The air was still cool as we walked through the forest, the ground soft beneath our feet, damp from the morning dew. I kept my head down, thinking back on everything I’d learned in the past few months. The fight with the beast a few days ago had been a wake-up call, showing me how far I’d come—and how far I still had to go.

But as much as I focused on my training, there was always that one thought lurking at the back of my mind: the demon. The one that had killed my family. The one that had shattered my life.

“Alric,” I said, breaking the silence between us. “I’ve been training for nearly a year now, and I know I’m getting stronger. But I can’t just keep training without moving forward. I need to start looking for the demon. I need to find some clue.”

Alric didn’t stop walking, but I noticed the way his eyes flicked to me, sharp and aware. “You’ve come a long way, Niv. You’re stronger now than you were when we first met. But there’s something you need to understand—there’s more to this than just strength.”

I frowned, feeling a familiar frustration rising inside me. “What do you mean?”

“The demon you’re after isn’t like the ones you’ve faced so far. It’s not a mindless beast or a rogue monster. It’s something far more dangerous.”

I stopped in my tracks, staring at him. “How do you know that?”

Alric turned to face me, his expression unreadable. “You told me the demon used space magic—that it appeared out of nowhere, tore your family apart, and vanished just as quickly. That kind of power isn’t common among lesser demons.”

I felt a cold weight settle in my stomach. I hadn’t fully understood what that meant before, but hearing it now, in Alric’s calm, measured voice, made it feel real.

“There are different kinds of demons,” Alric continued, “and they’re not all the same. Some are mindless, destructive creatures, but others are far more intelligent and powerful. Demons are ranked, Niv—by their abilities, by the destruction they’re capable of. And the one you’re after… it’s no doubt a high-tier demon.”

“High-tier?” I repeated, my heart pounding. “What does that mean?”

Alric sighed, his gaze shifting toward the trees. “Demons are classified into different ranks. At the bottom, you have the lesser demons—creatures that feed on chaos and destruction, but lack the intelligence or power to cause real damage beyond small villages. Then there are the Warlord-Class demons—beasts that can command other demons, creatures that have leveled entire cities in their wake.”

I swallowed hard, trying to process what he was saying. “And the one I’m after? Where does it fall?”

Alric hesitated for a moment before answering. “If it can manipulate space, as you described, then it’s likely part of the Commander-Class—a demon with the power to bend reality, to travel between realms at will. Those kinds of demons are exceedingly rare, but when they appear, they leave devastation in their wake.”

The weight of his words settled over me like a lead blanket. A Commander-Class demon. It wasn’t just any demon. It was something far beyond what I’d imagined. The thought of facing such a creature with the skills I had now felt impossible.

“How do I find it?” I asked quietly. “How do I even begin to track something like that?”

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Alric’s eyes softened, but his voice remained firm. “You can’t. Not yet. Demons like that don’t leave obvious trails. They move through the Aetheric Flow, slipping between the cracks in reality. If you’re not careful, trying to follow those traces will lead you into even more danger.”

I clenched my fists, the frustration bubbling to the surface again. “I can’t just sit around and wait, Alric. I need to find it. I need to get stronger. There has to be something I can do.”

Alric studied me for a moment, then nodded slowly. “There are ways to track high-tier demons, but it’s risky. They leave disturbances in the Aetheric Flow—ripples that you can sense if you know what to look for. But those traces don’t last long, and following them could lead you into traps or encounters you’re not prepared for.”

I let out a slow breath, the weight of his words sinking in. It wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but I understood now that rushing in blindly wasn’t the answer. I needed to be smart, to plan my next move carefully.

“For now,” Alric continued, “you need to focus on getting stronger. Keep training, mastering your skills. When the time comes, you’ll be ready to face that demon. But until then, patience is your greatest weapon.”

I nodded, though the frustration still simmered beneath the surface. Alric was right, of course, but it didn’t make the waiting any easier. Every day that passed felt like a wasted opportunity, but I knew that rushing in would only get me killed.

“I’ll keep training,” I said, my voice steady. “But I won’t stop looking. I’ll be ready when the time comes.”

Alric’s expression softened, and for a moment, I thought I saw something like pride in his eyes. “That’s all I ask.”

We reached a small town just as the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting the sky in shades of pink and orange. The streets were crowded with merchants closing up their stalls, the smell of fresh bread and roasted meat wafting through the air. It had been nearly a year since I’d been around so many people, and the noise, the energy of the town, felt strange after the quiet solitude of the forest.

Alric led the way through the town, weaving between the crowds with the ease of someone who had done this many times before. I followed closely behind, keeping my head down and my senses sharp.

We found a small inn near the edge of town, a modest building with a thatched roof and warm lights glowing from the windows. The innkeeper greeted us with a nod, and Alric secured a room for the night. I lingered near the door, watching the people outside, my mind still racing with thoughts of the demon and what Alric had told me.

“Niv,” Alric called softly, drawing my attention back to him.

I walked over to the table where he sat near the hearth, the fire crackling softly beside him. He gestured for me to sit, and I did, my mind still spinning.

“There’s something else you need to know,” Alric said, his voice low but firm. “I’ve trained many people over the years—warriors, mages, people who have gone on to do great things. Some of them have faced demons before, though not all of them survived.”

I stared at him, surprised by the sudden shift in the conversation. “You’ve trained people to fight demons?”

Alric nodded, his expression darkening. “Demons are part of this world, Niv. They’ve always been here, lurking in the shadows. But the kind of demon you’re after... that’s not something you can face alone. When the time comes, you may need allies—people who have faced similar challenges.”

I sat back in my chair, absorbing his words. Allies. It was something I hadn’t considered before. I had been so focused on my own strength, my own training, that I hadn’t thought about what would happen when I finally faced the demon. Could I really do it alone?

“You’ll meet those people one day,” Alric said quietly. “But for now, focus on yourself. Your training is far from over.”

I nodded slowly, understanding the weight of his words. Alric was right—there was still so much more for me to learn, and the journey ahead was only getting more dangerous.

“For now,” Alric continued, “rest. Tomorrow, we’ll continue your training. And when the time comes, you’ll be ready.”

That night, as I lay in the small room of the inn, staring up at the ceiling, I thought about everything Alric had said. The demon I was after wasn’t just any creature—it was a Commander-Class demon, something far more powerful than I had ever imagined.

But I wasn’t going to let that stop me.

I was going to get stronger, and when the time came, I would be ready to face it. I would find the demon, and I would end it.

No matter what it took