Daevas -I- ✔️

Chapter 4.4: Desecration

Ari crept through the dark corridors of the temple. They had escaped the prison with surprising ease, which worried him. The man who once guarded the door had vanished. As he looked around, everything was shrouded in darkness, making it difficult to discern anything. Ari closed his eyes and listened, hearing footsteps above and water dripping from the ceiling. It was too quiet—far too quiet. Ari extended a hand, signaling Inge to stop.

"We should not go on the first floor. Something is wrong here," Ari said, uneasy.

"Demons, Ari. It is demons." Inge shifted Auovin's weight on his shoulder as he moved forward against Ari's reluctance.

"If Auovin is like this—" Ari stood in front of Inge making Inge exhale. "If he is like this, he cannot go up there."

"Would you rather us die here instead? Above, there are humans and they will do anything to protect this wretched place."

"Inge—"

"Oh, what? You worry for him now? Boo hoo you." Inge sniffed and carried on ahead up the stairs. "He is like this because of you, after all. You should feel responsible."

Ari's throat felt dry as he trailed silently behind them. Despite the secrets Freir and Rein had kept from him, he cared deeply about their safety. Ensuring they escaped before the demons arrived became his priority. Ari gazed at Auovin's back, then lowered his eyes, contemplating the implications of Inge's words. If what Auovin claimed was true, and Ari had indeed taken his blood, it meant something significant. Ari examined his hands, acknowledging he was not as he seemed to be. He swallowed hard, recognizing that, in order to learn the truth, keeping Auovin alive was essential. It left him with no choice but to prioritize the demon's safety as well.

As Ari reached the top of the stairs, he encountered a scene of chaos. A fire raged, ignited by a toppled candle, casting an eerie glow that revealed the lifeless bodies of Sanclii strewn across the floor. The floor was marred by the seeping blood of the fallen, and nearby ceeres lay dead, their stillness carrying an ominous weight. The sight threatened to consume Ari whole. He stepped back, stumbling onto a dying xem. He quickly rolled away to avoid its talons sinking into his arm.

Ari seized a sword from a fallen Sanclius' grasp and thrust it into the chest of a lurking xem in the shadows. More xems emerged, launching attacks, but Ari dodged them. Amid the chaos, he searched for Inge and Auovin. As he turned, a xem leaped onto his back, sinking its teeth into his flesh. Ari slammed his back into a nearby pillar, driving his elbow into the xem's face until it released him, black blood splattering across him.

"Inge!" Ari called out but he did not see them anywhere. The entrance, Ari thought.

He sprinted around the corner, halting at the unnerving sound of demons feasting on something. Peeking his head around the corner, Ari locked eyes with a demon whose appearance sent shivers down his spine. The creature possessed long, scraping nails, charred and decaying skin, with shreds of Sanclii flesh hanging from its teeth and claws. It was a grotesque sight, unlike any demon Ari had encountered before. The demon tilted its head, revealing a grin with a mouth full of jagged, blood-stained teeth.

Without hesitation, the demon charged, emitting a spine-chilling screech. Ari swung his sword with force, beheading the creature in a single stroke. Another demon quickly followed, attacking Ari, who split it in two with a powerful swing. The gruesome scene around him threatened to overwhelm Ari as he glimpsed dozens of Sanclii torn apart, surrounded by a sea of demon bodies. He fought to suppress the urge to vomit, covering his mouth to shield himself from the repulsive sight.

"Auovin!" Ari cried out weakly, his eyes stinging from the smoke and blurred with tears. He ran a shaky hand through his hair, feeling a deep sense of hopelessness and dread enveloping him.