Just as Vallin prepared to deliver the final blow to the enforcer, a sudden flash of blinding light erupted from her hands, engulfing the clearing in a dazzling brilliance. Vallin instinctively shielded his eyes, but the searing brightness was overwhelming. He stumbled back, disoriented, as the world around him faded into a blur.

"Damn it!" Kallin roared, his voice echoing in the chaos. "Where did she go?"

The enforcer seized the opportunity, her silhouette darting away from the fray, slipping into the shadows. Vallin's heart raced as he struggled to regain his vision, the light still dancing in his eyes.

"After her!" Amarie shouted, her voice strained as she tried to orient herself. But before they could react, a new presence emerged from the darkness, a figure cloaked in robes that shimmered with arcane symbols.

"Stop right there!" the figure commanded, his voice resonating with authority. Vallin blinked, finally focusing on the newcomer-a powerful Sorcerer Mage, Damien. His hands were raised, crackling with energy as he channeled his magic.

The enforcer, realizing she was being pursued, attempted to flee, but before she could escape, Damien unleashed a binding circle of shimmering runes that erupted from the ground, encircling her in a brilliant glow. The enforcer's eyes widened in panic as the magic constricted around her, immobilizing her movements.

"No!" she hissed, struggling against the magical bonds. "You won't take me!"

Damien stepped forward, his expression calm and collected. "You're not going anywhere," he declared, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the enforcer. "You're going to answer for your crimes."

Vallin shook off the remnants of the blinding light, relief flooding through him as he regained his senses. "Damien! You're just in time, old friend," he said, stepping closer to the binding circle. "We were about to lose her."

Kallin laughed heartily, clapping Damien on the back. "Nice work, mage! That was some impressive magic!"

Amarie moved to stand beside Vallin, her sword still drawn but now aimed at the enforcer. "What do we do with her now?" she asked, her voice steady.

The enforcer glared at them, defiance etched on her features. "You think this will hold me? You're fools to believe you can stop the Shadow Priest!"

Damien raised an eyebrow, unfazed by her threats. "We'll see about that. But first, we need to extract information from you. You'll tell us everything you know about the cult and its plans."

Vallin nodded, feeling the weight of the moment. They had the enforcer trapped, and with Damien's magic, they had a chance to uncover the truth behind the Shadow Priest's sinister intentions.

"Let's get her tied up properly," Vallin suggested, glancing at Kallin and Amarie. "We need to ensure she can't escape again." As they moved to secure the enforcer, Vallin felt a renewed sense of hope. With Damien's arrival, their chances of uncovering the cult's secrets had significantly increased.

****

As the enforcer struggled against the binding circle, her defiance remained palpable. Vallin and the others secured her further, ensuring she couldn't escape. Damien stepped forward, his demeanor shifting as he prepared for the interrogation. The air around him crackled with dark energy, a palpable tension that sent shivers down Vallin's spine.

"Let's see how resilient you really are," Damien said, his voice low and filled with a chilling calmness. He extended his hand, and shadows coiled around his fingers, pulsating with an ominous glow.

"What are you doing?" Vallin asked, a sense of unease creeping in. He had always believed in the power of knowledge over brutality, but he was beginning to see a different side of Damien.

"Sometimes, the truth needs a little persuasion," Damien replied, a cruel smile playing on his lips. He turned to the enforcer, who was watching him with a mix of fear and anger. "You'll tell us everything, or I'll make this very unpleasant for you."

"Go to hell!" the enforcer spat, her defiance unwavering.

With a flick of his wrist, Damien unleashed a wave of dark energy that struck the enforcer, causing her to convulse in pain. Vallin felt a knot tighten in his stomach as he watched the scene unfold. This wasn't the way he had envisioned their confrontation.

"Stop!" Amarie interjected, stepping forward. "We need information, not a corpse. We can't lose her like this!"

Damien paused, his eyes narrowing as he considered her words. "Fine. But she needs to understand the consequences of her actions." He turned back to the enforcer, his expression darkening. "Let's start with your precious Shadow Priest. What are his plans?"

The enforcer gritted her teeth, trying to maintain her composure despite the pain. "You think you can break me? The Shadow Priest will remake time in his image! He will reshape everything!"

