Soren's glowing eyes began to bleed, crimson streaks running down his pale cheeks, but his focus never faltered. His hand moved steadily, his gaze locked onto the petrified Bloodthorn Beast. The strain etched across his face was evident, yet he continued, unwavering.

Arayn observed him in silence, arms crossed, the flickering firelight casting shadows over his sharp features. "Impressive," he murmured, almost to himself. "Your ability to focus is remarkable, Soren."

Minutes stretched into an agonizing eternity until Soren finally set down his brush. The painting was complete, a vivid and haunting replica of the beast in its petrified state. Before Soren could bask in his accomplishment, he screamed.

His body convulsed, and he collapsed to the ground, clutching his face. Blood dripped between his fingers as the toll of using the [Corlust Eyes] for so long consumed him.

Arayn remained calm, pulling a small vial from his cloak. Uncorking it, he stepped forward and splashed the healing potion directly onto Soren's bleeding eyes. The potent liquid sizzled faintly, but the bleeding stopped, and Soren’s pained writhing eased.

"Catch your breath," Arayn ordered. He stepped back, giving Soren space. "Good job, but don’t get comfortable. The effect of Wisp of Demon Souls is still active. We need to keep moving."

Soren nodded weakly and pushed himself to his feet. His legs trembled, but he stood tall, determination gleaming in his reddened eyes. He turned to Arayn and asked, "How… how was my painting?"

Arayn picked up the canvas, his gaze sweeping over the detail and raw emotion captured in the strokes. A small smile curved his lips. "It’s perfect for your current capability."

Relief and pride washed over Soren’s face. "Thank you, Master. I promise to produce even better paintings in the future."

Arayn nodded, a rare flicker of approval in his expression. "Your spirit is admirable. I didn’t choose the wrong person to be my first disciple."

Soren’s resolve deepened, and without another word, he adjusted his gear and fell in step behind his master as they moved deeper into the forest.

---

At dawn, Saria's eyes flickered open. She had slept on the shattered remains of her throne, a crooked seat surrounded by the ruin of her once-grand mansion. The scent of smoke filled the air as she gazed out at the burning town below. Six towering flame golems stood around her.

She knew today would be the day they moved against her. However, that was fine. She had her own preparations to make.

To others, she might look like a madwoman. Maybe they were right. Madness had claimed her the day her twin brother, her other half, had been slain by Arayn. The memory still burned hotter than any flame.

Yet, madness did not mean foolishness. Everything, from the burning town to the twisted rituals she had performed, was part of her design. Her enemies thought themselves clever, but they were walking into a carefully laid trap.

Saria rose from her throne with a grace that belied her unhinged state, her tattered black cloak billowing behind her as she moved. She walked to the back of the dais, where a swirling portal pulsed with dark energy.

This was her trump card. A doorway to a pocket dimension, built on the suffering of the townsfolk she had sacrificed. Countless souls had been offered to entities inside it, their screams still echoing faintly from the other side. Through it, she would summon one thousand demonic beasts to descend upon the other participants.

“They think their skill will save them,” Saria muttered to herself. Her lips twisted into a deranged smile. "If I can’t win with quality, I’ll crush them with quantity."

A harsh, echoing laugh erupted from her, ringing out amidst the ruins. She could already envision the chaos—a thousand demonic creatures tearing through them, overwhelming even the most prodigious of them. This was the culmination of her grief, her rage, her madness.

When the demonic beasts consumed everything, she would finally have her revenge.

"I have to succeed for my brother. Arayn is just my stepping stone. Everyone is my stepping stone."

As Saria gazed into the swirling depths of the portal, a memory surfaced, Aveline. She had invited that so-called prodigy here to deal with Eryndor. Aveline, hailed as one of the strongest of their generation, was meant to be the blade that struck him down, but Aveline had failed.

Saria’s expression twisted with disdain. Aveline, with all her reputation, couldn't put an end to Eryndor. She sneered, the bitterness of the thought gnawing at her.

"All that praise," Saria spat, her voice dripping with mockery. "All that potential, and you couldn’t even defeat him. Pathetic."

She laughed, a cold and scornful sound that echoed across the ruined hall. "No, it doesn’t matter. You, Eryndor, all of them—you’re nothing but stepping stones. Your strength, your stubbornness, your hopes—they’ll all be crushed beneath my feet."

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Rain poured down in heavy sheets, and dozens of water spirits darted through the ruined town. They splashed torrents of water onto the raging flames, extinguishing them faster than Saria could have imagined.

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she watched the inferno she had nurtured vanish into steam and smoke. This wasn’t supposed to happen this fast. Her mind raced. "Valen? No, even he couldn’t summon this many water spirits..."

Closing her eyes, Saria reached out with her mana, trying to grasp the essence of what was happening. Her senses froze as she felt a holy energy saturating the air.

Her eyes snapped open, burning with fury. "Aveline!" she roared, her voice echoing across the ruined town. "Helping Valen by empowering his spirit-summoning magic circle! How dare you interfere! Helping my enemies, do you think that’ll save you?"

Saria’s fists clenched tightly as realization set in. Spirits were naturally drawn to the holy aura. Someone imbued with such an aura could summon them at a fraction of the mana cost. It was a perfect counter to her flames.

Her lips curled into a snarl as she turned her attention to the grand magic circle beneath her feet, pulsating with stored mana. It was meant to sustain the six flame golems standing guard around her. For now, the golems would still be around for her.

