succeeds, so be it. If not, we lose nothing."

  Lunalus’s grip on Barr tightened, his lips pressing into a thin line.

  Lunalus: “If that is your command, then it will be done... But know that we place everything on him. I cannot see through his eyes -- we will only know of his success if he single-handedly walks through those doors with Virno von Virtus in tow...”

  Dominus’s lips curled into a faint, defiant grin.

  Dominus: “Sounds like light work for a demigod...! Wouldn’t you agree?”

  Lunalus hung his head in defeat, his voice bitter.

  Lunalus: “... I will give him the necessary instructions as soon as he wakes. In the meantime, I will begin my work.”

  Dominus nodded, satisfied.

  Dominus: “Then we are done here. Blend with the eternal black, Lunalus.”

  Lunalus: “... Blend with the eternal black, Dominus.”

  He bowed low before turning toward the cathedral’s exit, Barr’s lifeless body in his arms. As he walked, his thoughts seethed with quiet fury. He had been humiliated, his work reduced to a gamble by the very leader he sought to serve...