Chapter 26
"Hey, what's so special about hunting demons? I could do that endlessly without breaking a sweat."
Jarren raised his chin proudly.
Gazel smiled and shook his head. He was about to tease the boy when a pleasant female voice interrupted.
"Look. My cute child is home already."
Gazel did not need to turn.
He looked toward the woman holding a baby in her arms. The child opened his mouth, babbling incoherent sounds, small hands waving excitedly. Words failed him, but the intention was clear.
Welcome back.
Gazel smiled softly.
"How have you been, Trent?" he said. "It's good to be back."
"Hey. Why are you all catching up? I'm starving."
The voice was cheerful. Almost playful.
"Is it because of you again that dinner is delayed?"
The tone was light, almost teasing.
Gazel's blood froze.
Jarren froze too.
Standing beside Gazel had just placed him directly in danger. He reacted instantly, forcing a laugh, his voice tight with fear.
"Big sis is right. Dinner is the most important thing. Everything else can wait."
Soon they were all seated around the table.
Their father lifted his cup toward Gazel.
"Drink with me, son. Another glorious victory."
Gazel smiled as he looked around the table.
Then his smile faded.
He gripped the cup tightly and closed his eyes.
"I wanted nothing more than this," he whispered. "Nothing more than to drink with you. To sit here. To feel this."
His fingers trembled.
"But I can't."
He opened his eyes.
"You're all gone. This isn't real."
The world shattered.
The room emptied instantly. Chairs stood vacant. Plates vanished. Voices died. Gazel sat alone at the table, the silence crushing.
He crushed the cup in his hand.
With swift precision, he flicked a shard across the room.
It flew like a bullet.
The shard embedded itself into a firefly hovering near the wall. The creature was as large as an adult beetle, glowing with a reddish light. It trembled violently, then turned to ash.
Gazel did not look back.
Why would he?
This happened every day.
Fireflies. Minions sent by a powerful demon obsessed with trapping people in illusions built from their deepest desires. Anyone weak would have fallen instantly.
Gazel never did.
Not physically. Not mentally.
Still, knowing it was an illusion did not make it easier.
He had known the moment he stepped inside.
And yet, he let himself stay.
Because it was everything he wanted.
And could never have.
They were gone.
Dead. Forever.
Gazel exhaled slowly and moved to prepare his bed.
Soon he lay back on the bed, but he did not sleep. Not really.
Moonlight washed over Gazel's pale face. His blue eyes stared upward, shallow, empty of any visible emotion.
He missed them.
He missed all of them.
His father. His mother. The rest.
The pain of losing them never left. It lingered, haunting him even now. But he was done crying. He had hardened his heart long ago.
He knew what he had to do.
He had to grow stronger.
He had to take his revenge.
And more than that, he had to get Trent back.
He had to.
The path to power was never easy. He had hunted demons for years and survived every time by the thinnest margin. Each battle dragged him closer to death, carving scars into his body and mind. They made him stronger, yes, but he was not foolish.
There were demons far worse than the ones he faced weekly.
Higher ranked demons.
From everything he had learned, even one of them would be enough to turn him into a corpse. And not even leave that behind. He would be eaten.
Gazel exhaled slowly.
He grew stronger after every hunt. Part of it came from experience and near death fatigue. But most of it came from his ruin.
The power forced into him by that wretched devil.
It allowed him to absorb demon cores and boost his body beyond human limits. But he had no idea how far that path went. Or what waited at the end.
Not that he wanted to find out.
He was already struggling to restrain himself from acting like the monsters he hunted. From craving flesh and blood.
Gazel scoffed quietly.
Thinking of himself as a monster felt bitter. But it was the truth.
Still, he would end it.
Demons. Monsters. Cursed humans. Everything tied to that filth would be wiped out.
After he killed the devil.
The image of the devil bleeding at his feet stirred something sharp and dangerous inside him. A brief spark of joy.
It vanished just as quickly.
He knew the truth.
Surviving this long already meant he was lucky. Facing a higher ranked demon now would kill him. Facing the devil would be suicide.
He was still too weak.
He needed strength.
And he would get it.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a badge.
White. A shield and spear engraved at its center.
He had no idea what it was. Only that his father had kept it. That alone meant it was not ordinary.
He raised it, examined it, found nothing special.
For now.
With a quiet breath, he lowered it and closed his eyes again.
He was ready to sleep.
Then he frowned.
Something felt off.
He opened his eyes, his body suddenly heavier.
That was not what troubled him.
"Did the moon just change?" he muttered.
The moon was still white.
But for those who looked closely, it was glowing.
A faint golden light. Subtle. Undeniable.
A bad feeling crawled up his spine.
As the strange glow reflected in Gazel's blue eyes.
TO BE CONTINUED
Hey everyone don't forget the mass release goal.
200 Power stones give birth to one extra chap.
100 collection give birth to one extra chap.
10+ reviews give birth to one extra chap.
Vote and support the story.
It fuels the journey.
Hey everyone don't forget the mass release goal.
200 Power stones give birth to one extra chap.
100 collection give birth to one extra chap.
10+ reviews give birth to one extra chap.
Vote and support the story.
It fuels the journey.