MLTE- Part 6

This is the sixth Part of "ML:TE".
It was released on 10.09.2023.
== Plot ==
With the vanishing of Osmond, our heroes are stranded far away from home. Their adventures led them far but, if they do not manage to defeat Damien Grayson's closest lackey, they will not get much farther.
And yet, there is always a chance for a single problem to be accompanied by another. While our heroes are fighting for their lives, a small group of no-good individuals attack the Kaos residence, managing to take a single person within. Darkness envelops the holy place, awaiting the return of the four do-gooders.
How will the path of vengeance affect our humble heroes?
== Story ==
Apori looks around, He is barely able to believe that all of his allies are dead. The caravans that were supposed to lead Will and his allies to the mafia capital have been crushed and there is nothing left but rubble and ruin.
Then, he glares at Will, his eyes filled with fury. His hand gets closer to his weapon, ready to unleash his notorious powers in an instant.
"You killed all of my peons. Crushed our dreams. Humiliated us to the point of madness."- He says to him- "Why would you do such a thing? We just wanted to take you away."
Will shakes his head, clearly disturbed by the words of the madman.
"Normally, I do not believe in payback. I am not that kind of person."- He says- "However, after what you did to the people I care about, you should consider it as such. You messed with a friend of mine. But now, you are the one who is getting messed up."
Geralt looks at Apori and sighs.
"But the truth is, he already is messed up."
Will nods, then looks back at Apori.
"Tell me, Apori. Is this what your boss would want?"- He asks- "Does your boss really want to know that his most loyal servant was humiliated and defeated by a bunch of meddling kids and not return from his mission?"
He shakes his head.
"You are a disgrace to your undercroft society, Apori."- He says to him- "For a villain, you are nothing more than a puppet, controlled by a greater power. Your strings are being pulled left and right, like a clueless animal in the middle of a highway. You have no mind or reason. All that you do is serve an entity that controls your life."
Apori chuckles.
"What you forget about this is that I am the supreme power in this place. Deny it all you want, but I defeated you once. I can do it again, if that is your desire."- He says- "But don't feel bad about it. Once you're gone, my master shall learn your secrets. Your powers will play an important role in the formation of a new empire."
Geralt shakes his head.
"You are just like the rest of those empire-loving fools- blinded by the power that was placed in your hands, in an unfair way."- He says- "In my years as a peacekeeper, I have seen many fools with your level of desire for grandeur. However, one of the evil world's biggest flaws has proven to be greed itself. The lust for power and resources have turned you into a blind rat, running around in your little sewer and pretending that everything is alright. So, if anyone has to feel bad, it should be you."
Apori shakes his head.
"I have faith in my master's ways, no matter how tainted they may be."- He says- "Non-believers like you will never understand what we are capable of."
Mysta glares at him.
"Enough with this occult nonsense!"- She exclaims- "If power is what you want, rest assured that we've got a lot of it. But we shall be using it against you, not the other way around."
Apori smiles.
"Did you know that our organization has placed spies everywhere around the world?"- He says proudly- "We know the motives of your so-called brothers and sisters. And, once we have the chance, our spies shall make their lives miserable. Once the deed is done, the dark angel shall descend. Even if we are not strong enough to stop you, his army of fallen paladins shall make you repent for your sins."
Will raises his eyebrow.
"Are you saying that not all angels are loyal to God?"
Apori shakes his head.
"Some of the angels are tired of God's attempts to make peace with the world below. Giving in to their tainted thoughts, they willingly gave in to the darkness."- He says- "Those creatures are now roaming in this very world. Many villages, unwilling to obey the dark side, have been razed to the ground. Status of heroes long gone have been turned to the most primordial of materials- stone itself. And, worst of all, many innocent children lost their parents because they refused to allow the darkness inside of their own hearts."
He briefly looks down, his eyes devoid of hope.
"I know what you're thinking, but that is not true. The innocence inside of us is long gone, and so is the omnipresent hope."- He adds- "All that we have left are the remnants of the good times and the destruction that the dark ones brought. The same creatures that we help with our deeds."
Will raises his eyebrow.
"And why would you do such a thing?"- He asks- "There are so many things that you can do in our times. Sure, they are not as interesting as your current job, but at least the world will remain whole."
Apori shakes his head.
"None of us had any choice in this matter. Our only choice was to give in."- He says- "We all know that our leader is taking us to the gates of oblivion. However, we know that it is for the best. Without the support of the dark forces, we are nothing more than mere peons in the face of the neverending nightmares."
