93. Flash back..
No one slept in Brooks Mansion.
Not Adrian.
Not Liana.
Not Aiden.
Not Chloe.
Not even Kyron.
Everyone sat awake all night, terrified to even blink.
Every shadow felt alive.
Every creak sounded like that thing returning.
But Maximilian…
He didn't sleep because he couldn't.
He sat alone in his office, rage burning silently in his chest, eyes bloodshot, mind replaying every second of that demon's whisper.
---
THE NEXT MORNING — COLLEGE CHAOS --
Aiden and Chloe dragged themselves into campus the next morning, exhausted, irritated, sleep-deprived.
But the moment they stepped out of the car, the noise hit them like a brick.
Gasps.
Whispers.
Excited shrieks.
Chairs scraping.
Footsteps running.
Aiden rubbed his temples.
Chloe groaned.
Girl: "OH MY GOD—did you SEE HER TODAY!?"
Boy: "Red dress—RED—BRO SHE'S AN ANGEL—A DAMN ANGEL."
Girl 2: "The way her hair moved in the wind—OH MY GOD—did you see—did you SEE—"
Boy 3: "Her eyes. HER EYES LIDS. Even the way she blinked was majestic!!"
Girl 3: "I swear when she walked past me, I literally ascended for a moment."
Someone else: "She said 'good morning' to Liz. I'm jealous. I want her to tell ME good morning."
The praise was endless.
The obsession—worse than yesterday.
Aiden and Chloe stood in the middle of the hallway, staring at the chaotic swarm of students like two exhausted souls watching humanity collapse.
Chloe: "Aiden… who the hell is this 'divine goddess'? I swear I will scream."
Aiden: "I don't know. And I no longer care. I just want coffee and sleep."
They ignored the hysteria and dragged themselves to their separate classes.
---
MEANWHILE — THE GODDESS EVERYONE WORSHIPS..
Marcelline sat quietly in her classroom.
She didn't hear the whispers.
Didn't sense the stares.
Didn't notice the chaos she was causing.
Because her mind wasn't in St. Lumina.
It was back in the forest,
back when she was 15,
back when she first tasted real fear
and real bloodlust.
Her breath slowed.
Her pupils shrank.
And the memory hit her like a blade—
Dark. Violent. Terrifying.
The forest had been peaceful.
She had been laughing that day—
barefoot, hair wild, cheeks flushed from running with the three beasts she loved most.
Leo — golden lion, huge and protective.
Paradus — black panther, sleek and lethal.
Alpha — ancient werewolf, towering and loyal.
All three were over 150 years old—
veterans of war
killers of demons
legends among beasts.
And she was their little sister.
Their joy.
Their pride.
Their responsibility.
They ran until their legs trembled, then collapsed in laughter and exhaustion under a giant oak tree deep in the jungle.
Leo nuzzled her hair.
Paradus stretched lazily.
Alpha lay beside her like a warm mountain.
Everything was peaceful—
Until the air suddenly froze.
The wind died.
Birds stopped singing.
The temperature dropped so fast their breaths turned to white fog.
Elli stiffened.
Her heart hammered against her ribs.
Leo rose instantly, muscles tense.
Paradus snarled.
Alpha's eyes glowed icy blue.
They felt it.
All of them.
Something old… something dark… something coming.
Elli whispered, voice shaking:
"Not again…"
Because since childhood—
demonic entities hunted her.
Small ones.
Weak ones.
One or two at a time.
Her brothers always protected her.
Always won.
But this time…
The ground trembled.
The forest dimmed unnaturally.
And then—
The shadows moved.
One.
Ten.
Twenty.
A hundred.
Then a thousand.
Until the entire jungle filled with glowing red eyes rising from the darkness like a living nightmare.
The entire demonic army… came for one girl.
Paradus: "Impossible…"
Leo's mane bristled.
Alpha bared his teeth so hard they cracked.
The three beasts formed an impenetrable circle around Elli, growling with such fury the earth vibrated.
Leo roared:
"Stay behind us!"
She nodded, terrified.
And the army charged.
---
Demons erupted from the shadows—
long limbs
rotting faces
jagged teeth
black blood dripping like tar.
The beasts launched forward.
Leo tore five apart with a single swipe.
Paradus slashed through them like a flash of black lightning.
Alpha crushed demons beneath his claws and ripped throats with ancient rage.
Elli fought too—
small sword in hand
movements quick
determined
fear trembling in her veins.
For every demon they killed, ten more replaced it.
Blood splattered the mud.
