Yunkef could see the beasts as clearly as if there were lanterns all around them. He could see their disjointed limbs pounding the flat, dry earth with every step, the jagged teeth that jutted out from slavering mouths, the too many eyes all milky white and nestled in malformed heads. There were dozens, all running towards him and the green light.

He screamed, but Night slapped him hard across the face. Before he could recover, Yunkef was spun around. Night lifted a bony finger and pointed towards a large structure in the distance. It was more fortified than a Settlement, with high stone walls that circled its entirety. Rising from the center of the place was a tall tower with a glowing light that was so bright to Yunkef's eyes that he had to squint just to look directly at it. The more he looked at the place, the more details he could make out. There must have been hundreds of lanterns burning there, for the area glowed in the darkness that surrounded it.

"Run to that place." Night said, the guide's raspy voice cutting through Yunkef's confused mind. "That is the Citadel, they are dedicated to protecting all from the darkness and its beasts. You will be safe from her wrath there."

"From whose wrath?" Yunkef stammered out, "You said there was a Lady-"

"If you live through this, we will talk again and all your questions will be answered." Night's voice was terse as they got even more impatient. Yunkef was shoved hard in the middle of his back. "If you live! Now, run!"

That shove sent Yunkef stumbling forwards, but he quickly recovered. Though his legs felt like jelly, he forced them to move. Yunkef's eyes grew wide as he chanced a glance back at Night and the emerald green light, and saw the wave of beasts coming up behind the impatient guide. Burning legs be damned, he ran.

Panic flared in his heart again, and Yunkef found himself running full tilt through the darkness for the second time, though now he could see. He avoided the largest of the rocks, jumped over holes, skirted long-dried bushes as he ran towards the Citadel. The high stone walls soon loomed over him, and he crossed from pitch-black darkness to the edge of the glowing beacon's light.

"Help!" he cried with as much air as he could spare. His voice sounded hoarse to his ears. "Help me! Open the doors!"

Sentries posted at the top of the Citadel's walls turned towards the sound. Yunkef saw one of them, a man robed in white with a bright red sash around his waist, squint into the darkness and point at him. The guards yelled to each other, and to Yunkef's immense relief, a stone door opened in the wall of the Citadel.

Another guard stepped out, pushing the door open a bit further. She beckoned to Yunkef with large sweeping motions. "Come here! Just a bit further!"

Yunkef didn't need to be told twice.

Yunkef made it past the Citadel's stone doors with the wave of beasts on his heels. The door was hauled closed quickly and barricaded shut with a heavy beam, while Yunkef all but crashed into another robed guard who braced and caught him. Past the wall, those assembled heard the horrid, grating sound of the beasts' howls as the sentries began raining flaming arrows down at them from the ramparts. The frantic scrabbling of claws on the ground and angered howls fading into the distance were all Yunkef needed to know that the beasts were forced to retreat.

Everything hit him all at once.

Now safe, Yunkef's legs gave out from under him and he collapsed, going limp in the guard's arms. He was quickly lowered to the ground and allowed to lie down, while guards yelled for medics to come quickly. Yunkef's hands shook badly, and every little twitch brought a fresh bolt of pain lancing through his arms. His lungs burned within his chest and his heart felt like it was about to burst. He gasped, sure that he was going to die.

The rough, lined face of an older man appeared in his field of view, looking down at him. The man's white beard and neatly trimmed hair seemed to blend into his white robes. A bright yellow sash across his chest was emblazoned with symbols. Yunkef had to squint to look up at him, as the light from the beacon above was blinding.

"We don't get many visitors coming in on foot." The man said with a measured voice. "Who are you and where have you come from?"

Yunkef stammered incoherently, his shattered hands still shaking.

Another robed figure appeared, this one an impatient woman with a shaved head. She looked none too pleased to be here, as she elbowed guards and gawkers alike out of the way. Setting down a kit beside Yunkef, she knelt beside him and started her examinations.

"Calm down, Righteous. Can't you see the boy's in shock? Honestly, I bet you're making his condition much worse just by standing there." she said with a sneer. "Let him rest. Didn't you see the wave of beasts that were after him?"

Righteous stood tall and sighed. "You're right Pious, my apologies. He's to be brought to the infirmary first, before being questioned."

"Good to see you still have some sense in you. I wasn't going to ask for your permission, by the way."

As Pious snapped quick orders to the guards assembled around Yunkef, Righteous simply laughed. "Thank you for your care and patience, Pious. I will follow to the infirmary shortly."

Pious waved Righteous away dismissively, and the next thing Yunkef knew, he was being gingerly carried by a guard.

Yunkef woke to bright lights burning into his retinas. Waking up was like swimming through a thick sludge, dark as beast blood and heavy as lead, but the light seemed to burn into him. It felt brighter and hotter than anything he had ever seen, even at the Settlement with all its lanterns.

