s that everything? Are you certain? That doesn't look particularly spectacular. More like a harmless flower. Are you really sure, Lai?

The scholar fixed the tall blonde lady with stern gazes, silently waiting for her reply. He stood, expectant, observing the elegant figure in the shadowed corner of the room. Perhaps it was not true after all. Perhaps she had been mistaken. Or maybe, in her old age, her mind had simply grown too suspicious.

Look at it, my dear brother. Beautiful, like a flower. Delicate, like a feather. Such a small and gentle thing. 

Lai smiled softly as she spoke, but her expression gradually darkened, casting a shadow over everything around her.

And yet, its nature is utterly evil. Spawn from the sullied, the defiled. Living on in the bodies of the unholy who have passed. Resting among vanquished foes. We believed we had destroyed it. That was a grave mistake. Something survived in all the stillness. Something never died. We had all been deceived.

As the silence lingered, Lai surveyed the novice with a heavy heart.

And... my precious fellow, we must not only fear the rising evil outside, but also beware the enemy within our midst. Doubt and deceit walk among us, as silent and deadly as this essence.

The disciple shifted uncomfortably, wrestling with the weight of suspicion now cast upon him. His earlier confidence fraying at the edges as trust began to erode under Lai's solemn gaze.

This essence is a test of our integrity as much as of our strength. It preys not only on the physical realm but seeks to corrupt the very soul. We must guard not only against the darkness it brings but also the darkness within ourselves. I fear some of us have already lost this battle. I fear that the enemy is further ahead than we thought. He has penetrated our ranks and is launching attacks from every conceivable angle.

She clutched her heart with her left hand as her countenance shifted to one of defiance.

Alas, my unfortunate companion... no time for cowards! Saddle your steed and share this message with our communities: We must stay vigilant and alert from now on. When the moment arrives, we must strike as one. And that moment is not far away... 

Everything is starting to make sense. I've heard of demon sightings that far surpass anything we've encountered before. I've been informed of signs and motions in a fearsome realm that lead to only one conclusion: The enemy has regained its strength. 

There's no longer any doubt.

The Demon Lord has risen!

Upcoming next: Of mystical insight.