And then—
A pale face.The same woman.
But now she lay weakly in bed, her skin almost translucent
warm with love
Her words carried sorrow—yet overflowed with tenderness, the kind of love that could outlast time itself.
Meanwhile — outside Joseph’s Room in the mansion!
David stepped out of the room. His face was grim
Thomas immediately rose from where he had been pacing the corridor. His voice came urgent, laced with concern.
David paused, silent at first. He drew in a deep breath before forcing out a reply.
Thomas leaned in, brow furrowed.
His tone wasn’t interrogative—it was a plea for clarity, tangled with unease.
David’s eyes darkened. His voice dropped to a low murmur.
Thomas blinked, confused.
Thomas turned away, staring into the distance. His expression hardened, shadows deepening across his face.
David’s instincts flared at those words. He turned sharply, eyes narrowing.
Thomas met his gaze steadily, no fear in his eyes.
He paused.
David pressed further, suspicion clear.
Thomas exhaled slowly, a faint, almost resigned smile touching his lips.
Thomas’s voice deepened, carrying both pride and sorrow.
A thunderclap
The revelation struck harder than the storm.
David’s pupils dilated, shock spreading across his face.
He turned away, voice lowering.
A flicker of grief crossed his face—but only for a heartbeat. He masked it quickly, as though loss had long become his companion.
Inside the chamber, Joseph’s body trembledrose and fell rapidlycrimson poolunnaturally blackvenom
The man beside him was working desperately, pouring energyforcing the bleeding to stop
Inside Joseph’s mind, the storm raged.
broken television screen.
And then—
His surroundings shifted.
He stood in a vast bedroom.curled in the corner
Joseph’s chest tightened.
The door creaked.solid smoke.shadowblack mist
deep and hollow.
The shadow knelt, lifting the child effortlesslysoftenedlimpbewitched into sleep.
Joseph, unseen, followed. His fists clenchedvast, ornateancient carvingsglimmering crystal torches.
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At the far end, another figure awaited them. Tall. Muscular. Towering in authority.darkness so thick it swallowed light.
The boy was laid gently on the bed. The imposing figure sat beside him, a heavy silence
authoritysorrow.
Joseph strained to hear the name, but his head split with a screeching painnails scraping iron.
SKRRRTTT—!
The towering man placed his palm over the boy’s eyes.
Light burst forth.Crimson flameswhite
Joseph’s fury ignited.thundered.
He lunged forward, but his hands passed through the figures like mist.nothing but smoke.Desperation clawed
The smaller shadow turned, its smoky face flickering.glimpsed it.Recognition jolted
The memory clicked.froze.
It was the same mansame man
But the light devoured the vision.yanked backwardvoid.
A voice echoed, calm and resonantabsolute command.
The sound vibrated into Joseph’s very bones
The voice was perfect blend of — love, warmth, majestic, undeniable, divine.
Joseph start falling in nothingness.
Joseph crashed into a watery surface belowshattering it like fragile ice.collapsed.
Reality snapped back.
Joseph’s body jolted uprightviolent thrustlightning surgingchest heaved.vision swam.
But he saw him — the man standing beside his bed.
His rage erupted.shot forward
His voice ripped through the storm outside.
THUNDER CRACKEDshaking the windows.
David and Thomas rushed in
The man, calm and composedbetrayed sorrow
Joseph froze.
YOUNG MASTER!
The shadow in his memory had called the boy that, too.
His thoughts struck like lightning.
His grip tightenedshaking with fury and betrayal.
He tried to stand, but his knees buckled
David darted forward
Joseph shoved him awaybreaking
His eyes burned
His voice crackedpain deeper than any wound.
David’s heart sank.
Before he could finish, the man finally spoke, his tone solemn.
unwavering.
He bowed his head.
Joseph’s grip falteredrage in his eyes did not fade.
Lazarus’s voice carried calm authoritytwisted with disgust.
venomous.
Before Lazarus could reply, a new voice rolled through the chamberecho that made the air itself vibrate.
The sound made every head turn. From the far corner of the room, thick smoke coiled and writhedhumanoid form.
Horned silhouette. Broad shoulders.pressed down like an invisible weight.solidifiedemerged — cloaked in darknesspowerful.
The Demon General.
Thomas’s instincts flared.fiery sigils blazedcircling him in arcs of crimson light.tighteneddancing at his fingertips
But David lifted a handsharp and cautious
The smoke-faced Generalsteady and grave.
Joseph stiffenedinstinctively moving
The General’s eyes narrowedsharpening.
His gaze darkened.
ARTIFACT: Ancient relics of immense power, forged in the forgotten wars between Greater Existence. Each artifact contains a fragment of divine or demonic essence, unstable and volatile. When used, it can alter life and death itself, but at a cost — the wielder’s body, soul, or destiny may be forever changed.
The General’s words rang like a death sentence.
Joseph staggered back slightlyjaw clenchingteetering between fury and disbelief.
thunderedheaving.trembling fingercracking with fury
David’s head loweredshame weighing
Lazarus, however, remained unshakenunbrokenweight of guilt
The General, unsurprisedinclined his head slightly.softenedoppressive.
The smoke thinnedsharp, war-hardened features.glowed faintlyotherworldly hue.
The revelation struck like lightning.
Joseph’s breath caught.fists clenched tighter.General of the Demon Realmnot with malice, but urgency.
wavered
Azryel’s expression hardenedflickering across his face.
His tone grew sharp, commanding.
His gaze locked with Joseph’s
The night had opened its gatespromised no mercycrucible by which men would either be broken… or reforged into something far greater.
And as forgotten memories clawed their way back to the surfacepower buried deep within stirredrestlesshungrystraining against its cage.
And somewhere in the dark, destiny itself held its breath.