Mysta continues to glare at him.
"No matter if you have a choice or not, you're still responsible for a multitude of crimes."- She says- "Do you remember how your people brought the mountain villages to their knees, paving the path of the doomed with the blood of their fallen comrades? Do you know about the poor souls who were chained to wooden poles near that massive volcano, the one where that vicious monster of pure fire dwells? Or maybe I should remind you of how you cut off half of your own "militia", just because they failed to meet your quota to secretly set Silverdale's barracks on fire? Hmph. You clearly have no honor left inside of you."
Angered by Mysta's words, Apori calmly stands back on his feet. His eyes start to glow black as motes of dark energy dance in the palms of his hands 
"Your nonsense will not break my trust in Mr. Grayson."- He says to her- "No matter what our mighty group has done in the past, we did it for the good of our society. Even if we felt bad one, our main focus nowadays is to bring despair to those who dare to disrespect us. So, if you dare to fight back against us, this is where it all ends."
Will draws his weapon and glares at Apori.
"You will regret challenging our brother for his rightful place in this world."
Alwyn looks at Will, surprised.
"Wow. So I'm their brother now?"- He says to himself- "I guess that our bond has grown stronger than it was when the adventure began."
Apori shakes his head.
"Shielding that traitor from the inevitable is considered to be a crime by itself."- He says- "And I sentence you to immediate execution. Prepare yourselves, filthy humans."
Will points his weapon at Apori.
"You shall not will this time, tainted elven warrior."
Apori uses his magic to create a thick, dark fog around himself. Our heroes attempt to find him, but it is too dark to see anything around them. Like trying to find a needle in a giant haystack, they roam in the darkness, devoid of any helpful clues. The choking miasma around them does not help at all.
"It is so... dark. Just like that fiend's soul."- Will mutters- "My magic is nearly diminished inside of this circle of darkness. I cannot do anything."
Mysta shakes her head.
"Same here, my friend."- She says- "What's the plan for this one?"
Will is about to respond, but soon hears the laughter of his adversary.
"Now that all of you are caught inside of my trap, it is time for the closing curtains to do their job."
Our heroes stare at each other.
"Closing curtains?"- Will says- "What is he talking about?"
And then, he nearly trips. Standing back on his feet, he realizes that he crashed into some sort of a large barrel. It is too dark to see anything labeled on it, but the skull mark on the label is perfectly clear.
"Well, this is ominous."- Mysta says, having seen the same thing herself- "Why would they put this here?"
Will shakes his head.
"Objects like those are not thrown into the battlefield without a purpose."- He says- "This means that our enemies are planning to-- "
*BOOM*
The explosive barrels explode instantly when Apori shoots one of them with his hidden revolver. He laughs as the embers of fire seemingly burn the remainders of our heroes away.
"Despite all of their clever words, another pack of worthless rebels has been purged by the flames of the wicked."- He says to himself- "My time has been wasted, though. My master will be angry for chasing down targets that are not worth it, so I will return to our HQ, in the hopes that he will give me a real miss-- "
Suddenly, a sharp, curved knife emerges from the fumes and heads forward. It strikes the giant rock to the right of Apori, surprising and startling him.
"Do we look dead to you, creature?"
Shocked, Apori turns around, realizing that all of his enemies have survived.
"How in the name of Don Mascarpone did you find your way back here?"- He says- "I thought that the heavens don't bring souls back to the real world!"
Will smiles.
"You thought that we gone? Is this what you were thinking about?"- Will says and shakes his head- "No, my friend. We never went anywhere, Our souls are here to stay."
Apori's eyes start to glow black again.
"Then I'll make sure that it's the same for me."
Mysta uses her magic to dispel the rest of the smoke while Geralt prepares to hurl a barrage of light attacks at Apori. However, the four of them soon hear the sounds of yelling and stare at the guns pointed at them, realizing that they are surrounded.
"You fools! I told you that I have friends in high places!"- Apori exclaims- "And if you mess with me... you mess with them!"
Geralt looks at the thugs and shakes his head.
"You know, maybe we should have been more careful with our approach."- He says- "Those outlaws are more than just a little bit of bark. 
Will stares at his uncle.
"It does not matter."- He says- "We are stuck in a bad situation. We must get out of it."
Geralt nods.
"That's true."- He says- "And I have a plan to reach that freak."
