Adam’s eyes widened as he focused on the man standing before him.
It wasn’t the ragged clothes or the unkempt hair, and it wasn’t even the unsettling dark circles under his eyes that caught Adam by surprise.
No—it was something far more powerful. A strong surge of magical energy radiated from the stranger, filling the air around him with a force that made Adam’s heart pound.
This magical power was not like anything he had ever sensed before. It was heavy and thick, like a weight that pressed on his very soul.
Every fiber of his being told him that this magic was dangerous and rare.
For a long moment, Adam could only stare at the man. He felt both awe as he watched the energy shimmer and pulse around the stranger’s body.
It seemed as if the very air was alive, dancing with sparks of white light that flickered in and out of view. This was not the magic of a simple trick or a small charm—it was raw, wild, and uncontrolled.
He wondered if he was now face-to-face with a creature of legend.
Before Adam could even think more about the strange power, the man’s gaze moved. First, his eyes met Adam’s, and then they shifted slowly toward Sophia.
A twisted, slow grin spread across the man’s face, one that was both unsettling and full of cruel delight.
The expression on his face changed from mere amusement to a look that was almost hungry. It was as if he had been waiting for this moment for a very long time.
"Ah… Wonderful," the man said, his voice thick with excitement and a hint of madness.
Each word he spoke dripped with a twisted pleasure that made Adam’s skin crawl. "You've brought me new specimens. I can’t wait to perform some experiments on them." His voice echoed in the quiet space between the abandoned houses around them, as if daring anyone to challenge him.
At that moment, Bryan, who had been standing close by, began to shake visibly. His hands trembled as he turned toward Adam.
"Sir Adam… please… help us," Bryan pleaded in a small, broken voice that betrayed his fear. The desperation in his eyes was clear; he knew that their situation had taken a turn for the worse, and he looked to Adam for rescue.
The strange man’s twisted grin faltered for a split second as his eerie green eyes snapped directly to Bryan.
For a moment, the cruel delight in his eyes softened into something else—a flicker of surprise or perhaps irritation. "Help?" he repeated slowly, his tone laced with amusement as if the very idea of helping was laughable.
Then, as if a new thought had taken hold of him, his smile returned, this time growing even wider and more menacing.
He tilted his head back and laughed—a laugh that was low and echoing. It carried easily across the empty village streets, bouncing off the wooden walls of long-abandoned homes.
The sound of his laughter filled the air, turning the silence of the place into something almost unbearable. It was a laugh that sent chills down Adam’s spine and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
"You… You brought a Traveler here to get rid of me?" the man mocked between fits of laughter. His words were not kind; they dripped with sarcasm and a deep sense of irony.
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"Oh, that’s just perfect!" His laughter filled the space once again, and for a moment, Adam felt as if time had slowed down to watch the drama unfold.
Adam remained still. His face was calm and unreadable, though inside he churned with a mixture of disbelief and careful calculation.
He looked at the strange man with eyes that were both wary and thoughtful.' This was the demon that Bryan had spoken of?'
The man’s appearance was disheveled, his clothes worn and his hair a wild mess, and yet there was no mistaking the raw power that surged from him. Adam’s mind went through every detail, every sensation, trying to decide what this creature really was.
He took a step closer to Bryan and asked in a low, steady voice, "Is this the demon you were talking about?" His words hung in the air, heavy with the responsibility of the question.
Bryan’s eyes flickered with fear as he struggled to speak, but before he could answer, the man let out another chuckle—a soft, mocking sound that quickly filled the space.
"Demon?" the man repeated, his tone filled with mockery as he emphasized each syllable. "So that’s what they told you, huh?" His smile widened as he continued, "They dragged you here under the pretense of slaying a monster."
The words felt like a cruel twist of fate, and Bryan’s face grew even paler at the sound of them. His hands trembled so badly that it was hard to tell if they were shaking from fear or from the cold.
Bryan quickly shook his head, trying to form words that would explain or perhaps beg for mercy, but the fear had stolen his voice. His eyes darted between Adam and the man, pleading silently for help.
The demon’s laughter subsided as suddenly as it had come, and a new look took over his face. The amusement drained away, replaced by a cold, sharp focus.
The change was sudden and unsettling; it was as if the cruel jester mask had fallen away to reveal a face of true malice.
The man’s eyes locked onto Bryan with an intensity that made it clear he had no time for games. Without any hesitation, he extended his hand toward Bryan as if making a promise of pain.
"You will pay for this betrayal," he declared in a clear, unyielding voice. The words were not a question or a suggestion—they were a command, echoing in the silent morning air and sealing Bryan’s fate.
Almost immediately after his declaration, a pulse of invisible energy erupted from the man’s outstretched hand.
It was a burst of power that Adam could sense even before he saw its effect—a white, near-invisible force that surged forward like a wave.
He saw the energy move as if it had a mind of its own, flowing straight from the brand's hand toward poor Bryan.
Most people would not have been able to see or feel this delicate burst of force. But Adam did. His eyes, trained to observe even the smallest shifts in magic and power, caught every detail of that deadly energy.
It shot forward like an unseen hand reaching out in deadly intent. The force moved quickly, wrapping itself around Bryan’s throat in a tight, crushing grip.
In an instant, Bryan’s body lifted off the ground. It happened so fast that for a moment, everything seemed to happen in slow motion.
Bryan’s legs dangled helplessly in the air, as if an invisible force was choking the very life out of him.
His body, suspended against the pull of gravity, was completely at the mercy of the demon’s dark power.
Bryan’s hands flew to his throat as he struggled against the unseen grip. He clawed at the force, trying desperately to break free, but there was nothing for him to grasp.
The power was invisible and insidious, a silent killer that showed no mercy.
His face turned red as the pressure increased, and his mouth opened and closed in silent, desperate gasps for air. Each moment felt like an eternity as the invisible force squeezed tighter and tighter.
The silence that had settled over the empty village was suddenly filled with the sounds of shallow breathing and trembling fear.
Then, cutting through the heavy silence, a loud, angry cry rang out.
"LET HIM GO!" It was Elan’s voice, filled with raw fury and desperation.
The sound of his scream echoed off the wooden walls of the abandoned homes and down the empty streets, shattering the tense quiet that had reigned for so long.
Elan’s eyes burned with anger as he watched his father suffer under the demon’s power.
His face was twisted in a mix of fear and rage, and every muscle in his body screamed that he could not stand by and do nothing.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Elan broke into a run, sprinting directly toward the Brand. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and every step he took was filled with determination.
He was ready to fight with all his strength to save his father and all the others who were now caught in this terrible situation.