"Remake time?" Vallin echoed, his heart racing with the implications. "What do you mean?"

The enforcer's gaze flickered, and for a moment, Vallin saw doubt in her eyes. "He believes he can control the flow of time itself. He seeks the Arcane Nexus, a source of immense power that can bend reality to his will. With it, he will erase the past and create a new future-one where he reigns supreme."

Vallin exchanged glances with Amarie and Kallin, the weight of her words sinking in. "And where is this Nexus?" Vallin pressed, desperation creeping into his voice.

"I won't tell you!" the enforcer snarled, but Damien stepped closer, shadows swirling around him ominously.

"You will tell us, or I will make you wish you had," he warned, his tone cold and threatening. The enforcer's defiance began to waver, her eyes darting nervously.

"Wait!" she finally cried, desperation creeping into her voice. "The Nexus is hidden beneath the old cathedral in the city! That's where he plans to perform the ritual!"

Damien stepped back, the shadows receding as he regarded the enforcer with a mixture of satisfaction and disdain. "You see? A little pressure goes a long way."

Vallin felt a surge of urgency. "We need to move quickly. If the Shadow Priest is planning to access the Nexus, we can't let him succeed."

Amarie nodded, her expression resolute. "Let's prepare. We have to stop him before it's too late." With their newfound knowledge, the group steeled themselves for the confrontation ahead. The enforcer had revealed a critical piece of information, and now they had to act swiftly to thwart the Shadow Priest's dark ambitions.

****

In a shocking twist, Damien's expression hardened as he stepped closer to the enforcer, who was still bound within the magical circle. "You've outlived your usefulness," he said coldly, his voice devoid of empathy. In a swift, brutal motion, he grabbed her by the throat, his fingers tightening like a vice.

"Wait!" Vallin shouted, rushing forward. "What are you doing? We need her alive to gather more information!"

But it was too late. With a sickening crack, Damien twisted his wrist, snapping the enforcer's neck with a brutal finality. Her body went limp, the light fading from her eyes as she crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

Vallin felt a surge of rage and disbelief. "Damien! What the hell was that?" he shouted, his voice echoing in the clearing. "We could have learned so much from her!"

Damien turned to Vallin, his expression unyielding. "She was a liability. You think I'm going to let someone like her live after what she's done? The Shadow Priest will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. We can't afford to show mercy."

"Mercy?" Vallin spat, his heart racing. "This isn't mercy, it's murder! You're no better than the monsters we're fighting against. We're supposed to be the heroes here!" Kallin and Amarie exchanged glances, unsure of how to intervene. The tension in the air was palpable, and Vallin felt the weight of his convictions pressing down on him.

"Sometimes, you have to make hard choices," Damien replied, his voice steady. "You may not understand now, but the world isn't black and white. It's filled with shades of gray, and sometimes, to achieve the greater good, sacrifices must be made."

Vallin shook his head, anger boiling within him. "Sacrifices? You're just justifying your sadistic tendencies! We could have used her knowledge to stop the Shadow Priest, and now you've thrown that opportunity away!"

"Enough!" Damien snapped, his patience wearing thin. "You're too naive to see the bigger picture. The Shadow Priest is a threat to all of us. We don't have time for sentimentality."

Amarie stepped forward, trying to mediate the escalating conflict. "Enough you two! We need to focus on what's ahead. The enforcer is dead, and we have to move on. Let's not waste any more time arguing."

Vallin took a deep breath, trying to rein in his emotions. "You're right, Amarie. But we can't let Damien's methods become the norm. We need to hold onto our humanity, even in the face of darkness."

Damien's gaze hardened, but Vallin could see a flicker of something-perhaps doubt or consideration. "We'll see how far that humanity gets you when the Shadow Priest unleashes his power," he replied, his tone clipped.

With the enforcer dead and tensions high, Vallin knew they had to regroup and focus on their next steps. They had a lead on the Shadow Priest's plans, but the cost of that knowledge weighed heavily on him.

"Let's move," Vallin said finally, his voice steady despite the turmoil within. "We need to head to the old cathedral before it's too late." As they departed the clearing, Vallin couldn't shake the feeling that their moral compass was shifting, and he vowed to keep his convictions intact, no matter the cost.