Suddenly, he lunges forward, grabs one of the gansters' guns and shoots two of his enemies, shocking the rest of them in the process. Then, as the rest of them start shooting at him, he uses his expertise in light magic to create a tiny white vortex and allows it to explode, killing ten mafia members on impact. Mysta, seeing that he has a plan, uses her wind magic to cojure a small gust of wind, slowly growing in intensity and consuming the bodies and souls of a large portion of gangsters.
"Now is your chance, Will!"- Geralt yells- "Get that freak before he reports to his boss!"
Will, resigned to keep his promise, lunges forward and confronts Apori.
"It is just you and me now, elven traitor."- He says- "Do you feel sorry now?"
Apori chuckles.
"Sorry? For now dealing with you earlier?"- He says- "You made a good show kid, but you still have a lot to learn."
Then, he starts to fade away. Will attempts to strike him, but he is too fast. Soon, he teleports farther away from him.
"If you refuse to give in to the dark mists, then allow me to wreck your life!"
As Will wonders what is going on, he hears something coming from the sky. Looking up, he realizes that a multitude of dark meteors is coming this way, ready to incinerate him in an instant. This is definitely a very risky situation.
"Think again, elf."
Then, without a moment of hesitation, he runs forward. His speed is incredible and he is fast enough to outspeed every single meteor, stabbing his sword into the ground with each failed strike, as a sign of the hero's bravery.
"What kind of a person are you?!"
Will smiles.
"Just your regular student."- He responds- "Infused with the power of light."
Just as the last dark meteor hits the ground, Will performs a backflip and directs the giant rock's energy back at its creator. Apori suffers a grievous blow, falling to his knees as the ground around his feet is set ablaze.
Annoyed by Will's resistance, Apori casts another spell. Tendrils of darkness reach for the young hero, attempting to trip and consume him. However, just as they are about to reach his feet, a bright light shines in front of him, forcing all of the tentacles to withdraw away from him.
In a flash of light, the spirit of Will's very own spirit- Isabella- joins the battle. She stares at the dark tendrils in disgust and mutters a few words. Suddenly, a huge guillotine of light appears over them. With the snap of her hand, Isabella allows the giant tool of destruction to chop them all in half.
Apori is enraged by Isabella's interference. He attempts to use his magic to draw her back into the heavens from whence she came, but the woman has no desire to go anywhere. Instead of giving in, she uses her magic to hurl hundreds of tiny daggers toward him. Even though none of them do any serious damage to Apori's body, two of the daggers stick to his clothes and pin him to a nearby rock.
Amazed by his mother's sudden appearance, Will hugs her. He expects her to say something, but all that he hears is silence. She is not saying anything, and neither is he. For a few mere seconds, the world stops turning as the power of light reunites those two lost souls, separated from each other for many years.
And then, Isabella notices Will in her arms. She smiles and hugs him back.
"I love you, Willy."
Moments later, she fades away, turning into stardust as she flies back to the heavens.
"I love you too, mom."
By the time Will prepares for battle, Apori has already freed himself. However, judging from his weakened state, it seems like Isabella's attacks struck home. Most of his energy is gone and he is standing on his last leg, endangered by the fact that he could still trip and fall.
"That was a nice show, Kaos. A really nice proof of your extraterrestrial abilities."- He says to him, mockingly- "You might just be the white edge that is destined to cut its way through the darkness. Maybe you'll even get farther than your fabled uncle."
Then, he points his staff at the air above his head.
"But that is just a dream that will never be achieved."- He says- "It was a good run, but this is where it ends. Goodbye, William Kao-- "
Seeing that her friend is in danger, Mysta withdraws from the battle, runs forward and casts a powerful spell. Suddenly, the sky above Apori's head turns black. And, before the elven sorcerer could do anything to stop the angry clouds, he is stuck by a single lightning.
Just as he is about to stand back up, another lightning strikes him in the back.
"Is that all that you've got?"- He says- "Hah! Even the gods can't stop our mighty leader! Long live the-- "
*BAM*
Another lightning hits Apori, this time in the head. He is stunned by the massive impact, collapsing to the ground like a dirty, useless dish rag.
"This was... humiliating."- He says- "But that is of no concern. Even a little bit of bad weather... will not stop me."
The truth, however, is different. As soon as he looks up, he finally realizes it.
Apori watches as the four of his enemies surround him, relatively unharmed. He attempts to cast another spell, but Alwyn lunges forward and uses the dark chains that bind him to make his captor suffer the same pain that he does.
"Argh! You worthless traitor!"- Apori yells- "How dare you ruin my epic moment?!"
Alwyn smiles.
"Well, I guess that I am quite epic myself."- He says- "Sorry for that, Apori. I guess that you aren't good enough."
