The inferno was alive.
The air burned—not from heat, but from the malice woven into every particle. The cracked, crimson ground trembled faintly beneath the steps of creatures that shouldn't exist. With every passing moment, the scarlet sky seemed closer, as if it sought to crush everything below.
Jin, Marcus, and Kael fought like cornered beasts.
Bone spears erupted from the ground, black claws tore through the air, incandescent tentacles slithered between the dry dunes. The enemies came in waves—grotesque, ravenous, relentless.
Jin slashed, dodged, and dove into the shadows with precise strikes.
Marcus guarded their flanks, expertly shielding their backs, his eyes stained with blood, his body wounded.
Kael, panting, conjured arrows, but his rhythm was faltering.
And then, amidst the chaos, Kael shouted between one slash and another:
"It'd be nice if your pet super-demon helped out!"
High above, on a floating rock wrapped in black chains, Bouros watched the scene as if it were a tedious spectacle. He let out a long, disinterested sigh.
"I thought you'd figured it out."
Marcus, covered in blood, lowered his eyes. His sword dripped a thick liquid that evaporated upon touching the ground.
"Yeah… we get it."
Kael snorted, wiping his bloodied forehead with the back of his hand.
"Sorry. Guess I'm tired."
Bouros let out a low, dragging, ironic laugh—the sound reverberated as if mocking reality itself.
"This won't last much longer."
For a moment, it was as if time stopped.
Jin took a deep breath, his blade still humming with malevolent energy.
He looked at the scarlet sky, which seemed to drain every emotion from the world. He felt strange—as if he were merely a body fighting on instinct.
Kael closed his eyes for a brief second, trying to recall a scent, a laugh, something human.
Marcus looked at his blood-stained hands—his own and others'—and let a small smile escape.
"I guess… it won't be so bad to die like this."
Jin and Kael smiled.
Kael let out a hoarse chuckle and said:
"I thought you didn't want your last moments to be with me."
Marcus adjusted the grip on his sword, his eyes calm as if accepting his fate.
"I'm by my grandson's side."
The three closed their eyes. And for a moment, even in that devouring inferno, there was something human between them. A bond.
They all smiled. And then they charged again—blood, steel, and shadows—against the abyss awaiting them.
The demonic bodies piled up like warped mountains around Jin, Marcus, and Kael. But then… everything changed.
The creatures stopped attacking.
The claws stilled. The howls fell silent. The grotesque mouths turned, in unison, toward a single point on the scarlet horizon.
As if hearing an ancient call, the demons began to move—slowly at first, then in a frenzied stampede, like a living tide rushing in one direction.
Bouros stood, his body lightly floating above the rock, and for the first time, his face twisted into absolute seriousness.
"Follow them. Something's off."
His eyes, once bored, now burned with deadly focus.
Kael huffed, dragging his exhausted body forward.
Marcus sighed, wiping his blade with a cloth already soaked in blood.
Jin closed his eyes for a second. He heard the beating of his own heart. He felt the pulse of the earth, the shadow, the fear. And then he opened his eyes again.
The three ran after the black tide, shadows and dust rising behind them as they followed the demons' trail.
---
**In the real world.**
The rift opened before the royal entourage like a scar in the world—dark, pulsing, alive.
The sand around it trembled with the distortion of reality.
The oppressive, crushing energy of the rift poured out, growing stronger.
King Aserion's group, surrounded by elite soldiers, consecrated mages, and members of Kaellia's guild, watched in silence.
When the king took his first step, the world seemed to shudder.
The energy flowing from his body was almost unbearable—not from violence, but from raw, unbalanced intensity. Ancient magic, unshaped by human laws. A primal force.
The demons lurking at the rift's edges were immediately drawn to him—flaming eyes turning, growls rising from the shadows.
But with the attraction came imbalance.
The sky tore open in veins of darkness. The ground cracked as if it might shatter. Aserion's presence didn't belong in this world—and the world was trying to expel him.
That's when he appeared.
From within the distortion, amidst the crimson mist, Lorn emerged.
His figure stood out with a grotesque glow—tall, gaunt, his gray skin cracked like living stone. His eyes, red as embers. His smile… as if he'd been waiting for this for eons.
"So, the main course has arrived…" he murmured in a hoarse, hungry voice.
