Chapter 84: Demon [1]

Hall Mansion.

In a dark room, where the silvery rays of the moon could not penetrate, on a large king-size bed, lay a man in his thirties, fast asleep, but the muscles that had once been visible were fading away.

The air was heavy. It was as if even time itself refused to move forward within that place.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Alisha looked at her husband, who only woke up during one of his episodes. The doctors don’t know what causes them.

She had heard too many theories. No answers.

Since her husband’s collapse, her only son had taken care of everything, and above all, the butler’s death had affected her deeply.

The house no longer felt like a home.

To think that the very man who introduced her to the love of her life is the one responsible for her husband being on the brink of death.

That idea was impossible for her to accept… but she couldn’t deny it either.

…Quite ironic, isn’t it?

The thought came to her weakly, like a bitter mockery that offered no comfort at all.

When did things start to go wrong?

There was no answer to that question. Or maybe there was…, but she didn’t want to remember it.

She let out a long, weary sigh, and her eyes filled with sadness as she looked at Zephyr, lying motionless on the bed, his eyes still closed.

Alisha reached out and gently stroked her husband’s face, as well as his hair, which, despite being a bit dry, was still as soft as silk… well, more like straw, actually.

Even so, that touch gave her a fragile sense of closeness.

“Darling… How much longer are you going to stay asleep? Our son is dealing with all of this on his own. He had to take Alfred’s life—Alfred was like family to us; seeing him like that, you have no idea how much it broke my heart.”

Each word came out quieter than the last, as if she were afraid of breaking the silence in the room.

She glanced away briefly as a smile spread across her lips… She felt something warm begin to roll down her cheeks; she blinked slowly and bit her lip.

The tears came without warning.

“Please, my love… I need you to get better; I don’t know how much longer I can take this. But for my son and for you, I’ll do everything I can to become stronger, so please get better too.”

It was a promise… or perhaps a plea.

Alisha wiped away her tears, and her expression hardened. She wasn’t going to cry anymore; she couldn’t keep being so weak for so long; it was time to change.

Something inside her tensed. She steeled herself.

Not just for herself, but also for her son, who was carrying the whole burden alone while she just sat there crying.

That thought hurt her more than anything else.

It’s time for a change!

And this time… it didn’t sound like an empty thought.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sound echoed through the room with unsettling precision, shattering the tense silence that had settled like an invisible shadow.

Alisha turned toward the door, took a deep breath, and said:

She felt the air filling her lungs with difficulty, as if even breathing had become heavier than usual.

“Come in.”

The door opened as a man in black armor with a serious expression walked in; she knew who he was.

The dull sheen of the metal, marked by battle scars, left no room for doubt. Neither did his rigid posture.

“What happened, Lucas?”

Her voice came out firmer than she felt.

Lucas hesitated for a moment before answering:

That brief silence was enough for a chill of unease to begin to settle in Alisha’s chest.

“My lady, two armies are approaching: one that we managed to drive back, and another from the Tubor family.”

“!!!”

Alisha’s eyes widened in shock… Right now? At all times, right now!?

The world seemed to have conspired against her with cruel precision.

“How long until the Tubo family’s army arrives?”

The words came out quickly, almost hastily, as if she feared the answer even before hearing it.

“My lady, in a day or two.”

Time.

Too long.

Alisha froze, not knowing what to do; she had never been in this situation before: giving military orders? How would she manage? Now that her son was gone, the entire responsibility fell on her.

Options flashed through her mind in a jumble, falling apart before they could take shape.

Is this what my son has to bear?

The thought hit her harder than she had expected.

She shook her head; it seemed this was the test she had set for herself to prove her resolve.

She couldn’t back down now.

If the world demands sacrifices, then so be it… But she wouldn’t let her son bear the entire burden.

Even if it meant breaking herself in the process.

…

As the air grew heavier and the demonic energy became increasingly palpable, Adam took a step back just as a crack appeared in reality.

The space in front of him warped as if something invisible were tearing at it from the other side.

Demons.

The word flashed through his mind with unsettling clarity.

Beings who had been banished to an unknown and hostile realm after losing the war against the elves, the dwarves, and a race Adam had never heard of in his life.

Now, that last part struck him as absurd. Something capable of defeating demons… and that no one ever talked about.

In his past life, during the great war that engulfed the entire continent, a mad nobleman summoned a legion of demons that made his life a living hell, simply because they were ridiculously strong and nearly impossible to kill, like cockroaches.

The memory made his jaw clench. It wasn’t a memory he wanted to relive.

And now that son of a bitch Silas had sacrificed his life to summon one.

One man’s desperation… always dragged others into the Abyss.

The good news is that it hasn’t had time to fulfill the requirements.

A spark of hope flashed in Adam’s eyes; perhaps they still had a chance against the demon about to emerge.

It was a slim chance. Fragile. But enough to keep him from giving up just yet.

From the crack that had opened as a result of the summoning ritual, the demonic energy only grew stronger, and Adam’s hope vanished into thin air; whatever emerged would not be an ordinary demon—at least not one that came from the infernal crack.

The air vibrated. With every passing second, it felt heavier, more oppressive… as if the world itself were rejecting what was about to emerge.

He turned toward the princess and the maid, who stood frozen in place.

Their eyes showed no understanding—only fear.

“What are you doing just standing there? Run!”

The shout came out harsher than he intended.

But they didn’t react:

Terror had frozen them in place.

“Run!”

The urgency in his voice left no room for doubt.

Alexandra shuddered, took her maid’s hand, and ran off without looking back.

Instinct finally overcame fear.

Adam watched them for a moment before letting out a sigh.

“To think that a simple search for mercenaries would lead me to face a demon.”

The sarcasm barely concealed the tension coursing through his body.

Asterin let out a soft laugh:

“Fate is such a mysterious and wonderful thing.”

Then, a figure began to emerge from the crack.

The darkness stirred first, as if something within it were breathing, slowly pushing against the boundaries of reality.

Adam gripped the hilt of Arrepentimiento tighter, swallowing hard as he felt overwhelmed by the demonic energy.

Not long after…

Time seemed to stretch out, elongating unnaturally, as if every second refused to move forward.

A demonic figure hovered above the ground, shrouded in a viscous blackness that seemed alive. Its horns rose like blades, and torn wings spread from its back, dripping a dark substance that never ceased to move.

That substance did not fall to the ground. It writhed in the air, as if defying gravity.

Its skin… or whatever covered it… was unnatural. It crept over its body like a sentient infection.

Adam felt a chill run down his spine.

Her eyes glowed with a cold light, devoid of humanity; too many tentacles writhed around her.

Adam’s gaze met the demon’s, and a smile appeared on the creature’s face as it stretched lazily.

As if there were no danger at all. As if he were nothing.

“How long has it been since I set foot on this land? Decades? Millennia? Well, that doesn’t matter now.”

Her voice was soft… and deeply unsettling.

The demon lowered her gaze and frowned:

Something about Adam had caught his attention.

“Why do you have that unpleasant smell?”

Before Adam could react, the demon was already standing right in front of him, and he quickly counterattacked, but he struck at thin air—the demon was no longer there.

The demon flashed a flirtatious smile.

There was amusement in its expression.

“What’s up, darling? Why are you attacking a lady like that? Don’t tell me you like me and want to win me over.”

The tone was light and mocking.

Adam clenched his teeth; suddenly, he couldn’t breathe. He looked down and saw a knee that had landed with perfect precision.

He hadn’t seen it coming. He hadn’t even felt it coming.

Then his head was jerked up, and without warning, the demon kissed him.

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