Chapter 19
Back at the center of the massive city.
Shockwaves erupted without warning. The sky twisted and warped unnaturally, the air shimmering as if reality itself was tearing.
A deafening boom ripped through the storm clouds, lightning crashing down in violent arcs.
Then a figure plummeted.
He crashed into the ground hard, pulverizing stone and street alike, dust and debris exploding upward. When the smoke finally cleared, Sorial stood there.
Barely.
He was in far worse condition than before. Thick gashes covered his entire body, blood soaking through torn flesh. His right arm was gone. Completely. His breathing was heavy, ragged, and his Radiance Core flickered weakly inside him.
It was thinning.
The devil was certain of it. Sorial would fall soon.
Sorial lifted his gaze.
The devil hovered in midair, perfectly still. Calm. Untouched. Every bit of damage Sorial had inflicted moments earlier was already gone, erased as if it had never existed.
It was unfair.
No. It was worse than that.
The abyss-like dagger in the devil's hand was coated in blood one second. The next, the blood vanished, sucked into the blade itself.
"Give up now, little Sorial," the devil said, voice calm and cool. "It's already decided. You should know you cannot win. Stop struggling."
Sorial glanced at the empty space where his arm used to be.
Then he looked back up.
His expression never changed.
"You," he said slowly, voice rough. "Must. Die. I will ensure that.
He moved.
In an instant, he was in front of the devil, sword already slicing toward his face. The devil barely managed to block it with a swing of his dagger, but it was too late.
A deep cut split across his handsome face.
The devil's expression twitched as he stared at Sorial.
For him to still be supplementing his domain, and moving with even greater ferocity than before, meant something was wrong.
No.
Realization struck.
His eyes widened slightly.
He is insane.
Sorial was no longer supplementing his Azura with light essence.
He was using his life essence.
That was not just reckless. That was beyond suicidal. It was the kind of thing no sane being would ever attempt.
And yet the proof was right there.
Blood dripped from the corner of Sorial's mouth.
His body screamed in agony, bones cracking, flesh tearing, life force draining rapidly. The pain was unbearable, but his determination drowned it out.
He had to end this now.
All at once. With everything he had left.
For the sake of the world.
For his wife.
For his children.
This devil had to die here and now.
Sorial roared.
The thunder answered.
He charged.
Meanwhile, far away, near the edge of the southern district.
Two small figures sprinted through the ruined city at full speed, forcing themselves to keep their footsteps as quiet as possible.
Their faces were pale, expressions bleak, breaths shallow as they turned another corner.
A demon stood there.
Its body was arched and bent in a twisted, unnatural posture.
Jarren and Gazel gulped.
Behind them, more demons were closing in. If they caught up, if they even realized where the two of them were, it would be over.
They did not have the strength to fight even one of them.
Their choices were simple.
Run.
Or die.
And neither of them planned on dying.
They rushed forward.
Gazel hurled his knife with everything he had. It spun through the air and slammed into the demon's head, snapping its gaze toward them.
"Oh crap," Jarren muttered. "Run."
They did not turn away.
They ran straight at it.
Jarren twisted and somersaulted.
As he landed, Gazel throw little Trent toward him and then hurled the knife toward the demon.
Jarren caught Little Trent and kept moving. Gazel slid under the demon's leg, rain splashing as his hand shot upward.
The psidian rune carved into his middle finger glinted.
The knife ripped out violently.
The force yanked the demon down, its roar shaking the street.
They did not stop to see if it stayed down.
They ran.
Hopefully they would find somewhere safe.
Minutes passed.
Oh crap. This is bad. Really bad.
Gazel's thoughts raced as he and Jarren tore through the deserted, ruined city. They moved fast, faster than they ever had before.
The maneuvering skills their father had drilled into them during training saved them again and again.
Luck had kept them alive so far.
But now it was running out.
The demons were catching up. Fast.
Closing the distance with every second.
A deep wound gaped across Jarren's neck, blood slick and dark.
Gazel glanced at it and immediately looked away, jaw tightening. That injury happened during the chase.
Because of him.
Rain slammed into them, heavy and relentless. Lightning cracked above with terrifying force.
Still, there was no sign of their mother. No sign of their father.
Not even their older sister.
They were still locked in their own battles, far away.
So it was up to them.
Survive. At least survive long enough for someone, anyone, to find them.
They spotted a building ahead, several of them still standing despite their crumbling sides. Not completely ruined. Not yet.
They rushed inside and slammed the door shut
Minutes later, over thirty demons flooded into the area.
They moved methodically, entering one building after another, tearing through everything in their path.
When they finally entered the same building Jarren and Gazel had chosen, the boys felt their hearts drop.
Inside was a massive altar surrounded by scattered fruit offerings.
A towering statue of a godlike man stood at the center of the room, stone eyes staring down in silence.
A place of worship.
The demons thrashed through it, destroying everything, searching for the children.
One demon walked past the altar.
Beneath it, two figures pressed their hands over their mouths, breath held tight. They could not afford to make a sound.
Not even one.
Slowly, painfully, the demons began to leave, the building reduced to near ruin.
Jarren almost sighed in relief.
Almost.
From the open wound on his neck, a single drop of blood slid down his finger.
It fell.
Clink.
The sound rang out far too loud in the silence.
That was not even the worst part.
Demons were highly sensitive to blood.
The scent drifted through the air and slipped straight into the nostrils of one of the departing demons.
Its red eyes flared.
It turned.
And charged.
It slammed into the altar with brutal force, stone cracking as it began to crumble.
"Damn it," Jarren cursed. "Run."
Gazel did not hesitate.
They bolted into a narrow tunnel hidden behind the altar, plunging into darkness. It led somewhere unknown, still inside the city or maybe out of it.
Neither option felt safe.
But staying was death.
The demons broke through minutes later.
They charged after the duo with maddening frenzy.
The boys found another massive double door and slammed it shut behind them, but Jarren already knew. The demons would smash through it. They always did.
So he had to act.
He scanned the room. Large wooden pillars held the structure together, groaning under the strain. The building still stood, but barely. One wrong move and everything would come down.
Jarren moved.
He wrapped metallic ropes around the pillars, choosing the weakest points first. One by one, he tied them together, then linked everything to the massive door.
Once the demons forced their way through, the tension would snap.
The pillars would fall.
The building would collapse.
And the demons would be crushed beneath it.
Jarren tightened the final rope, muscles screaming. He exhaled, chest heaving.
Then the door slammed inward.
The wood groaned. The pillars shook.
Jarren turned to Gazel, who already knew what he was about to say.
"Run."
They bolted.
The door exploded inward. Pillars cracked one after another. The ground trembled violently as the demons surged forward, right on their heels.
The exit was ahead.
Too far.
The floor split open, ready to swallow everything beneath it.
Jarren looked at the distance. Looked at the demons closing in.
Then he pressed something into Gazel's hand.
A piece of jade.
"That's my present for you," he said.
Gazel turned, about to speak.
Jarren slammed into him with everything he had.
Gazel flew forward, out of the collapsing tunnel. He hit the ground hard, rolling as he curled around Trent. Pain ripped through his body, but it did not matter.
He looked back.
The tunnel was collapsing fast.
Jarren would not make it.
Jarren met his gaze.
He smiled.
Warm. Gentle.
"Happy birthday, little brother."
"No!"
The tunnel collapsed.
Stone, wood, and screaming demons buried everything beneath them.
Jarren disappeared.
Gazel screamed, tears spilling uncontrollably as he clutched his chest.
Another Trystan was gone.
To Be Continued...