Saphira took a step back.
Kaellia clenched her fists.
"It's him."
And then, from the entire horizon, all the demons rushed toward the royal group. An infernal swarm, driven by hunger and fear of Aserion's presence.
The king drew his sword, the metallic sound reverberating like a sentence.
He turned to Lorn with a steady, icy, calm gaze.
"No rules. No detailed instructions." His voice cut through the chaos. "I'll say just one thing…
A faint smile crossed his stern face.
"Survive."
And with that, the chaos began.
All the warriors roared and charged against the demonic tide.
The ground shook. Magics exploded in the air like dying stars. Swords clashed with claws.
Meanwhile, King Aserion… walked.
With slow, steady, solemn steps. As if the inferno were nothing. As if he were merely meeting an old acquaintance.
Lorn spread his arms, like a sadistic host.
"Come then, king…"
King Aserion stopped before Lorn.
The red dust swirled around them like a vortex of destruction. For a moment, everything went silent.
Lorn took an instinctive step back.
For some reason he couldn't comprehend, his entire body froze.
His eyes widened—not in surprise, but in pure survival instinct.
Aserion smiled, calm, like someone observing a curious little animal.
"You must be Lorn, right?" His voice was low but reverberated across the ruined field like muffled thunder. "I've heard of you."
Lorn forced a smile, wavering, his face twisting in a mix of vanity and fear.
"I'm flattered the royalty knows me…"
The king's gaze hardened. He sighed, as if disappointed with a child.
"You're weaker than I expected."
It was like an invisible blade.
A shiver ran through Lorn's body, and he vanished in an instant, reappearing meters ahead. His hands trembled, his eyes searched for an escape route. He tried to maintain his pride… but Aserion's presence made the air of the inferno feel lighter.
Lyssandrel shouted, without hesitation:
"Fall back. The mission is over."
No one understood. But they all obeyed.
Something in her voice… something in the way the world around seemed to shrink made them comply. One by one, they began to retreat, some still fighting scattered demons, but their eyes fixed on the king.
Aserion raised his sword, his eyes glinting with cruel irony. He walked slowly toward Lorn. And then he murmured, in a whisper that pierced the air:
"Listen, Lorn… For true demons, our power can be… mildly oppressive…" He spoke calmly, walking slowly. "But for insects like you…"
A faint smile crossed his lips.
"We are the end."
The sword came down.
No sound.
No explosion.
No light.
From meters away.
And Lorn was cleaved in two—his body splitting cleanly, as if it had never been whole. Life left him before he even fell.
At that moment, Bouros retreated into Jin. Like black smoke being sucked into his shadow.
Jin stumbled. His eyes dimmed, and he fell to his knees.
"Don't break again, kid…" Bouros' voice echoed in his mind, cold, sharp, almost compassionate.
Jin breathed heavily. The heat of the inferno seemed to fade. He stood, his eyes empty again, the suffocating pain in his chest, his thoughts spiraling, and kept running, alongside Kael and Marcus.
In the distance, they spotted the king's group.
Only a few meters separated them. But as they were about to meet…
"STOP! NOW!" Bouros screamed inside Jin, in complete desperation.
Jin froze. His eyes, though devoid of emotion, widened slightly. The mana blade slicing through the air before him was nearly invisible—thin as a spider's thread but capable of cutting a dragon in half.
King Aserion already saw them.
His eyes gleamed with something rare: interest.
"You've got a good eye… to notice that attack… But too late."
The queen glared at the king with severity.
"What are you doing, Aserion?"
The king responded with an indifferent look, not even glancing at her:
"A demon in a human body."
Lyssandrel retorted without hesitation:
"I see a desperate child, seeking help."
Eriane smiled.
"Mom's always so poetic…"
"We're going to save him, right?" Lyssandrel said, an order disguised as a question.
The silence grew heavy.
Aserion sighed.
Everyone stopped: Kaellia, Allan, Ziek, Eira, Lino, Saphira, Lyn, even Mireya. The battlefield sank into a stupor.
And then it happened.
The sound was dry, wet. Like leather tearing.
Blood gushed from Jin's mouth in grotesque waves. He coughed violently.
Jin stood there, a sword piercing his chest. Blood poured from his mouth. He vomited liters of blood.