Apori attempts to cast another spell. Nothing happens. He looks down at his hands and realizes that they are bound by the same chains that Alwyn has.
"No! My magic!"- He yells- "You... you... how?! How did you manage to do that?!"
Geralt looks at Alwyn and smiles.
"Ah. I see what you did there."- He says- "Though Apori did not say anything about it, those foul chains of darkness are infused with powers that prevent their prisoner from casting magic. If used properly, the anti-magic effect can be shared with any enemy that those chains touch, so what happened to Apori himself was inevitable."
Apori stumbles back, terrified.
"So... this means that I, the greatest magic user of the Grayson alliance, am... bound by my own magic?!"
Will nods.
"That is the harsh reality that you have to face, Apori."- He says- "And now, your own mistakes will crash down into you. Your greatest fears will come to life. I hope that you are ready for the grand finale, because it will be dangerous and humiliating."
Terrified by the truth, Apori takes a step back. Even in his weakened state, he is still crazy enough to fight back against his enemies, even though it is very clear that they have the advantage in this battle.
"Stay back!"- He yells- "I'm warning you, I'm not as weak as I seem to be!"
Will shakes his head.
"Look at the pitiful state that you got yourself into!"- He exclaims- "Do you really think that your master would approve of your weakness? What about your wife? Your children? Will your family ever forgive you for failing them?!"
Apori looks at him, shocked.
"But... "- He mutters- "My family... "
Then, he shakes his head.
"Be quiet, Kaos! This is not your business!"- He yells- "If you want to get me, then it will be on my terms! On my grounds!"
Will nods.
"As you wish, you filthy gangster."
Apori smiles and raises his hands. Tendrils of darkness emerge from the tainted earth and envelop him and Will, taking them to another dimension.
When the young hero opens his eyes, he finds himself surrounded by mafia members. Their guns are pointed at him and they seem to be very angry about their slain allies. 
Before he can attempt to negotiate with them, the gangsters start to fire their guns at him. They think that, young as he is, he will be an easy target. Little do they know that they just made a huge mistake.
Much to their surprise, Will envelops himself with a magical shield, made of a mirror-like material. Unfortunately for his enemies, the shield is capable of reflecting physical objects toward their senders. Like, for example, bullets.
One after another, the gangsters that Apori sent, in an attempt to slaughter Will before he could even reach him, are gunned down by their own bullets. Blood oozes out of their wounds as they collapse to the ground, making way for Will to proceed further.
Running forward, Will discovers the same gargoyles that attempted to kill him and his allies back in the temple. Just as the shield's effect wears off, they start to fire deadly lasers at him. Even though the boy is able to roll out of harm's way, more gangsters arrive at the location, due to the fact that he is too preoccupied to fight back against them.
As the gargoyles and gangsters continue to fire at him, Will suddenly disappears. An afterimage of him appears, ready to take the blows of the young hero's enemies instead of him. What his enemies fail to realize, though, is the fact that Will's close is loaded to the brim with dangerous magic, ready to be unleashed when he gets shot.
Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the clone starts to hiss. A massive explosion happens almost immediately, incinerating every gargoyle and gangster who was unlucky enough to be in the vicinity when it happened. Which, truth be told, includes all of them.
As expected, the explosion is heard from the sole resident of the dark palace ahead- Apori himself. He is shocked by the swift demise of his allies and vows to make Will pay for this insolence. Probably.
Meanwhile, Will makes his way into the palace, dealing with the traps that Apori set for him like a true expert. Even though he is quite young, one should not underestimate this young-do-gooder, for he is more powerful than his enemies think. And he is eager to prove it to everyone who is willing to watch.
As the last of the gargoyle guardians falls, a huge stone sentinel stumbles into the hall. It smashes its knuckles against each other, then approaches Will with incredible speed. This is something that could terrify everyone, even the bravest of heroes. Will, however, is unfazed by the danger that is in front of him. He admires the creature's size and strength, but the fact that he must destroy it is undeniable. Creatures like those cannot be dealt with in any other way.
The sentinel's first move is to attempt to crush Will with its giant fists. Will is just a heartbeat away from getting crushed, but his determination does not waver. Instead of running away, he jumps in the air and gets on top of the golem.
As the creature attempts to punch him and shake him off of itself, Will calmly inspects the runes engraved on its back. Then, he notices a small flaw, left behind by whatever wizard was able to create it. With a single, swift motion, the young hero plunges his blade into the bare spot and mutters a few words.
