Jade

  The air around us was thick with the smell of smoke, the scent of burning wood and flesh, as Emberes clashed with the demon. His attacks were swift, powerful—each blow landing with a force that should have shattered bones. But the demon? He barely flinched. It was like hitting a wall of solid stone. The more Emberes fought, the more the demon seemed to enjoy it, like a twisted game to him.

  "You've got your father's fire, I'll give you that," the demon taunted, his voice dripping with contempt. "But he was much stronger than you. Much stronger." He dodged another of Emberes' strikes with ease and landed a brutal punch to Emberes' chest, sending him sprawling to the ground.

  I could feel my stomach twist with every blow. Emberes had always been strong, resolute—nothing ever seemed to faze him. But here, against this demon, I could see the strain, the way he staggered under each attack. It was like the demon was teaching him a lesson, striking just hard enough to hurt, but never to kill. It was sickening.

  I took a step forward, wanting to help, but Thornton's hand shot out, stopping me. "Stay back," he whispered, his eyes never leaving the battle. "This isn't our fight yet."

  I nodded, clenching my fists as Emberes fought for his life.

  The demon didn't stop. He kept mocking Emberes, throwing him around like a ragdoll. "Your father didn't fall so easily," he continued, his voice cold and cruel. "He was a true challenge. Too bad you're not even close."

  Emberes' movements were slowing now, his breath ragged. With one final mocking smile, the demon unleashed a devastating blow—a punch to Emberes' ribs that sent him crashing to the ground, unconscious. His body went limp, and for a split second, I thought he might not get up. But the demon wasn't done.

  He laughed, low and dark, savoring the moment. "Pathetic. I thought this would be a challenge. Oh well. At least I have more of you to kill."

  With that, his attention shifted to us.

  Hue, Thornton, and I immediately fell into formation, our eyes locked on the demon. We knew what we had to do. There was no turning back now. Together, we attacked.

  Hue led the charge, his movements quick and precise, though the demon seemed unfazed. Thornton followed, his strikes more deliberate, more brutal, but it wasn't enough. No matter how hard we fought, the demon kept pushing us back, every move so fluid, so calculated. He wasn't just strong—he was toying with us, enjoying every second of this battle.

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  I could feel the power surging through me, something darker, something ancient. It was like the pendant the mysterious woman had given me was calling to me, its strange energy wrapping around my thoughts. I glanced down and saw it glowing a deep purple, its mana flowing freely. The air around me thickened, and for a brief moment, the demon stopped.

  His eyes narrowed, and for the first time, he seemed to acknowledge something greater than himself. "Liche power," he muttered, his voice low, almost reverent.

  The words sent a chill down my spine. That power, the power that awakens when I need it most , was now awake. It felt like the ground itself was shifting beneath us, the very air trembling as the mana surged through me.

  But even with this newfound strength, the demon didn't falter. He was still far stronger than the three of us combined.

  We fought as one—my mana, Thornton's raw physical strength, and Hue's unyielding will—but the demon seemed unstoppable. His taunts grew more venomous with each passing second.

  "You really think you can defeat me?" he sneered, swatting us aside like we were nothing more than pests. "You're all just weak little humans, playing at power that you can never control."

  I was running out of options. We were all running out of options.

  But then, something changed.

  Hue's eyes glowed a deep, dark blue—a shade I'd only seen in King Belfour. The energy that emanated from him was unlike anything I'd ever felt. My heart skipped a beat as I realized what was happening. It was royal mana—mana that only ran in the veins of kings, like King Belfour. Hue had royal blood.

  I was stunned. "We... we thought you didn't have royal blood," Thornton whispered in disbelief, as if reading my thoughts.

  The demon froze for a moment, his eyes widening in terror as he took in the sight of Hue's power. "No... It can't be," he growled. "You're not supposed to be alive! Not you!"

  The realization hit the demon like a physical blow, and he seemed to go mad with fury. His claws extended, his body crackling with dark energy. With a terrifying roar, he rushed at us again, more vicious than ever.

  But this time, something was different. We were fighting back harder. We were starting to push him back.

  The demon, desperate now, unleashed a final surge of power, his mana exploding outward in a devastating wave. The force of it tore through the already-burned village, sending debris and flames in every direction. The air crackled with the intensity of it all, the ground beneath us shaking.

  But then, something unexpected happened. Emberes—who had been lying motionless on the ground—stirred. His eyes opened, bloodied and bruised, but alive. With a grunt, he pushed himself to his feet, his hand gripping the hilt of his weapon.

  He wasn't out of this fight yet.

  With the demon distracted by his own surge of power, Emberes charged in, fury in his eyes, and in one fluid motion, he joined forces with us. Together, the three of us—the Liches—combined our strength with Emberes

  The demon barely had time to react before we struck, the power of four warriors now working as one. The final blow was swift, precise, and deadly.

  The demon let out a final screech as our combined might shattered him, his body crumbling into nothingness.

  For a moment, the world was silent.