Aserion held the sword with an indifferent gaze.
"You… could be a demon."
Eriane smiled like a child with a new toy.
"Your energy… it's as strong as my father's."
Kaeron stepped forward.
"But you're weak."
Marcus ran to the king, grabbing his arm in desperation.
"Hey, Aserion! What are you doing?!"
Kael seemed paralyzed.
"He… he's an ally!"
Jin tried to grasp the blade with his hand, but his fingers burned at the touch. The pain tore a choked scream from him, full of blood and rage.
Saphira ran desperately. Her eyes wide. Her screams spiraling.
Kaellia followed, her face twisted in terror.
Aserion merely murmured:
"Ashen Wolf. It's been a while…"
His eyes settled on Kael.
"You must be Jin… A bit different from what I imagined."
Saphira punched her father's arm with force.
"NO… NO, NO! TAKE THE SWORD OUT! HE'LL DIE!"
She sobbed, pulling at her father's arm in desperation. Jin bled like a broken fountain.
Kaellia fell to her knees.
"Please, Your Majesty… I beg you… remove the sword!"
Lyn, with tears, shouted:
"There's still time! We can heal him if you remove it now!"
The queen approached with firm steps, her eyes burning with contained fury.
"Remove the sword, Aserion."
He didn't respond. He just looked at Jin with disgust.
"This boy is a demon. We can't trust him."
Saphira screamed, desperate:
"I TRUST HIM! Papa… please…" her voice broke. "He's going to die… Jin's going to die…"
Kaellia, kneeling, pleaded:
"Please… please…"
The king yanked the sword out violently. Blood sprayed onto Saphira.
"If you care so much about the boy…"
And he turned his back.
But Jin pushed his hand away, coughing blood, and stood with difficulty.
He staggered, fighting against death. Each step was a silent scream.
His eyes turned to the queen.
Her expression was calm. The queen smiled at him. A warm, heartfelt, nostalgic smile.
Jin saw his mother in her place.
He took a few steps… and collapsed into the queen's arms, his face on her shoulder.
"He needs help!" Saphira screamed.
But the king turned again.
"Your aura… it's terrifying. We can't trust it."
And without warning, he approached and punched Jin in the stomach.
The impact cracked the air.
Jin flew. His body spun like a rag doll, crashing into the ground with a dull thud.
Everyone froze.
The group watched in absolute shock.
"Take them all out," the king ordered.
The four hundred members of the royal army moved like a single living wall, dragging everyone out of the rift by force.
Allan began knocking down guards with brute strength. Kaeron struck him, leaving Allan unconscious.
Saphira thrashed between the guards.
"JIN! JIN! NO!"
Kaellia sobbed, dragged away crying.
Lyn screamed:
"Please, someone… anyone… someone save him!"
Marcus and Kael, already exhausted, tried to resist with what little strength they had left.
Ziek, Eira, and Lino tried to break through the encirclement, attacking the king.
They were defeated in seconds. Like leaves crushed under boots.
Aserion merely watched.
The queen stared at him with contained fury:
"Satisfied, Aserion?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
She approached, fearless. Her eyes were blades.
"You just killed a child."
The king smirked, crookedly.
"He's big enough."
The dust hadn't yet settled when the last footsteps echoed at the rift's edge.
The group was dragged out—pushed, amidst screams and tears.
And in the center of that silent field, Jin remained.
Fallen.
Bleeding.
Alone.
His body twitched faintly, as if fighting against the pain that already consumed him entirely.
His blurred vision flickered, distorting sky and ground. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. The sounds around him seemed to come from underwater—distant, unreal.
Bouros appeared before him.
Or perhaps only in his mind.
His lips moved, urgent, distressed.
But Jin no longer heard anything.
The words died like ashes in the wind.
Everything around him wavered in shadows. The pain grew distant. His muscles relaxed against his will. And his eyes…
…oh, his eyes…
They began to grow heavy.
As heavy as the world crushing him.
The last thing he saw was the cracked sky above.
And then, silence.
Jin's eyes closed.
His body collapsed completely.
And the world…
…the world simply went on.
Collapsing around him.
Uncertain if Jin still breathed.
Uncertain if the maestro had fallen…
…or merely drifted to sleep before the end.