CHAPTER 295: THE DEMON CLEARING MISSION (PART 8)

The once-grand altar, carved with ancient sigils, was now fractured beyond repair, and smoke curled upward in ghostly tendrils.

Kael knelt in the center, both hands pressed to the cracked ground.

The red crystal shard embedded near his chest glowed weakly, pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat.

It had nearly consumed him—again.

He looked around.

Cecelia was crouched beside Edwin, healing a nasty cut on his arm.

Jin sat slumped against a collapsed pillar, sweat dripping down his forehead.

His twin swords, once gleaming, were dulled and nicked from the fierce battle.

And Elysia...

She stood only a few paces away, her sword buried in the earth for balance.

Everyone was exhausted. The fight with the Five demons had taken everything from them, mana, blood, and perhaps even trust.

"Edwin," Cecelia said, her hands glowing a faint blue as she finished healing his wound.

"You’ll be fine now, but try not to swing your sword for a while."

Edwin managed a weak smirk. "You make it sound like I have a choice."

Jin chuckled from the side. "You could always let me take your share of training. I’m feeling generous today."

"Generous?" Edwin raised an eyebrow. "You mean cocky."

Before Jin could retort, a heavy thud broke their banter. Kael had tried to stand but stumbled, one knee hitting the ground.

Elysia immediately turned. "Don’t push yourself," she said with her acting.

Kael exhaled roughly, forcing himself up. "I’m fine."

"You’re not," Cecelia said, walking toward him. "You used mana that wasn’t... normal. It’s dangerous to your body."

He ignored her.

The red shard continued to pulse faintly beneath his skin, and though he tried to conceal it, the others could see the faint red glow through his torn shirt.

Jin frowned. "What the hell is that, anyway? Some kind of artifact?"

Kael didn’t answer.

Elysia’s eyes narrowed. "Artifacts don’t pulse like that," she said.

"And they don’t resonate with demons."

Kael finally looked at her.

"You’ve been watching closely, haven’t you?"

Elysia didn’t look away. "Because you’re not what you seem."

"Maybe I’m not. But right now, the only reason we’re still alive is because of that shard—and me." Kael said.

Elysia’s grip on her sword tightened. "And how long until that same power turns against us?"

Kael took a step closer. The faint red light flared again, casting a shadow across his face. "I’m not your enemy."

"You could’ve fooled me."

Cecelia quickly stepped between them, raising her hands. "Enough. We’re all hurt. This isn’t the time to argue."

"Cecelia’s right," Jin muttered, dragging himself to his feet. "Let’s get out of here before this place decides to collapse again."

Dust trickled from above.

Elysia reluctantly sheathed her sword. Her gaze lingered on Kael for a moment longer before she turned away.

"Let’s move," she said.

They walked slowly through the remains of the Abyssal secret area.

The sunlight barely reached this far down, filtering through cracks above in fractured rays.

Kael walked behind them, one hand pressed over his chest. Inside, the shard pulsed erratically, whispering faintly in his mind.

(The seal breaks... you cannot hide forever...)

He clenched his jaw, forcing the voice down.

Elysia occasionally glanced back.

She remembered the brief moment during the fight—the surge of power that had radiated from Kael.

(It wasn’t human power).

(It wasn’t even purely demonic. It was something in between.)

And that scared her more than she wanted to admit.

After nearly half an hour of walking, they emerged into the open valley.

The sunlight hit their faces like a blessing after hours of darkness.

Jin dropped onto a rock, exhaling. "Finally... fresh air."

Cecelia smiled faintly, but her face was pale. "We should rest here for a bit."

Edwin nodded, lowering himself beside her. "No complaints from me."

Kael stayed at the edge of the valley, looking back toward the ruins.

The broken entrance was half-buried in rubble now, but he could still feel it—the faint thrum of demonic energy deep below.

He thought of the Five Sins: Wrath, Envy, Greed, Lust, and Sloth. According to what he remembered from the novel—those demons weren’t supposed to appear until much later.

(So why now?) he wondered.

(Did my presence change the timeline? Or... did something else awaken early because of me?)

Elysia’s voice broke through his thoughts. "You’re thinking too much again."

He turned. She had approached silently, her arms crossed.

"Hard not to," he said. "You saw what happened."

She studied him for a long moment. "You knew about that place, didn’t you? About the gate."

Kael didn’t answer.

Elysia’s eyes narrowed. "You didn’t just stumble onto it. You were looking for it."

"I told you," he said, his tone guarded. "I’m trying to survive. That’s all."