Suddenly, the sentinel's body starts to fall apart. Large flakes shake off of it as it lets out a silent roar of fury and pain. Moments later, the creature falls on its knees and turns into a large pile of inanimate rubble.
Further ahead, Will hears a cry of fury. Whoever the sentinel's creator is, he seems to be waiting for the young hero. And he seems to be very, very angry.
"You are next, Apori."- Will mutters as he climbs the gorgeous stairway, blade still in hand.
After a few minutes of fending off the minor guardians that launch themselves at him, Will stumbles his way into the final floor of the palace. There, Apori is waiting for him, annoyed by his unwillingness to lose the battle.
"You have come far, worthless fool."- He says- "But... you managed to slay my guardians. Raze my home to the ground. Mock me in front of my allies. Why did you decide to get on with this mission? Why didn't you just leave?"
Will shakes his head.
"Your blood was tainted by the ways of your master. You lost your mind because you wanted to serve him, no matter what it takes. For this, and many crimes that you were foolish enough to commit, you need to be put out of your misery."- He says- "Besides, you killed one of the most honorable creatures I have ever met. He was fighting to keep the balance, and you disrupted it. So, to make you pay, I shall disrupt your master's balance... by slaying you."
Apori smiles.
"You think that my master will stop his noble ways if I get defeated by the likes of you?"- He says and smirks- "Don't flatter yourself. He is more than powerful enough to bring all of you to your knees. There is no stopping him now."
Will shakes his head.
"Either way, your demise will send a message to the leader who sent you to haunt us."- He says- "Once your evil ways are punished, he will finally understand the pattern- no matter what he does to protect himself, he is the next in line."
Apori glares at him.
"Then... then I'll do my best to prevent it!"
Apori attempts to cast another spell, but Will is prepared for the impact. Instead of foolishly rushing into the battle, he looks around, attempting to find a small opening that will be the key to his victory. And it does not take him long to find it.
Rushing toward a window near Apori, he breaks it, revealing a brilliant white light, previously hidden by the dark curtains. Apori screams and stumbles back as rays of light strike and encircle him, leaving him completely helpless.
"This is the fate that you brought upon yourself, Apori!"- Will yells as he runs toward him- "Now accept your fate with dignity! Get purified by the light!"
Will reaches for Apori's chest. He presses the palm of his hand against it, using his considerable magical power to extract the evil fragments hidden inside of it.
Suddenly, Apori's chest is set on fire. As he continues to scream, a faint wisp of pitch black energy floats out, attempting to escape from its impending demise.
"Your fate has been decided."- Will says calmly- "There is no running away from it. Not anymore."
Then, with a swift motion of his hands, he captures the remainder of Apori's wicked soul and crushes it with his magic, leaving Apori's body as a soulless shell of its former, glorious self. He falls to the ground, dead for good.
"Good riddance."- Will says, seemingly satisfied with the results- "He will not be causing any sort of trouble anymore."
He looks at the area below the palace, noticing the portal that will lead him back to the real world. Seeing that it is his only way out, he sighs and shrugs.
"Sometimes, great risks must be taken to ensure the safety of our humble world."- He says to himself- "Well, it is time. Let's do this."
Then, without any hesitation, he takes a leap of faith. Luckily for him, the portal is just below, allowing him to leave this nightmare behind for good.
Jumping his way back into the real world, he accidentally bumps into Mysta, surprising her. However, she is not annoyed by this. Instead, she leans forward and hugs him, estatic about the fact that her friend made it out alive.
"My father was right. You really are stronger than you seem to be."- She says- "Thank the gods. You're safe and sound."
Will smiles.
"That was just another job that needed to be done."- He says- "It was nothing special."
Mysta looks up and smiles, as well.
"For someone like you, defeating dangerous villains is just another day of battle."- She says and sighs- "I wish I could be like you, brave and resolute."
Will pats his friend's shoulder.
"Well, you already are!"
Mysta blushes a little bit, but says nothing. She stands next to her friend as Geralt approaches him.
"Once again, we have defeated another servant of evil. They might be getting tougher to beat, but so are we."- He says- "Well done, kiddo. That will surely leave a mark on that traitor's face, assuming he still has one left after this deadly confrontation."
Mysta looks at the soulless corpse to the right of Will.
"Actually, he has much less than a mere face."- She says- "Take a look, sir."
Geralt stares at the corpse of Apori, fascinated by the way which took his life away.