He shut his eyes tight for a few moments before cracking them open to a low squint. The infirmary was a vast chamber with rows of plain beds lined up. Each one of them had impeccably clean and wrinkle-free sheets and pillows. Only two other beds in the whole infirmary were occupied, and both patients wore the white robes Yunkef had seen on the guards. The walls seemed to be carved of pale stone, adorn with sparse decorations and medical charts. The detail that took Yunkef a few seconds to comprehend were the lanterns. So many lanterns were lit and hanging within the infirmary, placed at every other row. The infirmary was completely devoid of shadows, and it was setting Yunkef's nerves on edge. But why?

A robed figure came into Yunkef's range of vision, still blurry from his squinting. Pious approached him, carrying a tray.

"Ah, you're awake. That's a relief." She said in a monotonous voice. "I was starting to worry that you wouldn't wake up at all."

"Why wouldn't I?" Yunkef croaked. He blearily blinked at her, but the light still burned into his eyes.

Pious set the tray down on Yunkef's bedside table and sat on a stool near him. She folded her hands on her lap. "Well, let me put it this way. You've been asleep for three days. Unresponsive. Would you think you would wake, if you were in my position?" she stared pointedly at him.

Yunkef stared back in disbelief. "Three days?"

"As I said. I've put your wrists in splints as best as I could, but I must advise you to move your hands as little as possible." she continued. "My attendants and I saw to what other wounds you have. You have quite a few scrapes and bruises, especially around your legs and ankles."

"I, um..." Yunkef trailed off. He weakly wiggled his legs and found them to be sore. As for his hands, he didn't risk moving them at all. "I have a question. Uh, Pious, was it?"

"Yes."

"Thank you for taking care of me, but why is it so bright here?"

"In here? Did you mean the lanterns?" Pious gestured to the many lights within the infirmary. Yunkef nodded. "That will have to be something you discuss with Righteous. I hope you remember him; an older man with a distinguished beard? He instructed me to alert him once you woke, but I told him to give you some space."

"Righteous, is he the leader of this place?"

Pious nodded and stood, brushing away non-existent dirt from her immaculately white robe. "He is. Lord Captain of the Citadel of the Eternal Flame. Lofty titles. Don't worry about him, but you do have to speak with him as soon as you can."

"Alright, I guess I should do that." Yunkef made to get out of bed but winced at every motion his sore body was forced to make. "Where can I find him?"

"Oh don't worry about that either. Knowing how Righteous is, you can take your time exploring the Citadel and he will come to find you."

Yunkef kept squinting at Pious as she spoke. "Does this mean I can go?"

"You may leave the Citadel and explore it at your own pace, yes," Pious replied, one thin eyebrow arched in annoyance. "Unsupervised, if that was your next question. The Citadel is completely safe from the dangers beyond the walls, and there isn't really much that could hurt you within them. Just take your time with it and walk slowly. Don't bother trying to touch anything either while you're at it." She held out a hand to help Yunkef stand.

Yunkef stood slowly with Pious's help and waited a few seconds for the light-headedness to subside. He took the moment to look around the infirmary again, and his curious gaze fell on the two other patients. One was a child with her leg held elevated and in a cast, and the other wore a bright yellow sash, different from the red sash that the gate guards and sentries wore. The guard was asleep, with a ghastly claw wound slashed across his face. A poultice of what seemed to be herbs was laid on his face while he rested.

"It's rude to stare," Pious said in her monotone.

Yunkef balked. "I'm so sorry! I just saw his... I'm sorry, what happened to him?"

"If you really want to know, that is Zealous, one of the warriors here. He sustained grievous wounds from an altercation with beasts beyond the walls."

"What was he doing beyond the walls?"

Pious looked pointedly at Yunkef. "He was out trying to save travelers from the beasts while they came here trying to seek shelter. Just like you, only that group didn't make it. We lost a few of our best hunters then, and Zealous is truly blessed to have made it out with his life. I imagine he will fret about his face, but at least he would be alive to do it."

Yunkef stole one last look at Zealous and the deep claw marks he had sustained and gulped. That could have been him, or worse.

With another impatient wave from Pious, Yunkef made his way out of the infirmary. He found himself dressed in the pure white robes that everyone else seemed to be wearing, and was loaned a pair of leather thong sandals. The inner structure of the Citadel was carved completely from stone. Residential areas were carved straight into the pale rock, with several floors sitting atop each other connected by narrow stairways. From a distance, the entrances to various houses and storage spaces looked like a hive, though each opening in the rock shone with light from within. Lanterns, torches, and candles burned from every available surface, flooding the Citadel with constant light. There were no shadows anywhere within the Citadel.

Yunkef kept up a tight squint as he walked slowly through the Citadel, with his eyes almost closed. Even when he closed his eyes, the light still shone through his eyelids. He didn't dare look up towards the brightly burning beacon in the center of the Citadel.