She stepped closer. "No. You’re hiding something. You always have."

The tension between them was almost tangible now.

Finally, Kael met her gaze and said quietly, "Would you believe me if I told you the truth?"

Elysia hesitated. "That depends on what it is."

He almost smiled. "Then it’s better I don’t say it."

She frowned. "You can’t expect me to trust someone who keeps secrets about things that nearly kill us."

"I don’t expect you to trust me," Kael said simply. "Just don’t stand in my way."

"Don’t make me regret letting you live," she said coldly, and turned away.

As they rested, the wind picked up, carrying with it the faint scent of smoke and iron.

Jin glanced around uneasily. "Anyone else feel like we just poked a hornet’s nest?"

Edwin chuckled dryly. "We didn’t just poke it—we kicked it, set it on fire, and ran."

"Accurate," Cecelia said her and she was faint with exhaustion. "But it’s strange. The demons we fought... they felt aware. Like they knew us."

"They did," Kael murmured from where he sat apart. "They mirrored us."

Cecelia looked up. "What do you mean?"

Kael didn’t answer directly. "Wrath targeted Edwin’s pride. Envy copied Elysia. Greed tried to tempt you. Lust went after Jin’s focus. And Sloth... it drained my mana directly."

He looked at his hands.

"It’s like they were born from us. From what we are."

No one spoke for a while. The thought unsettled all of them.

Edwin "So what now?"

Elysia turned her gaze toward the academy in the far distance. "We report to Professor Sylvia. Tell her what happened."

Kael shook his head. "No."

She blinked. "What?"

"If we tell them everything," Kael said slowly, "the Council will seal this area completely. And if they find traces of that shard... or what I used to seal the gate..."

"You’ll be hunted," Elysia finished.

Kael met her eyes, silent.

Cecelia frowned. "But we can’t lie about it either."

"We won’t," Elysia said with decisive. "We’ll say we encountered high-level demons. That the ruins collapsed after we destroyed them."

Jin raised an eyebrow. "So... we’re covering for him now?"

"Until we understand what’s happening," Elysia replied. "Yes."

Her gaze flicked toward Kael. "But don’t mistake that for trust."

Kael gave a small nod. "I wouldn’t dare."

The sun was already sinking when they finally began the long walk back toward the other side of the area.

Cecelia occasionally glanced at Kael, worry flickering in her eyes.

She had seen the pain in his expression when the shard had flared—like something inside him was tearing apart.

But he’d said nothing, not even when she offered healing.

Jin hummed softly under his breath, trying to ease the tension. "Next time we go on a mission, can we not awaken ancient demons? Just a suggestion."

Edwin chuckled tiredly. "Seconded."

Even Elysia almost smiled. Almost.

Kael walked in silence, his hand pressed to his chest once more. The shard pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat not his own.

"You cannot run from what you are," the voice whispered again, echoing faintly in his mind. "The first seal is broken. The rest will follow."

He shut his eyes, trying to block it out, but deep down, he knew.

When they reached the outer watchtowers that was empty, the guards were skeletoned.

Their bones were charred black, and faint blue flames flickered within their empty eye sockets.

The smell of decay and burnt marrow filled the air. Their rusted armor bore the emblem of the academy — proof that they were once human.

Jin’s voice broke the silence. "Who... who did this?"

Cecelia trembled. Her eyes widened as she stumbled back, clutching at Kael’s arm for support.

"Th-this isn’t possible... they were alive when we came through this path..."

Kael remained silent, his jaw tightening as he surveyed the remains. His mind raced — he could feel faint traces of mana residue, dark and chaotic, crawling along the walls like invisible tendrils.

Elysia glanced at the skeletons, her hand subconsciously moving to her sword. Her usual calm was nowhere to be seen.

"Stay alert," she muttered. She reached forward and pried Cecelia’s hand from Kael’s arm, stepping between them.

Cecelia looked at her, startled. "Elysia—"

"Stay behind us," Elysia said.

Just then, a cold wind swept through the ruined passage. The blue flames in the skeletons’ eyes flickered violently — then went out.

The silence deepened... and the ground trembled.

From the darkness beyond the archway, two towering figures emerged. Their forms were cloaked in shadow, their presence alone pressing against everyone’s chests like a physical weight.

The stench of sulfur and burning mana filled the air.

At first glance, they looked like demons — horned silhouettes, their eyes glowing crimson. But something was off.

Their movements were slow, deliberate, not like wild monsters.

"Stay back," Jin hissed, drawing his twin swords.