"Impressive!"- He exclaims- "This proves my earlier theory- the soul of Man is the force that keeps him alive. Without it, the entire body immediately falls apart. Apori, a dark elf, was no exception to this rule."
He looks at his nephew.
"His soul cord was severed."- He says- "Right?"
Will nods.
"The connection between the soul of the living and the living himself was severed with ease."- He says- "He did not live long enough to see his ultimate downfall."
Geralt smiles.
"Excellent work!"- He exclaims- "Maybe now, he will realize how foolish it is to oppose the light."
Now that the spellcaster who placed the chains on Alwyn is dead, the bonds that keep him unable to move freely lose their magic. Soon, Alwyn is able to shake them off, stomping them as they lose the last of their powers.
"And don't you dare come back!"
Will nods and smiles.
"Now that our mission here is done, we can take the last caravan and drive it back to Silverdale."- He says- "Once we get there, we shall regroup with the rest of our allies and plan an onslaught that will bring the Grayson mafia down for good."
As expected, one of the mafia caravans managed to escape major destruction. It is still fairly intact, assuming that the group has a competent driver. But that is not an issue for them- the sole adult of the team is more than capable of doing the job himself.
And so, the caravan heads back to the capital of Silverdale. Once they pass through the gates, they notice that the guards seem to be very worried. Something happened in their absence, and the looks on their faces tell them that it was quite severe.
Around the middle of the trail, a worried scout approaches the caravan and asks them to stop.
"It's good that you arrived, Mr. Kaos. There was a... major conflict in here while you were gone."- He says- "A group of dangerous individuals attempted to penetrate the city's defenses. Worse, we think that one of their spies is around here somewhere."
Then, he looks at Alwyn.
"Also, we think that Mr. Grayson's aunt is in grave danger."- He says- "She was protecting Mrs. Kaos from a potentially dangerous individual. We heard screams coming from the Kaos residence, but by the time we sent a squad to investigate, everyone was gone."
Alwyn's eyes become wider.
"My aunt... is in danger?!"
He looks at Will.
"We must go to the residence!"- He exclaims- "Right now!"
Will nods.
"It is a mandatory choice."- He says- "If Miss Delia has gotten herself in trouble, chances are that my aunt is in the same situation."
With little time to burn, they thank the scout and drive the caravan to the residence.
On their way there, a man with torn clothing flags them down. He seems to be some kind of vigilante, scarred by years of hard work. The destruction of many villains has made him confident and unwavering. This is why, the moment he sees Will, he nods- a sign of respect between two do-gooders.
"It's good to see you, William. The two ladies in the Kaos residence are in danger."- He says- "I was intending to go there myself, but the road to that secluded building is far too long. I'm afraid that I might not arrive there in time."
Will shakes his head.
"You do not need to travel any longer, good man."- He says to him- "Now that we are here, we can take care of business ourselves."
The man shakes his head.
"But what if the villains who attacked Delia and Aurelia attack you, as well?"- He asks- "You need as much help as you can! Please, take me with you!"
Geralt sighs.
"If there are, indeed, villains in the household, then we shall make sure that they do not exist anymore."- He says- "We are capable warriors, citizen. Just stand back and watch the chaos unfold. We will make sure to banish it soon enough."
The man attempts to say something, but Will returns in the caravan and, alongside his allies, drives away. He falls on his knees, seemingly defeated.
"Do you think that some evil fools really made it into the city, uncle?"- Will asks.
Geralt shakes his head.
"For the sake of your aunt and Delia, I hope not."- He says- "However, all kinds of scum can roam the city in our absence. Even we cannot put a stop to their activities. The best that we can do is to slay them and send black messages, left and right."
Once the caravan approaches the residence, our heroes hear a brief scream, then the sounds of spellcasting, then silence. It repeats a few times as they approach the semi-open door, weapons drawn.
"Alright, everyone. Get ready."- Will says- "I am not sure what we are going to encounter, but we should be ready. For everything."
Now that they are inside, they stare at the damage that was done. Broken pottery, torn banners, blood on the floor. Whoever came here, they must really hate the Kaos family or the place itself.
In the living room, they stumble into a pack of brigands, attempting to slay Aurelia. The woman manages to hold them back with her magic, but she is meant to be a healer, not a fighter. Without the help of someone else, she is certainly doomed.
Rushing to his wife's aid, Geralt stabs the spellcasting brigand in the neck, then he casts a light spell and pierces another one in the back. The rest of them get angry and attack him, but the white circle at his feet incinerates them almost instantly.
