Marcus/Rocco
The scream echoed again. Distant. Sharp. Human.
Every conversation stopped instantly.
Seraphina moved first.
"Location?"
Riley was already pulling her phone out. "South forest road near the
lower district."
Another scream cut through the storm. Closer this time. My stomach
tightened slightly.
"We move now," Seraphina said.
Nobody argued.
Rain hammered against us the second we stepped outside.
Cold wind tore through the trees surrounding the cliffside path while
thunder rolled somewhere far overhead.
The atmosphere itself felt wrong tonight. Heavy. Like the storm was
pressing down on the entire town.
We moved quickly through the forest trail. Noah adjusted the grip on his
tonfas while jogging beside me.
"You think it's another group attack?"
"I hope not."
"Wow. Inspiring."
I ignored him mostly because I was thinking the same thing. The bracelet
pulsed faintly against my wrist. Warm. Restless.
Ever since yesterday's meditation, it hadn't fully settled again. And
every now and then, I felt it.
The strange sensation. Like someone standing just behind me. Watching.
I glanced back instinctively. Nothing there. Just rain. Trees and
darkness.
"You good?" Riley asked quietly beside me.
"Yeah."
She narrowed her eyes slightly. "That sounded fake."
"Thanks."
Another scream echoed ahead. Then-
Silence.
The kind that made your chest tighten.
Seraphina raised one hand sharply. We stood immediately. The forest
around us had gone still. Too still.
Even the insects were quiet.
"That's not normal," Noah muttered.
"No kidding."
Then the smell hit me. Rot and burning flesh. Something sour underneath.
Familiar.
My heart beat quickened instantly.
I knew that smell.
Aldo.
No. not exactly him, but connected.
"You feel it?" Callie asked quickly.
I nodded slowly. "Yeah."
This felt stronger than any lesser demon we'd fought before.
Seraphina's expression hardened. "Stay alert."
That was all she said. But the way her hand tightened around her sword
told me enough.
She felt it too.
We pushed deeper into the forest. Then the trees opened. My chest
immediately tightened.
Bodies. Three of them. Scattered near the roadside.
Not mutilated, just… wrong. Still. Empty-eyed. Like life had been ripped
out violently.
Riley stopped moving behind us. "Oh my God…"
Noah's joking attitude vanished instantly.
Even Callie's expression darkened slightly.
Then I noticed something else.
No blood. Barely any signs of struggle. Just destruction. Tree
shattered. Road cracked. Like something overwhelmingly powerful had moved
through here casually.
"This wasn't lesser demon work," Callie whispered.
No. definitely not.
The bracelet suddenly burned sharply against my wrist. Pain flashed
through my arm instantly. I grabbed it automatically.
And then for half a second, I saw him.
Silver hair. Standing between the trees. Watching me. Golden eyes
glowing faintly through the storm.
Chains hanging loosely from pale wrists.
My breath caught. I blinked and he was gone.
"Marcus?"
Riley's voice snapped me back. I looked toward her quickly.
"…What?"
"You froze."
No way, I was explaining that right now.
"I'm fine."
Nobody looked convinced anymore when I said those words.
Seraphina crouched near one of the bodies carefully. Then her expression
changed slightly.
"There's no corruption."
Callie frowned. "What?"
Seraphina looked towards us slowly. "Demons normally feed after
killing."
Cold spread slowly through my chest. "Then why didn't this one?"
She stood. And for the first time in a while, she looked genuinely
unsettled again.
"Because this wasn't hunting."
Thunder cracked violently overhead.
"This was a message."
The forest trembled suddenly. A pulse of pressure exploded outward hard
enough to shake the ground beneath us.
Everyone reacted instantly. Weapons drawn. Bracelet energy flaring. Then
laughter echoed through the trees.
Inhumane laughter. Calm and mocking.
"Well," a voice said smoothly from the darkness, "this town really has
become noisy lately."
Every bone in my body screamed danger. A figure stepped slowly from
between the trees.
Human. At least, mostly.
Tall. Dark coat. Black gloves. Sharp features. Completely normal
appearance. Except for the eyes. Deep crimson. Glowing and wrong.
The pressure around him felt suffocating. Nothing like lesser demons.
Nothing like before.
This thing felt controlled. Intelligent. Predatory. And the second his
eyes landed on me, he smiled slightly.
"Interesting."
My grip tightened around my swords. Seraphina stepped forward, placing
herself ahead of the rest of us.
Proactive. Ready.
The man noticed and laughed softly.
"Relax," he said casually. "If I intended to kill you, this conversation
would not exist."
That somehow felt worse.
"What are you?" Riley asked quietly.
The man tilted his head slightly. "A rude first question."
Noah muttered under his breath, "I vote we stab him first."
Fair suggestion honestly.
The demon's gaze shifted toward me again. And suddenly, his expression
changed. Slightly, into confusion then recognition.
"That scent."
The bracelet pulsed violently against my wrist. The demon took one slow
step forward. Then stopped completely. His crimson eyes narrowed.
"…Impossible."
The storm around us intensified violently.
Wind tore through the trees hard enough to bend branches, and for the
first time- I felt genuine fear from a demon.
"What's impossible?" Seraphina asked coldly. But the demon ignored her
completely.
His eyes remained locked onto me. Then it fell on the bracelet.
He whispered quietly, almost to himself.
"Why do you smell like him?"
Silence crashed over the forest. My heartbeat thundered violently in my
ears.
The silver-haired figure flashed briefly in my mind again.
"What did you say?" I demanded.
The demon blinked once before smiling again slowly. But this time, the
smile looked uneasy.
"Nothing you're ready to understand yet."
Then he stepped backward into the darkness. Seraphina moved instantly.
"Don't let him leave- "
Too late.
The pressure vanished completely. Gone. Like he'd never been there. Only
the storm remained. And the bodies.
And the cold feeling crawling slowly down my spine. Nobody spoke for
several seconds. Then finally-
Noah broke the silence quietly.
"…Okay."
He looked toward me carefully.
"What exactly do you smell like?"