The Astral Dogma

He couldn't help but be captivated by the dark coat hanging in the treasure room. The black fabric was adorned with intricate golden embroidery, gleaming under the dim light, and seemed to emit a peculiar energy. The sensation was like a void calling to him, beckoning him closer.

He stood there, lost in thought, eyes fixed on the garment. Suddenly, he felt a presence beside him. Xin had approached, casually tossing a small stone up and down in his hand, watching Belial with an amused expression.

"You've been staring at that coat for a while, Bel. It'd look great on you," Xin remarked with a smirk.

Belial turned, startled by the suggestion, eyebrows raised. "What? Me? Wearing *that* coat?"

"Sure, why not?" Xin shrugged, an easy smile on his face. "With your build, you'd definitely stand out in a crowd."

Belial shook his head slowly, gaze drifting back to the coat. "There's something about that coat that just doesn't sit right with me," he murmured. "It's like it's… beckoning me, but in a way that's not quite… normal."

Xin raised an eyebrow. "Not quite right, eh? You're not scared, are you?" A sly smile appeared, his tone teasing.

Belial scowled, folding his arms. "Of course not! I just think we should be careful. There's more to that coat than meets the eye."

"Suit yourself, Bel," Xin replied with a nonchalant shrug. "But if you change your mind, I'll be right here with a stone in my hand, ready to toss it at anyone who comes near."

Belial hesitated, torn between caution and the magnetic pull the coat seemed to exert. Taking a deep breath, he reached up, lifted the coat from the wall, and slipped it on. Instantly, he was enveloped in a wave of power. It was like the coat had been made for him, fitting his frame perfectly.

Catching his reflection in a nearby mirror, Belial grinned. "Would you just look at that," he murmured, admiring how the coat transformed his appearance. "It really does suit me."

Xin grinned wider. "See, I told you so. Now, let's get out of here."

Belial nodded, following Xin as they made their way to where the rest of their group was gathered in the center of the room. There were six of them in total, their postures sagging with exhaustion and bruises marking their skin from the dungeon raid.

As they moved toward the exit, Belial noticed Sora standing near the gate, placing something on the ground. Sora's movements were deliberate, almost ritualistic. Belial frowned, suspicion prickling his thoughts. Something wasn't right. 

Suddenly, Sora muttered, "For the Monarch," and, in an instant, spun to launch an attack.

Belial barely registered the movement before Troxl sprang forward, throwing himself in the path of the attack. A sharp beam of energy shot out from Sora's hand, slamming into Troxl and sending him hurtling into the wall. He slumped to the ground, motionless.

"Troxl!" Belial's heart lurched, instinct driving him to go after Sora. But Xin grabbed his arm.

"We can't leave him here!" Xin shouted, glancing down at Troxl's unconscious form.

"Tch." Belial clicked his tongue, frustration boiling over. But Xin was right—they couldn't just abandon Troxl. Together, they hurried back, grabbing Troxl's arms and struggling to lift him.

"Damn, he's heavy," Belial muttered as they half-carried, half-dragged him toward the exit.

Xin's expression was tense, his mind racing. He couldn't believe it. Sora, one of their own, a trusted ally, had betrayed them. What other secrets was he hiding? What else didn't they know?

"We need to find out everything we can about Sora," Belial said through gritted teeth, his voice low and icy with determination.

Xin nodded, face grim. "But first, we need to get out of here before this place collapses on us."

As they stumbled through the gate, a glimpse of Sora's silhouette flashed before them, vanishing into the shadows with several accomplices in tow. Belial clenched his fists, anger simmering within him. He'd always been able to brush things off, but this betrayal—this was different. It cut too deep.

Finally, they made it outside, collapsing to the ground, gasping for breath.

"We made it," Xin said, panting heavily.

Belial glanced around, surveying the ruins and destruction left in the wake of their escape. "Lucky to be alive," he muttered.

Then, the gate behind them shuddered, a surge of golden energy radiating outward. The blast knocked Belial and Xin off their feet, slamming them into the wall. Troxl lay between them, still unconscious.

"Is he still out?" Belial asked, catching his breath.

Xin nodded. "Yeah. We need to wake him up. We've got to get out of here."

Groaning, Belial stood up and knelt over Troxl, slapping him lightly—then harder—to wake him.

Troxl's eyes flew open, and he snarled, "Ouch! Will you get off me, brat!"

Belial smirked. "Looks like Sleeping Beauty's finally awake. C'mon, we need to get back to the guild. Let's catch the next train."

Together, they staggered forward, carrying Troxl as they made their way to safety, each of them haunted by the image of Sora's betrayal and the mystery of the strange, dark coat that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy against Belial's skin.

Upon arriving at the guild, Natalie, the receptionist, caught sight of Belial and Xin. Their haggard, battered appearance instantly gave away the rough night they'd endured. With a quick nod, she directed them straight to the guild president's office, and the two trudged in, their fatigue almost palpable. Cole awaited them, his gaze sharpening as he took in the severity of their expressions.

