CHAPTER SIX
THE DEMON KING WHO WAITED FOR HER
by C.G
John was surprised to see his boss smiling as he looked at the food Linah had brought. It was rare—almost unheard of. Mako finished only a few bites when a strange sensation washed over him. The air around him shifted, and suddenly he heard whispers echoing through the invisible bond between him and Linah.
His expression darkened.
Something was wrong.
Linah was in danger.
Mako grabbed his car keys, ready to leave at once, but before he could move, the atmosphere around him grew heavy—thick with an ancient power he had not felt in centuries. Time itself seemed to pause. Shadows gathered, twisting unnaturally, and from them emerged a familiar presence.
She did not walk—she appeared.
Her feet never touched the ground. Her eyes burned with knowledge not meant for mortals. A slow, knowing smile curved her lips, as though she had been waiting for this moment all along.
"Long time no see," she said softly.
"The Demon King."
Mako froze.
Only those who dwelled in the underworld dared to call him by that name.
He turned to face her, recognition flashing in his eyes. Before he could ask the many questions burning in his mind, her smile faded, replaced by sadness—mixed with hatred.
"What do you want from me, woman?" Mako snapped impatiently. "You chose the wrong time. I have somewhere to be."
She laughed, but the sound carried pain, sorrow, and bitterness.
"For her," she said, her voice sharp. "You sacrificed everything. You abandoned your throne, your destiny—your world. Tell me, Demon King… is she really worth it?"
Mako's eyes darkened.
"My heart is heavy," she continued. "It should have been me, not her. The war has already begun. What I cannot have, she will not have either."
She turned as if to leave.
In a flash, Mako appeared before her, his hand closing around her neck. The ground trembled beneath his power.
"What did you do to her?" he growled. "Where is my Linah? Speak now, or I will destroy everything in your path."
She struggled for breath until Mako finally released her. She collapsed, coughing violently, then laughed weakly.
"Kill me if you wish," she said. "It will change nothing. Someone far mightier than me wants her dead. If he killed her once, nothing will stop him from killing her again."
Mako's heart pounded.
"I hate you," she continued, her voice trembling, "but listen carefully. Never set foot near the gate of the underworld. Some truths are meant to remain buried. Dig too deep, and even you will not survive."
She met his eyes one last time.
"Goodbye, Demon King."
And then she vanished.
Mako stood frozen, his mind racing. He understood where she came from—but her words disturbed him deeply. Someone stronger than her? Someone who had already killed Linah in her previous life?
Now he knew the truth.
Linah's death had not been an accident.
The phone rang sharply, breaking his thoughts. It was the butler.
When Mako heard that Linah had collapsed, his heart shattered. Guilt flooded him. He blamed himself—his closeness to her had drawn dangerous eyes in her direction.
He vowed silently to protect her at all costs.
By the time he arrived at the hospital, he stood silently by the window, watching Linah lying motionless on the bed. Her pale face broke something deep inside him.
"I swear," he whispered, "I will avenge everyone who dares hurt you."
Inside the ward, Linah's eyes slowly fluttered open. A white ceiling greeted her—unfamiliar and cold. Machines beeped steadily, their sounds sending panic through her chest. She tried to move, but her body felt heavy, distant, as if it no longer fully belonged to her.
A nurse noticed her stirring and rushed forward.
"Easy," the nurse said gently. "Ma'am, you're awake. You had a severe panic attack."
Linah frowned.
"A panic attack?"
Her voice shook. "I… I don't remember anything."
It felt as though someone had erased a part of her memory. Instinctively, she touched the bracelet on her wrist, and a strange comfort settled over her.
She asked to be discharged. Her new job was waiting, and she didn't want to ruin her future. The butler arrived, and soon she was taken home.
Back at the hospital, Mako turned away from the window, his jaw clenched, his eyes burning with resolve.
"If the truth is buried beneath the underworld," he whispered,
"then I will walk into hell itself and bring it back."
The air shifted once more, and the mysterious woman's voice echoed around him.
"Demon King, please don't go," she pleaded. "The underworld will not spare you a second time."
"Who is behind all this?" Mako demanded. "Tell me his name. Now."
Silence followed.
"I cannot," she finally said. "If I speak his name, he will hear."
Mako's expression hardened.
"No one will stop me," he said coldly. "No matter where the truth is hidden—I will find it."
---
END OF CHAPTER SIX