It had been a long day. Shin had finally managed to remove all the inner seals—except one, the last and most stubborn one that couldn’t be lifted on his own.

“Finally… I’m almost back to my full power,” he muttered, exhausted. Over the last two days, he’d barely slept, relentlessly working to reclaim his abilities.

He got up, heading into the bathroom to shower, his body reeking of sweat and fatigue. He washed himself thoroughly, feeling the grit and tension melt away under the hot water. After drying off, he pulled on a black T-shirt and a pair of worn blue jeans. Fashion wasn’t a concern; all he cared about was comfort.

After getting ready, he sank into his leather couch, letting his mind wander. **The Jinnestein Forest,** he thought, his brows furrowing. **They’re expanding to other cities, even setting up bases. And that cult leader—I can identify him by his sigil, but why would he leave it so carelessly?**

A demon’s sigil was both their mark of power and a deadly weakness. To cast a powerful spell, a demon needed to engrave their sigil. But they always erased it afterward, taking extreme care to avoid exposure. A sigil could reveal a demon’s true name, and for a demon, exposure of their name was like an execution order.

**The only way a sigil doesn’t disappear is if another demon interferes.** His mind flashed back to Wenton, who had seemed to know about the cult leader’s betrayal. **Was he the one who interfered? What did he say? He’d made a deal with someone for divine heritage blood. This might go deeper than the cult itself,** Shin thought, sighing deeply as he leaned back on the couch, his eyes distant.

Lost in thought, he barely noticed the knock on the door until it grew louder. He got up to check, surprised to see Fiona standing there.

Like Shin, she wasn’t one for fancy attire. She wore a simple green top with black jeans. Her round face, usually composed and strong, was clouded with worry, and the circles beneath her green eyes betrayed a lack of sleep.

Shin welcomed her inside, and they both settled into the living room.

“You got any leads?” he asked, a glimmer of hope in his voice.

“Not much, but I’m working on it,” she replied, rubbing her temples. “Scouting the area’s been a challenge. The forest radiates a dark aura. Demons and cults love hiding in those places. Even a seasoned demon hunter has to think twice before venturing too far in there alone.”

“So…we have nothing.” Shin exhaled, deflated.

“Who said that?” Fiona shot him a confident smile. “I’ve already figured out the number of members. We’ve got at least ten low-grade demons, four mid-grade demons—since we took care of the fifth one—and then there’s the branch leader. So, fifteen cult members at the branch in total. The low-grade demons are never alone; they always go out with a mid-grade one. As for the branch leader, he seems more stationed at the base—doesn’t leave often.”

“Did Valcoris tell you that?” Shin asked, impressed by the amount of information she’d gathered.

“Yes, but I also scouted it myself,” she said proudly. “When it comes to information-gathering, my abilities are second only to the President’s. Besides, you can never fully trust a demon’s word, can you?”

“True enough,” Shin nodded, feeling a bit more assured. “So, how big is your group, exactly?”

“There aren’t many of us,” she replied, crossing her arms. “Demon hunters don’t usually work together because there’s always the risk of betrayal. If a demon tempts one of us, alliances can break. The most prominent groups are mine and two others, from Bartha and Karnaim cities. Bartha’s been infested with demons for so long that hunters had no choice but to team up, and the situation in Karnaim is starting to look the same.”

“I’ve heard about Bartha. It’s practically a lawless city by now, but Karnaim too?” Shin raised an eyebrow. “That’s surprising.”

“Yeah. Bartha’s almosy a lawless city full of crime—murders and sins rampant. But Karnaim is the capital of Maridia, and it’s huge. Though there’s been suspicious activity, the authorities don’t recognize it officially. They brush it off because there’s been little solid evidence so far,” Fiona explained.

“Right. And what about your President?” Shin pressed, curious.

Fiona sighed, casting her gaze to the ceiling. “Still nothing. Usually, when he leaves for a mission, he’s gone for months, but he’s always accompanied by the Vice President or a few members. This time, he went alone, and it’s strange—he even announced that he’d be away for a while.”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“Your President is…unusual,” Shin commented.

“He is, but he’s also the wisest and strongest person we have. He’s fought countless demons from the Devil’s Eyes, and it’s said he even clashed with 'The Blood-Eyed,' the legendary demon,” Fiona added, a hint of admiration in her voice.

Shin took a slow, deep breath, his expression turning dark. “What do you know about 'The Blood-Eyed'?”

“He was ruthless, that’s for sure,” she replied, her tone serious. “He killed without hesitation, slaughtering anyone in his path. And he cared so little about his own life—it was as if he had no sense of self-preservation. Because of him, the Devil’s Eyes cult was untouchable; no one dared to oppose them.”

Shin’s face grew more somber as he listened.