As Belial recounted the night's harrowing events, Cole's face grew graver, his normally steely demeanor etched with a growing anger. When Belial described the vicious ambush and the betrayal they'd experienced, Cole's eyes darkened.

"I've had suspicions about Sora for some time now," Cole murmured, his voice laced with a restrained fury. "But this all but confirms it. He's working for Lex."

Belial's pulse quickened as he processed the revelation. Sora—one of their own—aligned with Lex, their sworn enemy? The thought churned uneasily in his mind.

"We still have scouts combing the forest, but we haven't seen any signs of Lex or Sora," Cole continued, his tone serious and focused. "This isn't the first time Sora has targeted you, though. There must be something specific he's after."

Belial ran a hand through his hair, his face twisting in confusion. "I only arrived in this city last week. What could he want from me?"

The room fell into a contemplative silence, each of them wrestling with the implications. Cole finally broke it, leaning forward, his gaze unyielding.

"We need to get to the bottom of this. Until we know more, you two need to stay vigilant."

Belial and Xin exchanged a quick, resolute nod, and with Cole's dismissal, they made their way out of the guild and onto the bustling city sidewalk. As they walked, Xin cast a sidelong glance at Belial, who seemed distracted, occasionally catching his reflection in shop windows.

"Hey, weren't you wearing that moon-shaped hair clip or something?" Xin asked, noticing Belial's absent-minded fiddling with his hair.

Belial froze, his fingers running through his hair only to come up empty. Panic flared in his eyes as he muttered, "Nononono… crap." 

Xin raised an eyebrow. "Is it really that important?"

"Yeah, it is. We need to find it." With that, Belial darted off, and Xin barely had time to call after him before taking off in pursuit.

The two of them searched tirelessly, scouring alleyways, streets, and market stalls for hours. As evening settled, they returned home, exhausted and no closer to finding the missing clip. Belial sank onto the couch, his head in his hands, while Xin perched on the armrest beside him.

"What's so important about that hair clip, anyway?" Xin asked gently.

Belial hesitated, then let out a sigh. "I… I can't really explain it. It's personal. Let's just say it's not something I can replace."

Sensing that Belial wasn't in the mood to elaborate, Xin decided to let the matter drop. "We'll search again tomorrow," he said, stretching. "But first, I'm taking a quick bath."

"Yeah," Belial murmured absently, his gaze distant.

He stepped out onto the balcony, letting the cool night air wash over him as he took in the city's glimmering skyline. The lights and sounds of the bustling metropolis had always brought him a strange comfort. But tonight, his moment of peace was cut short by a flicker of movement—a silver-clad figure leaping across rooftops, heading south. 

Belial's heart skipped a beat as he recognized a faint, familiar energy emanating from the figure. Without a second thought, he grabbed his coat and katana, and with one fluid motion, he vaulted from the balcony, his gaze fixed on the mysterious figure.

The figure moved with agility and grace, jumping from one rooftop to the next with practiced ease. Belial followed her, his instincts telling him that she was connected to the missing hair clip somehow. When she finally stopped at the rooftop of a grand mansion, he watched in astonishment as she skillfully cut a hole in the glass with a small blade, using it to slip inside undetected. 

Belial knew he couldn't hesitate. Silently, he followed her inside, using his own dark energy to mask his presence. Inside, he watched as she sprayed a fine mist across the floor, revealing a web of security lasers. She navigated the maze effortlessly, but as she reached for a pedestal, Belial sent a controlled blast of dark energy, scattering the spray and disrupting her path.

The girl turned, her face partially obscured by a blindfold, but she grinned upon seeing him. "Oh, it's you," she said with a hint of amusement. "I was wondering when you'd catch up."

Belial's brow furrowed. "You know who I am?"

"Of course," she smirked, "You're the little boy who lost his precious hair clip."

His eyes narrowed. "You stole it."

She shrugged with a mischievous grin. "I prefer the term 'borrowed without permission.'"

Power surged through Belial as he readied himself. "I don't want to fight you, but I will if I have to."

They stood there, tension thick in the air. Then, suddenly, the girl burst into laughter, her blade clattering to the floor.

Belial blinked, taken aback. "What's so funny?"

She wiped a tear from her eye. "You're too easy." With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the clip to him. "Here, take your stupid hair clip. By the way, the name's Luna. I'll see you around, kid."

Belial caught the clip, watching as Luna vanished into the night with practiced ease. A guard suddenly burst onto the rooftop, his weapon drawn and his eyes narrowed on Belial.

"Hey! What are you doing here?!" the guard barked, raising his gun.

The guard fired, the bullet glancing harmlessly off Belial's jacket. Instinct took over, and Belial lunged up, leaping back through the opening as the guard's next shot rang out, missing by inches.

Once back on the rooftop, he steadied himself, heart pounding. With his clip safely back in his possession, he disappeared into the night, leaving behind the mansion and the echoes of the confrontation with Luna, a reminder that he hadn't seen the last of her.