As one of the bandits gets close enough to stab his aunt, Will jumps into action. He bravely pushes his way past the rest of his brigands, grabs the troublemaking one by the mask and swiftly snaps his neck with his magic. Then, just to make sure that he will not trouble them anymore, he plunges his sword into the villain's skull, preventing him from coming back.
The rest of the attackers, seeing that they are outnumbered, decide to turn tail and run away. However, Mysta and Alwyn are waiting for them at the entrance. Immediately after they reach them, two of them are gunned down by Alwyn, and the rest of them are suffocated by a small gust of wind, cast by Mysta.
Soon, every single attacker is dead. The fools dared to attack the Kaos residence and paid the price with their own blood. If there are any survivors out there, they will be notified of the mistake that their allies made soon enough.
"Aurelia, my dearest!"- Geralt says and holds his wife's hands- "Are you alright? Did those freaks hurt you?"
Aurelia shakes her head.
"It all happened so suddenly. Out of the blue, they attacked us."- She mutters- "And Delia... she... "
Alwyn stares at her, shocked.
"What happened to my aunt?!"
Aurelia looks down.
"See for yourself."
Clouded by grief and disbelief, Alwyn approaches the nearly lifeless corpse of his aunt. He tries to get Aurelia to heal her back to life, but soon realizes what happened to her. No matter what he does, he cannot bring her back.
"Aunt... no! This can't be!"- He yells- "What did they do to you? Why did this happen?!"
Delia weakly looks up. Her eyes are barely able to focus, but she is still able to see her nephew.
"Little Alwyn. There you are."- She mutters and smiles- "Your face was the last thing that I wanted... to see."
She continues to smile as she closes her eyes.
"Don't let that spark fade away, my boy."- She mutters weakly- "Keep... fighting. Make... your dreams... come true... "
Then, she slumps in her nephew's arms, the last of her energy drained away. It does not take long for her life to end up like that, too.
As Alwyn starts to wail, Geralt inspects the freshly deceased Delia's corpse. Disturbed by her sudden demise, he stays at a respectful distance from her nephew, noticing the large stab wounds on her back.
"It seems like Delia was stabbed by an unknown perpetrator."- He says- "Not one of those incompetents. Someone who clearly knows how to execute a marked victim."
Will stares at his uncle, shocked.
"But who could do such a thing?"
Geralt shakes his head.
"I am not sure."- He says- "But I have the bad feeling that we will find out soon."
As Delia reanimates, she grabs Alwyn by the neck and attempts to bite him. However, Geralt manages to push her away from him.
Alwyn aims his gun at his undead aunt's head. However, he is unable to do the job, deciding to leave her behind instead.
"What are you doing, Alwyn?"- Will says- "This is your aunt! She should not suffer like this!"
Alwyn shakes his head.
"I... I can't."- He says- "She... she is gone. But I don't want to kill her again."
Will sighs.
"There is no other choice."- He says- "Swallow your pride and make it happen. It might be tough, but it is your only choice."
As Geralt takes the undead woman out to chain her, Will takes Alwyn outside. He shows the spot where his aunt is located and tells him that it is for the best of him and his new allies. With the absence of his aunt, they are his new family. And if he wants to protect them, he must face his fears with a clear conscience.
His hands still trembling, Alwyn aims his gun at the undead Delia again. Will comforts the young man and assures him that everything will be alright. It is Will's motivation that allows Alwyn to fire a single bullet into his aunt's skull, putting her down for good.
"I... I did it."- Alwyn says and falls to his knees- "But she... she is still gone. I can't bring her back."
Will looks up at the sky. He soon realizes that night is not far away.
"It is getting late. We should get some sleep."- He says- "Let's talk about this in the morning, alright"
Alwyn nods.
"A-alright."
The five of them go back in the residence, barely able to believe what just happened in front of them. It does not take them a long time to fall asleep, especially due to the fact that they are exhausted by their current adventure.
In the middle of the night, a mysterious man opens the front door and enters the Kaos residence. Brandishing a serrated dagger, he sneakily approaches the bed where Aurelia is sleeping and attempts to murder her. 
However, Aurelia is not completely asleep, unlike the rest of the group. Due to the fact that a very good friend of hers was slain yesterday, she is unable to fall asleep and still thinks about the events that unfolded. This allows her to roll away from the assassin's grasp, grab her staff and pierce his chin with its sharp end. He quickly falls to the ground and dies in a matter of mere seconds.
As the rest of the group wakes up, they see the man dead on the ground, stabbed by Aurelia as she defended herself from him. They are shocked that someone attempted to murder them in the night.