Even through his mostly closed eyes, he couldn't avoid seeing the way the residents of the Citadel looked at him. Men, women, and children alike, all dressed in plain white robes, stole curious glances at him from the windows of houses, or while looking up from their work hauling stone and carving more structures. Yunkef couldn't help but let out a groan. The light reflected off the people's white robes and set bolts of pain through his eyes.

"Ah, boy! Are you alright?" a gruff voice said, and Yunkef looked this way and that to find its source. It was Righteous, coming up to him flanked by two guards. "Is something wrong with your eyes?"

"Righteous, sir! Sorry, I'm just not used to how bright it is here." Yunkef replied. He could just barely make out the concerned expression on Righteous's face.

"Well if that is so, I can't help you there. It is the way of the Citadel, and our righteous duty: to banish the shadows." He smiled. "While you're well enough to walk, I want to speak with you. Follow me."

Righteous turned and led Yunkef through the market, and towards the beacon tower in the middle of the Citadel. The guards fell into step behind them, guarding Yunkef.

With a shy nod, Yunkef followed. Every step was slow and sore, but he was grateful for the walk and the opportunity to stretch his legs. Pious's words rung in his head and helped him push himself to keep walking, to keep exercising. At least he was alive to do so.

The Citadel's tower was crawling with guards. They were stationed at the door, at the battlements, and with enough squinting, Yunkef could make out the figure of more guards stationed at the windows. All wore red sashes around their waists and were armed with a spear, and a blade in their belt. He took a moment to look around. There were no shadows, no dark spaces to hide a criminal. What could be so important that it needed this many guards?

"Here we are." Righteous said as he led Yunkef through the tower. The door guards stepped aside and the door was opened for their leader and their new guest. Inside the tower was a vast spiral staircase that stretched upwards, but before Yunkef could look for the landing of the stairs, Righteous ushered him into a side door and the office that lay beyond it.

The new room was as sparsely decorated as the infirmary and had only the most important pieces of furniture: a desk, some chairs, a table, and a bookshelf. The only piece of true decoration within Righteous's office was the head of a great, fanged beast, mounted on the wall. Its milky eyes stared out at Yunkef, and its dark hide gleamed in the ever-present lantern light.

Yunkef gulped, the trophy doing nothing to calm his nerves, and sat in the chair opposite the desk.

"Now that you are awake, boy, I have a few questions to ask of you." Righteous’s tone was serious. He sat behind the desk and steeped his fingers. "We don't get many visitors from beyond the wall without a vehicle, you see."

He regarded Yunkef with a cold stare. "Usually, the only visitors we get are well-lit merchant caravans and pilgrims, traveling by tried and tested roads. Armed to the teeth, riding on armored vehicles. How is it that you managed to reach our walls simply running full tilt through the darkness?" he leaned ever so slightly forward. "We are many, many miles away from any other Settlement."

Yunkef swallowed the lump in his throat. How was he to respond? He felt a bead of sweat running down his back, and he looked back at Righteous as best as he could, still squinting from the bright lights.

"I was traveling with a hunting party, we were from Settlement 41. It was my first ever hunt and the first time leaving home. Our leader, Barro, led us further and further into the darkness. We were chasing after the green light when a pack of the creatures started attacking us." He took a breath. "I was the only one who made it out alive."

Righteous leaned back in his chair, regarding Yunkef carefully as the boy spoke. He nodded in sympathy. "What happened was terrible indeed, I'm sorry to hear it. But was is this you said about the green light?"

Yunkef balked, surprised. "Do you not know about the green light? I, uh, I thought it was common knowledge."

"Didn't you mention it was your first foray outside of your Settlement?"

"Ah yeah, I did." Yunkef trailed off, blinking. "Well, the hunters told me that it was a belief among the hunters and exploration expedition. The green light that shines in the darkness will lead you to treasure, or to creature nests."

Righteous sighed. "It sounds like that green light did as it was believed to. You lot were led straight into a creature nest."

Yunkef nodded solemnly and dropped his gaze. "Yes. Then we were overrun. Completely."

"How did you survive?"

"I ran. I ran into the dark as fast as I could and I..." He trailed off. He wanted to tell Righteous all about the cave, the voice, and of Night the guide in the darkness. But the words stilled in his throat, refusing to be said no matter how much he struggled. Something compelled him to stay silent. Yunkef coughed. "I... I kept running, till I saw the lights of the Citadel in the distance. Somehow I made it."

Righteous stared at him. "Your hunting party certainly came from a far way, and you must have run even farther. Settlement 41, was it?" He pulled out a drawer from his desk and retrieved a rolled piece of paper. Unfurling it on the table, he weighed the edges down with paperweights in the shape of beast paws and revealed a map. Yunkef leaned forward to study the map and its many marked spots and lines. He couldn't make sense of it just yet. He squinted at it and traced its many curving lines with his eyes, but could not understand the markers.