“But then, one day, a strange news report broke out—a ‘mass suicide’ at the cult’s base. At least, that’s what they called it to keep the public calm. In reality, the entire cult, including its leader, was massacred by a single demon,” Fiona paused, her gaze sharpening as she looked at Shin. “The President himself went to investigate, and do you know who was behind it?”

“The Blood-Eyed,” Shin murmured, finishing her thought.

Shin let out a sigh, his expression shadowed. “I had to protect those I cared about, and to do that, the cult and that demon needed to be destroyed.”

“I understand your motives, but the cult survived somehow. Some members escaped and took refuge elsewhere. You might have weakened them, but when a new leader took over, they began to expand, setting up bases in multiple cities,” Fiona replied, her voice somber.

“I didn’t want any more trouble,” Shin said, pain seeping into his words. “I tried to lie low for Talia’s sake, but it seems the past has a way of catching up.”

“It shocked us, too. We thought it was over,” Fiona admitted. “But then they returned, and worse than before. Our members had to scatter to keep watch on demonic activities across different cities. I was assigned to this one, but…I failed to protect the people here.” She looked down, her face a mixture of frustration and sorrow.

Shin placed a hand on her shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you did your best. Two high-grade demons were involved in the attack—you couldn’t have prevented that on your own. For now, let’s focus on the Jinnestein Forest.” He offered her a reassuring nod. “Were you able to recruit any members of your team to join us?”

“Yes. It took some convincing, but two members agreed to come. They’ll be here in a few days,” Fiona replied, her face showing a glimmer of relief.

“Do they know about my…history?” Shin asked, a little wary.

“They know you’re connected to demons,” Fiona said, “but I didn’t report your ties to the cult.”

“Won’t that get you in trouble?”

“Don’t worry,” she replied with a grin. “I’ll just say my Angel told me not to reveal that.”

Somewhere far away, Gabriel sneezed.

Shin’s voice dropped to a more serious tone. “Aren’t you afraid, Fiona? Working with me, knowing what I’ve done?”

Her expression hardened. “I don’t know,” she admitted, pausing. “You didn’t want to do those things—I can tell. Whenever I look at you, I see sadness, regret. If you were still the cold-blooded killer people say you were, you wouldn’t look that way. But I can’t forget the ones who died, either.”

“I’m not asking for forgiveness,” Shin replied, his voice heavy. “I know the weight of the sins I carry.”

Fiona’s expression softened. “Shin…what you did was awful, but if you stop running from your sins and face them, maybe, just maybe, you will find forgiveness.”

Shin’s head remained low, but he felt something stir within him. Relief. A sensation he hadn’t felt in years.

“Maybe,” he whispered.

Fiona gazed out the window, the sun casting its warm light on the streets below. Birds flew together across the sky, a vivid contrast to the weight of their conversation. **Under the bright blue sky, countless creatures existed—some deemed good, others evil. But what about nature itself? It shelters all life, nurturing and destroying without judgment. If we can't label nature as good or evil, then why do we humans judge one another so quickly? Is it simply emotion, or something deeper within us?** she wondered.

“Did anything happen while I was away?” Fiona finally asked, turning back to him.

“Mr. and Mrs. Beth checked on me,” he replied. “They asked about Talia.”

“They cared about her,” Fiona said, a hint of nostalgia in her eyes. “She spent a lot of time with them. They treated her like family.”

“Yeah.” His voice grew soft, but his expression saddened as memories flooded his mind, the dinners and all the talks they had together. “I kept her close all these years… and now I don’t even know where she is.”

He paused, his face darkening as another thought struck him. “There’s something else. When I was fighting Wenton, I’m sure he drank some blood—from someone with divine heritage. His power surged so much that I was almost cornered.”

“That’s serious,” Fiona said, her face grim. “I’ll ask Gabriel about it.” She looked at her watch and stood up. “I should go. I’ll try to gather more information before my team arrives.”

“Be careful,” Shin said, his voice laced with concern.

She nodded and left.

Once alone, Shin returned to his meditative practices, his aura intensifying as he strengthened his spells. Both demons and hunters honed their power this way, maintaining control over their abilities.

As the hours slipped into night, Shin finally collapsed onto his bed, exhaustion overcoming him. But sleep wouldn’t come easy. After hours of tossing and turning, he drifted into a fitful slumber.

In his dreams, he was back in that cursed place.

Dark trees loomed around him, and in the distance stood a shrine, old and forgotten. Its twisted roof cast sinister shadows against the sky, and a path of cracked stone led him to it. The sight of it filled him with dread.

Before the shrine, a tall, slender man with black eyes and shamanic robes stood silently, watching Shin with an unsettling intensity.

The man’s dry lips curved into a sinister smile, and in an eerie, raspy voice, he spoke:

“How are you, my dear son?”