THE ATMOSPHERE inside the car was undeniably heavy. Xurden looked straight at the front while Yric closed his eyes, leaning his head to the window. The younger guy wasn’t asleep. He stayed quiet because he was also tired. He’s tired not because he needs to rest, it’s something else.The silence was deafening as if the motor sound also faded away. Sebastian tapped his fingers on the steering wheels. His heart was pumping hard, like it was going to pop if no one was going to break the ice. In the end, he decided he would do it and he would just deal with Xurden’s anger. He thought of something to say and there’s one thing he forgot to do. He smiled a little and opened his mouth.“Boss,” he said carefully, looking at the rearview mirror.Xurden glanced at his assistant without moving his head. “What?” he growled.“I forgot to tell you about the other night,” he started before Xurden exploded. He even waited for a second, but seeing that Xurden wouldn’t say anything, he continued. “They w
DARK FLAMES exploded from the demon’s hand in a second. It spread too fast, covering everything. Xurden jumped back as his two henchmen charged at the demon, letting go of the clipboard that melted to the fire before it fell to the floor. The demon spread the dark flames even more so the two couldn’t get close right away. They put their hands in front to block the fire as they approached the demon. But the flames had a powerful force pushing the two to their feet. The demon clapped his hands afterward to fill the entire office with dark flames. The darkness also hid his whole body, making it hard for them to see.Xurden changed the weapon on his hand to a spear and threw it toward the demon. The spear hit something, but it wasn’t the demon. The demon already disappeared as the spear slipped through the flames before it pierced the table. He became more alert when everyone shouted hysterically. The dark flames ate everything, even the thickest iron. Before it was too late to save anyon
XURDEN had been restless ever since they left the university. His mind wouldn’t settle down. He kept on thinking about what happened these past few days to him after meeting Yric again. His urge to know everything about the younger guy grew more. He felt like if he didn’t do it that day, his head would explode. He stood by the window in the living room looking at Yric watering the plant in the small front yard. Since he couldn’t get an honest answer directly from Yric, he needed to move on his own.Sebastian came out from the hallway together with Marco. The two had this blank expressions on their faces.“We’re here, boss,” Sebastian exclaimed as they approached Xurden.Xurden shifted his attention from the younger boy to his henchmen. He looked straight them in the eyes.“Did you find where Yric was born?” he asked, putting his other hand in his pocket.“Yes. It’s a small town,” Sebastian answered. “We’ve been there before. Do you remember the town near the lake? The one with the big
THE TWO-STOREY HOUSE looked dead from the outside. Its walls were darkening and covered in crawling large vines. Weeds had grown tall in the front yard, blocking the pathway. Many years had passed since the last time someone set foot on its door. No one dared from the town entered the house. They believed that the house was haunted and cursed. The old man from the gas station forgot to tell them about the story of the house held. It didn’t matter anyway, since there was nothing out of the ordinary. Negative energy wasn’t present in that house, even though it was abandoned for a very long time. It made Xurden doubt if he could find something in there that would help in revealing Yric’s real identity. He was desperate to stop his mind from being restless because of Yric.Xurden signaled his head at his assistant without sparing a word. Marco understood his command and moved toward the door, parting the tall weeds. His henchman made a path for him to take. They approached the house in si
TO ESCAPE, the grueling state of Yric, Xurden went to a bar for some drink. He couldn’t do it in his own house since Yric had not stopped crying. It had been a couple of hours and yet he was still pouring out his tears that seemed like not going to end. He left him with his two henchmen so he would be fine.Calm music played in the air, filling the whole place. Since he went to the bar, he had not moved from the table in the corner where he sat, far from the eyes of the others who went there. The low light from the ceiling also helped to hide his face. He hated going there, but he didn’t have a choice. There was no room in his house where he couldn’t hear Yric’s cry.He looked at the golden liquor in the glass he was holding. It reminded him of his life before in the first realm. The glistening gold reflecting the light was a sign of his status and glory. He could take it all back once he caught every demon on his list. The only thing he needed to do in reaching that goal was not to p
THE UTENSILS clanged as Xurden prepared the table. He cooked a lot that almost filled the dining table. The smell of the food wafted in the air, making him more hungry. It was the first time he had made different dishes for no reason. He just felt like doing it that evening. It was already dark outside when his stomach growled and he would eat more than before. His appetite became high. Eating everything on the table would not be a problem. Thinking hard drained him, which made him not leave his office for many hours. He stood confidently when he put the last dish and looked at his preparation. The dishes looked so good to his eyes that boosted his confidence more. As he folded the sleeve of his shirt until his elbow, Sebastian arrived looking like a vocalist of a rock band. His assistant wore tight leather pants and a black jacket. Sebastian came from the door, exhaustion was showing on his face. They had been working non-stop after the incident on the island.“What’s the occasion?”
THE CURATOR brought them to a room filled with boxes of different sizes. Xurden heard a growl from a bigger box, which he ignored. They displayed a few of the artefacts atop the boxes, where Marco fixed his eyes. The artifacts emanated undeniable charm that could make a normal human being weak on their knees. The purple-haired man stopped beside the small boxes of potion in the very middle of the room, facing the two.“Take your pick,” the curator said happily, opening the small boxes one by one. The light coming from the ceiling cast a glint to the vials inside. He still glued a smile on his lips. He looked like a crazy person as the time passed.“We don’t want any of the potions,” Xurden told the curator. He spoke clearly and heavily. “I want a distinct thing.”“My guess is right, then. You don’t like you need potions anyway,” the curator said. With a wave of his, the small boxes closed on their own. “What is that you really want?”“I can’t answer you. I know you have everything her
WHEN XURDEN went back home, he took a shower. The cold water drenched his muscular body. But that didn’t take away the heat he felt at that moment. No matter how low he lower the temperature, it didn’t help even a little. He no longer knew what was wrong with him. Maybe the demon had something to do with it. He couldn’t remember though if the demon put something on his neck while his back was on him.There was no other explanation that he could find. He couldn’t think of any other reason than the demon’s breath was poisonous.As every second passed, he felt colder, even though he was hot all over his body. That’s when he realized he was already sick. He didn’t get sick even once, but at that moment it was happening. That’s why he was confused. He concluded that the demon really made him sick. He closed his mouth to repress his moan because of the cold. His muscular body was shaking. The pouring water on his back muffled his grunt.In the end, he hurried out of the shower, grabbing the