Black bodies piled like broken dolls.
The beasts fought like monsters straight out of hell—
But they were tiring.
Already exhausted from their long run.
Leo roared in pain when a claw sliced deep into his side.
Paradus limped, dripping blood.
Alpha's breathing grew ragged.
But they still refused to fall.
They still shielded Elli with their bodies.
Finally—
after a long brutal hour—
the demon forces reduced.
One by one, the beasts cut them down until nothing but twitching corpses remained.
They were panting.
Bleeding.
Shaking.
But alive.
Victorious.
Leo nudged Elliot's cheek weakly.
Paradus purred, collapsing beside her.
Alpha exhaled deeply, lowering his huge frame.
They smiled at each other—
exhausted but relieved.
It was over.
Or so they thought.
The wind died again.
The world fell silent.
Elli felt it first—
A cold so deep it cut through her bones.
A darkness so ancient it paralyzed her lungs.
Her knees gave out.
She collapsed, trembling violently.
Leo roared.
Paradus's eyes widened in pure rage.
Alpha stepped in front of her protectively, fur standing on end.
A voice—deep, guttural, wrong—echoed through the forest:
"…Found you."
The trees bent toward a single direction.
The shadows peeled open.
And a towering demonic figure stepped out—
Tall as three men.
Skin like cracked obsidian.
Veins glowing sickly green.
Eyes burning with hunger.
The last entity they fought was nothing compared to this.
This one…
was a king.
A hunter.
A nightmare born for one purpose—
To eliminate her.
Leo snarled:
"I'll rip that bastard apart."
Paradus hissed something darker, promising torture beyond death.
Alpha growled:
"We hang its head for the rest."
Elli trembled.
Her brothers surrounded her, forming a living wall.
The demon moved—
faster than lightning.
And the fight began.
---
This wasn't a fight.
This was survival.
Leo lunged and was thrown through multiple trees.
Paradus leaped but was slammed into the ground so hard the earth cracked.
Alpha bit into its arm—
but the creature grabbed him by the throat and flung him aside like trash.
They were strong—
but they were already tired.
And the demon was fresh.
Ruthless.
Unending.
Hours passed.
Hours of—
screams
cracking bones
tearing flesh
black blood spraying
the forest shaking
Leo collapsed, bleeding heavily.
Paradus staggered, legs buckling.
Alpha coughed blood, barely standing.
Elli saw them fall—
one by one—
and something in her snapped.
Fear
turned to agony
turned to fury
turned to murderous rage so sharp it cut through the universe.
Her voice broke:
"DON'T TOUCH THEM!"
The demon turned—
and she saw her brothers lying on the ground, bloody and unconscious.
Her heart split.
And in that moment—
Her aura changed.
---
Her pupils turned to molten gold.
Black cracks spread across her skin like lightning.
Wind coiled around her, forming a vortex.
The ground beneath her feet burned.
Paradus, half-conscious, whispered hoarsely:
"…She awakened…"
The demon paused—
even it felt fear.
But too late.
Elli picked up Leo's massive sword—
a 50-kg beast forged for a lion king—
and lifted it like it was weightless.
Her 15-year-old voice was ice:
"You touched what's mine."
She moved—
faster than sound.
And sliced its entire arm clean off.
The demon shrieked in agony.
The forest shook from the cry.
The beasts stared—
shocked, terrified, proud.
Elli marched forward, relentless.
The demon attacked.
She dodged.
She struck.
They clashed for two hours straight.
Neither willing to back off.
Neither able to overpower the other.
Elli bled.
The demon bled.
But then—
It did something unforgivable.
Instead of finishing the fight—
it turned
and stabbed Alpha through the chest.
Leo screamed.
Paradus roared.
Elli's heart shattered.
Her scream tore through the heavens:
"NOOOO!"
And she unleashed her final strike—
a blow infused with fury, pain, and awakened demonic power—
CUTTING THE ENTITY CLEAN IN HALF.
Silence.
Black blood splattered everywhere.
Her brothers lay unconscious.
And Elli fell to her knees, chest heaving, tears mixing with demon blood.
She crawled to them, trembling hands touching their faces.
"Leo… Paradus… Alpha… wake up… please…"
For a moment, she thought she lost them.
But faint breaths
weak heartbeats
and slight twitching told her—
They survived.
Barely.
The entity's two halves twitched on the ground.
Then—
it reformed.
And vanished.
A coward's escape.
Elli's fists clenched.
Her breath trembled.
She won.
But she was shaking.
Injured.
Terrified.
And changed forever.
---