"An assassin? In the safety of the city?"- Geralt says- "Could this be the same person who killed Delia?"
Much to their surprise, the four of them realize that this is the same person that they met earlier, the one who attempted to help them out. It turns out that the man was a traitor to the light and attempted to snuff it out by killing all of the heroes in the city before getting caught.
As they stare at his corpse in disbelief, an envelope falls out of his pocket. Will picks it up, pulls out the message within and reads it.
"Nico: You and your team made a good choice. Recruiting Damien Grayson was the first step of taking care of the dreaded Kaos family and those who dare to support them. He did his job well, so I expect you to do the same. Do not fail me. - Lucifer."
Mysta stares at Geralt, surprised.
"Lucifer Griffin? The former father of your aunt?"- She asks him- "Wasn't be supposed to be dead?"
Geralt shakes his head,
"No. The message was not written by him."- He responds- "Whoever is responsible for this manslaughter, it is clear that this is only his nickname."
Will raises his eyebrow.
"Does this mean that the fallen angel is spying on us?"
Geralt nods.
"It is possible."- He says- "In fact, judging from the fine handwriting and the quality of the papyrus, the possibility is fairly high."
Mysta rolls her eyes.
"So, we're being chased by some crazed angel person?"- She says and sighs- "Swell. That's just what my schedule needed- another madman on the loose."
Alwyn looks at his allies, clearly concerned.
"Is this angel dangerous?"
Geralt looks at the message and sighs.
"From the looks of it? More than likely."- He says- "But we still do not know anything about his abilities, nor his motives. If we are to defeat this dangerous villain, we must take advantage of this situation while it is still fresh."
Just as he looks down at the dead assassin, he realizes that he has reanimated. As he defends himself from his attacks, he looks at his allies and shakes his head.
"I thought that someone put him down before he turned!"- He exclaims- "Why didn't you do that?"
Will shakes his head.
"We are sorry, uncle."- He says- "It will not happen again."
Geralt sighs.
"Well, if you don't want it to happen, help me out!"
Alwyn, eager to prove himself to his new allies, rushes forward and tackles the undead man, almost getting bitten by him in the process. As he restrains him, Aurelia approaches the undead man and punches him in the face, still angry about the death of her friend.
Then, without any hesitation, she kicks him down and angrily stomps his face in until he stops moving. When she willingly pulls herself back, the group sees how emaciated his face really is. Aurelia did a quick and thorough job, popping his skull like a balloon.
"Well. That was... bloody."- Geralt says- "Well done, love. We made it, thanks to you."
Aurelia glares at the lifeless man and kicks him again.
"And don't you dare wake up!"
As all of the heroes lean back, Geralt looks at his nephew.
"I don't know about you, Will. However, I think that I finally realized what must be done."- He says to him- "In order to bring the rat out of his nest, we must set a clever trap. And the only way to do that... "
Will sighs.
"Yes, uncle. I know."- He says- "That mafia boss has crossed the line way too many times. We must make sure that he does not cross it again... by crossing his heart and hoping that he dies."
Alwyn clenches his fists.
"The fiend that I call my brother, he was the one who killed aunt Delia. I'm sure of it."- He says- "I want to see his face as his dark empire falls apart. I want to be a part of this battle."
Mysta sighs.
"Humans are so amusing, yet so terrifying at the same time. First, you save the world. Then, you attempt to destroy it. That is most peculiar, I must say."- She says- "However, my support for my best friend has not diminished. And I don't intend to let that happen. If it means that I can see more traitors lose their lives, I will gladly join you. And that's what I will do."
Aurelia looks at them.
"But wait."- She says- "What about me?"
Geralt looks at her.
"Is your father still around?"
Aurelia nods.
"He is."- She says- "But he's still traumatized by... well, you know."
Geralt sighs.
"Stay with him for the time being."- He says- "We will be back soon. I promise."
Aurelia smiles.
"I know that you will, honey."- She says and kisses him- "I love you."
Geralt smiles and kisses her back.
"I love you too, Auri."- He says- "Stay safe. Do not let those freaks bring you down."
Aurelia shakes her head.
"I won't."- She says- "Pinky promise!"
Will nods.
"Then the plan has been decided."- He says- "Tomorrow at dawn, we shall take our supplies and approach the mafia's hideout. Alone."
Mysta smiles.
"I bet that those freaks won't know what hit them!"
Will sighs.
"They will not."- He responds- "Now, let us get some sleep. It has been a long night, but the next day shall be even longer."