Silence filled the air, occasionally punctuated by the crunch of leaves and cry of a distant owl. The deeper the group went, the thicker the trees and grasses grew. However, there was no demonic trace, no strange footsteps or scattered leaves.
Code exhaled, cold air blowing out of his lungs. His eyes were getting dizzy, taking him all he could to keep them wide open. Complaints began to drift in from behind. "Gods, my legs are killing me," a man groaned. Hours passed, and the sun began to set, casting pale glows through the overhead canopies. And still, there was nothing to be found.
"Is there even a demon?" someone whispered.
"We should've seen signs by now if there really was."
"I'm exhausted."
Code glanced ahead at Ran and Kael. Their faces had hardened, they also seemed to be concerned. 'Wait…' An unwanted thought crept into Code's mind. 'Low- and mid-class demons usually stay near forest edges. If we've come this deep without a trace...' He forced the idea away and kept walking.
More time passed, and the moon had already begun to shine, casting a silver glow upon their faces.
"You know what?" One of the sorcerers in black cloak, Lyra, snapped, stopping dead. The whole group halted and turned to her.
"There's no demon here. We're just wasting time!" she shouted.
"Maybe a little farther," Kael said evenly.
"Ridiculous!" the leader of the cloaked, Dane, barked. "It's almost dark! There's nothing!"
Ran raised a hand. "Keep your voice down. You'll attract something worse than nothing." But his caution only led to something worse.
"There's nothing here, goddamn it!" Alric, another member screamed. "The villagers must've lied to you!"
"Impossible!!" Ran shot back. "They wouldn't lie about a demonic attack!"
"I'm done!" Dane yelled.
"Same," Lyra and Alric said at once.
"This is suicide," Johan snarled, jabbing his staff at Ran. "If you want to die, then do it alone."
Code stayed quiet beside Elara, arms crossed as he watched the scene unfold. "Man, free drama like this is better than any show," he said. Elara who stood beside him hadn't moved or spoken, she just kept watching.
The shouting escalated into a hot argument until Kael couldn't take it anymore. He stepped forward and slammed his palms together once, the sharp crack echoing like a gunshot, as birds exploded in every direction. The forest fell silent instantly.
Code blinked in awe. "Damn," he muttered.
Kael placed a heavy hand on Ran's shoulder, and they exchanged a few low words, then he turned back to face the group.
"We've decided," he said, voice deep and commanding. "Anyone who wants to leave is free to go. But understand this, the village pays only for the demon's head. No completion means no coin. If you walk away now, you'll get nothing."
"What the fuck's that?!" Alric protested.
"What of the walking we did?!" Dane grumbled, exhaling heavily, as he rested his back against a tree. Lyra tapped his shoulder, "oh... leader," she said in concern.
"Make your choice now," Kael replied flatly.
The decision took less than a minute. Four were turning back, while six remained.
"Tch. My life's worth more than your suicide pact," Alric spat as his group disappeared into the trees.
"Don't scream too loud when it eats you," Dane called back. "No one's coming to save you."
The forest fell silent again.
Code's head bowed, as he hid his delighted grin. "That's more...!" He beamed.
Ran walked to him and tapped Code's back as he rose up, avoiding eye contact in an attempt to hide his joy. "Honestly thought you'd be the first to bail," Ran said.
Code gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah… haha."
Ran clapped him on the shoulder. "Guess I shouldn't have doubted you."
Kael cleared his throat. "We're six now, so we'll need a tighter formation. Swords and battle specialists surround the healers, we cannot lose our only support." He glanced at Elara who gave a slight nod.
"One last time," Kael said. "If anyone wants to leave, now's the time!!"
A soft nightwind howled through the leaves, but no one budged.
Code clenched his jaw. 'I'm not going back with nothing.'
"Ok then, Ran, lead the way!" Kael ordered.
"Alright," Ran took point. "Fucking bastards!" He rasped, punching a nearby trunk in frustration, and froze when a wet thud answered back.
"Huh?" Code blinked.
"Wa-was that me?" Ran asked, voice cracking in unbelief. "M-maybe I've finally awakened my powers," he whispered delightedly, staring at his fist. But he was wrong. Because the thud came again, this time, louder. The ground tremored beneath their boots as leaves rained downwards.
Code's breath hitched. "What the hell is that?"
Kael's face darkened. "Something's coming," he announced, turning towards the sound, and almost immediately...
SMASH!
Something massive collided with a tree metres away.
Code stumbled back. "What the—"
Ran staggered, eyes wide with horror as he dropped his fist, and stared at the tree.
Pinned to its trunk was an human body, broken, mangled, and twisted beyond recognition. His face was battered in, legs crushed, arms shattered, blood pouring out of every wound.
His face was barely recognizable, but still obvious; it was Dane.
His eyes were still open and twitching, and his cracked lips gradually parted and kept repeating the same word.
"De… de… mon…"
Code clamped a hand over his mouth, heart racing and threatening to burst.
Then came the thud again, shaking the forest to the ground. The forest itself seemed to hold its breath.
"Demon," Ran whispered.
"Yeah," Kael replied grimly.
"De... de... mon..."