Raising her arms, Saria began to chant. The portal behind her throne grew into a massive swirling vortex of darkness. The first demonic beast emerged, its crimson eyes gleaming with malice. Then another followed, and another, until a thousand monstrosities prowled the area.

"By the contract," Saria bellowed. "Hunt my enemies and tear them apart!"

The beasts did not understand her words, but the contract etched into their very beings carried her command. Her will became their directive. They howled, surging out into the ruined town in search of prey.

Saria stood tall, her confidence restored as she watched her army of abominations spread chaos. A cruel smile stretched across her face. "Let’s see how long you last, everyone. Victory is already mine."

---

In a storage house, Aveline collapsed onto one knee, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Sweat dripped down her face as her fingers trembled from the strain of channeling so much mana. The summoning circle had drained her nearly dry. Even for someone of her caliber, summoning and maintaining that many water spirits had taken a heavy toll.

Lyssa crouched beside her, concern etched into her face. "Are you alright?" she asked.

Aveline closed her eyes, steadying her breathing. "I’ll be fine," she said after a moment. "The flames... they’re gone. That’s what matters."

Kaelion approached and said, "You’ve done enough, Aveline. Leave the rest to Valen. He can handle it from here."

Aveline looked up at him. "Are you sure? Saria isn’t someone to be underestimated. Can Valen really face her alone?"

Before Kaelion could respond, Thalric, who had been standing guard near the door, suddenly tensed. He sniffed the air, his sharp senses going on high alert. "Something’s coming," he said. "I smell demonic beasts. A lot of them."

Aveline gritted her teeth and pushed herself to her feet, her legs wobbling slightly. "If that’s the case, then I can’t rest yet. I’ll help deal with them—"

Her words were cut short as Kaelion moved like lightning, drawing a dagger from his belt. He swung it at her, the blade slicing through the air. Aveline barely managed to leap back, the blade grazing her arm and leaving a thin line of blood.

She landed in a defensive stance, her eyes narrowing as she pressed her hand against the shallow cut. "Kaelion," she said coldly. "What’s the meaning of this?"

Kaelion straightened, his expression calm, almost indifferent. "It’s nothing personal," he said. "This is where your role ends. Everyone, as fellow cult members, it's our duty to join hands and kill her."

Thalric’s eyes flashed with disbelief as he growled. "Kaelion, are you crazy?" he snapped. "Demonic beasts are coming. We need to act fast!"

Kaelion casually twirled the dagger in his hand. "Valen predicted this," he said, his tone almost detached. "He’s prepared an undead army to deal with the beasts."

As if on cue, two skeleton soldiers entered the storage, dragging the bloodied body of a demonic lion between them.

Kaelion looked at Aveline with a smirk. "See? The undead army will handle the beasts, while Valen and Eryndor will take care of Saria. The real matter now is you, Aveline. As a loyal member of the Crimson Sun, I can't just let a Saintess of the Heralds live."

Thalric calmed down and turned around. "Master, let's go. We need to go and fight the beasts."

Aveline’s heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, the weight of betrayal settled in her chest like a stone. Her fists clenched, but her voice was steady as she confronted them. "You can't betray me. We’re bound by contract."

Thalric, standing silent until then, spoke up, his voice calm but resolute. "Don’t misunderstand, Aveline," he said softly. "We haven’t betrayed you. I’m just going to help the townsfolk deal with the beasts. Let’s go, Master."

Aveline’s eyes widened in shock. She took a step back, her mind racing.

Lyssa, who had been watching in silence, suddenly stepped in front of Aveline, her body tense. "No," she said firmly. "I’m not going to betray Aveline." Her hands clenched into fists as if bracing herself for what was to come.

Thalric’s expression shifted, his earlier calm faltering. "Master," he said, his voice edged with impatience, "let’s go. The people need us."

Lyssa’s voice trembled slightly, but her eyes were determined. "I… I need to change. If I want to win, I can’t remain a coward anymore."

Kaelion chuckled. "Thalric, I pity you," he said. "You’ve got a stupid master." His eyes flickered to Lyssa for a moment, then back to Thalric.

Thalric scratched his head, but instead of backing down, he let out a growl. "You talk too much, Kaelion." Without another word, he lunged at him, claws flashing through the air.

Kaelion barely had time to react. He leaped backward, his feet skimming the floor as he avoided Thalric’s sharp claws by inches. "Is this what you choose, Thalric? Aveline will stand in your master's way later."

Lyssa’s eyes softened, her expression touched by Thalric’s unexpected decision. Before she could say a word, his hand lashed out. The back of his hand struck her, sending her crashing into a stack of crates. The wood splintered under the impact, and Lyssa slumped to the ground, motionless.

Thalric stood still, his clawed hand trembling as he muttered under his breath. "Lyssa… you’re too kind. You don’t belong here. This place will destroy you, but I’ll protect you, no matter what. Even if it means you’ll hate me for it."

He turned to Aveline, his eyes clouded with guilt but resolute. "I’m sorry, Aveline," he said. "You made a contract with Lyssa, but not with me."

Before Aveline could respond, Thalric moved to Lyssa’s unconscious body. He lifted her, his gaze never wavering from Kaelion. "Do what you have to do," he growled.

Kaelion’s lips curled into a smirk, but he said nothing as Thalric carried Lyssa out of the storage house. The heavy door creaked shut behind him, leaving Aveline and Kaelion alone.