"Janet! Janet, talk to me!"

"Janet!"

Mark repeatedly called out from the mount he was tied on.

"Man, would you shut the hell up?!" Jamie, who was tied on the same mount as he was, snapped.

They were seated back to back on top of the mount, with their hands and waists tied firmly to prevent them from falling, while Jet and Janet were on another mount, in the same way.

Only two mounts had been prepared by the demons to carry the humans. They hadn't accounted for the other two, so they had to improvise.

"Janet! Janet!" Mark continued yelling, causing Jamie to swing his head backwards with force, knocking the daylight out of him.

"Oww!! Are you crazy?!" Mark yelled in pain.

Jamie gritted his teeth, shaking his head from the impact, "That hurt like hell, but it was worth it, you dumb fuck!"

"Dumb fuck?! Fuck you Jamie! You're the dumb fuck!"

"I'm the dumb fuck?!" Jamie went crazy, shifting madly in the ropes and swinging his head backwards repeatedly, trying to get another solid hit on Mark's head. "You crazy fucker! We're all here because of you!"

Mark, leaning his head forward to avoid Jamie's wild head swings, yelled in anger and indignation, laced with a tinge of guilt, "This is not all on me! It isn't!"

"This would've happened anyway! We were bumbling around like headless chickens in this unknown land, banking on every word Jet said…! It was inevitable! At least I tried to do something different!!"

"Yeah, and look where that led us, huh smart guy?!" Jamie stopped shifting on the two legged mount that had begun to grunt in discontent. "Look what that has done to your girlfriend!"

That statement hit a weak spot for Mark, and all of a sudden, Jamie felt vibrations coming from his back, like Mark was… "What? Man, don't tell me you're crying?! Don't pull that fucking card man!" Jamie went mad in anger again, wishing his hands were free. He really wanted to sucker punch Mark very badly.

"Leave him…" Jet muttered from his mount where he was tied, "It won't change anything anyway..."

The commanding demon at the front suddenly barked out a laugh, "Why. You. Stop. Them? Argue very funny." He said in his broken version of the human language.

"You. Jet. Leader?" He slowed down his mount's pace so he'd be on the same step as the four of them.

Jet shook his head. "No. I'm not their leader…"

Mark would've let out a scoff, but his shoulders were still trembling as he cried silently.

It seemed to be genuine. Without needing to be told, even he already knew what had happened to Janet immediately he saw her…

And guilt ate at him.

"Hmm. You. Where from?" The demon probed.

"I'm guessing the same place as your master?" Jet stared right at him with a pointed look.

The demon frowned.

"And I'm guessing this master is a woman…?"

"Silver hair…?"

"Gray eyes…?"

The demon kept silent, and Jet confirmed what he already knew.

"She conquered you guys," he stated matter-of-factly. "And now you have to serve her."

"You. A demon…"

"Are you not dissatisfied?"

"Hmph!" The demon scoffed. "Enough talk," he smacked Jet across the face, sending his head reeling.

"You have trouble with leader? Challenge when reach!" he snarled and urged his mount forward, just as Jet spat out a mouthful of blood with a grin on his face.

He had just confirmed a suspicion he had.

He knew it was the Grand Commander that was their leader. And he knew for a fact that she had tried to kill them before they were able to escape from the construct back then…

But why was it different now?

What had changed…?

Why order her subordinates to find humans and bring them back to her safe and sound?

Even to the point where Jet knew that right now, he could say anything… do anything… and still be let off lightly.

The slap to his face told him that.

It was very precise, just enough to draw a mouthful of blood, but not enough to leave lasting damage. It was only made to seem like it was more than it was.

Jamie looked sideways at Jet's face in hesitation. He could practically see the gears running in the guy's mind.

What was he thinking?

He noticed Jet's eyes flitting about the surroundings discreetly, trying not to draw any suspicion, but it was obvious to him, and caused him to take in the surroundings too.

And immediately he did, he knew what Jet was planning.

This bloody bastard!! This is familiar territory!

Jet knew the nooks and crannies of this area like the back of his hand.

He was planning to make a run for it now!

Jamie tried to send his intention through his gaze without making it obvious.

For goodness' sake, they were outnumbered and flanked from every side.

What could he do?! He'd just make the situation worse and get them all killed!!

Jet, who had closed his eyes in concentration for a while, suddenly opened them, staring right ahead with a weirdly serene gaze, unfocused, like he was here but he wasn't.

Just like Jamie also came to a conclusion, he also came to the same.

He knew they couldn't do anything but throw a tantrum. At the end of the day they would be caught… easily.

So if he wanted to do this, he needed to do something different. Something powerful…

So he went for the most powerful spell he had in his arsenal.

The fire fusion spell.

It took too long to cast, and the commanding demon would notice the power build up immediately, shutting him down in an instant…

But that was the best he could do. And the only thing that could deal damage to the commanding demon— his most difficult hurdle if he ever wanted to escape.

So he made to start out the fire fusion spell. He'd bank on the fact that they couldn't be killed to test his luck.

But as he wanted to start it up, a nagging voice in his head ate at him.

Really…?

This is the best you can do?

The thought nagged at him until he stopped his casting attempt, questioning himself repeatedly, is this really the best I can do?

He went into a weird state, questioning the logic of why he needed to contain and build up the spell in the first place.

Fire was not meant to be contained.

It was chaotic. It was meant to devour.

Endlessly…

As long as there was something to devour...

The already hot abyssal air around him began to distort with even more heat.

What were these demons around him?

Weren't they materials to be devoured?

Janet, behind him leaned forward for the first time, recoiling from the heat emanating from Jet.

Why must he actualize fire outwardly…?

Why couldn't he be the flames himself…?

He had never been burned by his own flames before…

So why not make himself a full container for his flames?

Janet began to squirm, and even the mount beneath them started to move a little bit faster in distress…

Why could he not be the flames directly?

Immediately, the ropes binding him burned into nothingness, and the rider behind him caught it.

They stared at each other in a short silence, before Jet tilted his head with a grin.

.

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A/N: This chapter's special thanks goes to ShezzyZ for the Golden Tickets and for joining my Privilege Readers! Hope you keep enjoying!

Cheers

Astrl