Sabrina felt strange. At the same time that she was seeing with her eyes, feeling her skin, she had no control over her body.

It was as if she was a puppet controlled by invisible lines.

As soon as she returned to the normal world, her body moved. With a movement of her hand, a cultivator fell. When the blood of one cultivator bathed her pearly skin, she felt the demon yearning for more, thirsting for destruction.

At that moment, faced with such greed for death, Sabrina thought about stopping. Of turning back and revoking control of her body.

However, the demon was holding up its end of the bargain. Sabrina's movements were now much stronger. She could feel her Qi being controlled in a different, more precise way. Each of the shadow hands took a different shape, ideal for the situation. That kind of control was far beyond anything she had ever reproduced.

The enemy cultivators, who until then had been at full advantage, were forced to retreat. The demon attacked them relentlessly, and dodged every attack.

When Sabrina's body stopped on top of the pool of blood from one corpse, she saw her reflection. The white of her eyes had disappeared. In its place was an endless pit of darkness, of absence.

A demonic stare.

Besides being a spectator, Sabrina realized that this was a great opportunity to become a student. She examined the demon's movements inside her body.

The way the Qi moved, the way the creature used her wings. The darkness in the demon's hand was the perfect instrument of attack and defense.

At that moment, Sabrina saw that what he had said was true. She didn't know the conditions that permeated obtaining a demon's core, nor how the procedure was done.

But if such a creature possessed a strong enough body, it would be an unstoppable force.

It didn't take long for the demon to wipe out most of the cultivators. In the end, only Sabrina and two other Golds were left.

To her dismay, she felt when the demon internalized its senses into her core. At this point, there was not much Qi left. Maybe not enough. Nevertheless, the monster seemed willing to keep his end of the bargain until the end. Sabrina couldn't help but be surprised.

Until then, she had never trusted the creature. The whispers, the illusions of promising power had always caused the cultivator disgust. Now, at least she knew that power was within reach, even if the cost was too high.

One of the remaining Draco attacked. Holding a spear charged with lightning, he hurled itself toward Sabrina.

The darkness, which was now no longer at its full power, was repelled by the cultivator's Qi. The demon tried to deflect the attack. First with one hand, and then with one of its wings. But Sabrina felt when the spear cut her right thigh.

The demon brought his hand to the wound, wincing in pain. The body fluid was not red, like what was splattered all over the cave floor. From Sabrina's veins came a dark blood, as if red paint were mixed with tar.

Overcome with rage, the demon attacked. The cultivator had put the rest of his Qi into that attack, and Sabrina managed a precise blow to the enemy's torso, who fell lifelessly.

Only one left.

"Finally we can dance," said the last Draco, laughing.

"Are you stupid, human? Laughing at your imminent death?" the demon said, through an entirely distinct voice than Sabrina's.

"Stupid? You kill some useless people and think you can fight me? None of them were even heirs of my clan's bloodline," said the cultivator.

A purple, thunderous aura enveloped the cultivator. Sabrina could feel the hairs on her skin reacting to the static, and the air contaminated by the poison hurt her nose.

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The demon also immediately realized the danger. Sabrina's body leaped toward the cultivator with all its might. The demon produced spears from wings of darkness, so that Sabrina body would not suffer when fighting the cultivator.

The cultivator accepted the challenge. With his body enveloped in Qi of poison, as if he were a snake, he leaped towards Sabrina. From the teeth of the snake made by Qi, Sabrina could see small lightning bolts.

The spears of darkness met the cultivator's technique in mid-air. The spears pierced the first layer of Qi, but soon disappeared amidst purple energy.

Sabrina felt it as the snake's fangs pierced her body. Even with the demon's superior precision, it didn't seem to have been enough.

At that moment, she felt her surroundings heat. When she smelled the scent of summer, she smiled.

Sabrina watched as Dante collided with the cultivator. The flames on his arms went up to his shoulder now, as if his arms were constantly burning.

Soon after hitting the other cultivator, Sabrina saw Dante grimace in pain. He was not well, just desperately trying to help her.

Sabrina felt something in her core. Like an invitation, the demon was holding out his metaphorical hand, waiting for Sabrina to agree.

She did what needed to be done. She aligned her intent with the creature, so that now both of them commanded her body.

Sabrina leaped toward the cultivator. She felt a new limb of darkness forming near her coccyx.

With her hands and wings, she held the cultivator's hands in the air. She felt as the enemy's energy bit into her skin, the Qi of thunder leaving scorched marks all over her body.

Still, there was no other option. Sabrina commanded her new member of darkness–a tail that ended in a triangle–and pierced the cultivator.

The enemy became desperate. Qi gushed out all over the opponent's body, bathing Sabrina in that corrupted energy.

As a last act, Sabrina's wings sliced through the cultivator's head.

When the enemy's head hit the ground, Sabrina's body followed suit.

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When Dante saw Sabrina fall, he used what energy he still had and crawled to the cultivator.

Her body was still burning, as if on fire. The Draco's energy made her skin red, burned differently.

When Dante put his hands on Sabrina, his eye filled with tears. The poison was eating away at the cultivator's skin, and she does not possess the same advantages as Dante.

If he did nothing, he would sleep with one less friend than the day before.

Dante internalized his senses. In his core, there was almost no Qi. Desperate, he tried to apply what little Qi he possessed to Sabrina's wounds. However, the act was as useless as wringing a dry cloth.

Dante felt Ikarus's intent joining his own. When he felt a different energy stirring in his core, he internalized his senses.

"Promise me you won't run away from challenges, disciple," the Phoenix said inside his mind.

"What? Promise why?" asked Dante. That was no time for joking.

"The time has come. Your body is ready for the advance. Even if it wasn't, we need to push it. It's the only way to ensure the proliferation of our bloodline."

Dante swallowed dryly. He had long dreamed of advancing to Gold. He just wished it would be under better conditions.

"You know I will do anything to save Sabrina. You also know that I won't give up. Let's get on with it, Ikarus," Dante said. There was no time to lose.

"Very well. Accept my invitation."

At that moment, Dante felt an embrace envelop every part of his body. All his cells reacted to the energy, absorbing the sunlight as if they were plants.

Dante's core spun uncontrollably, the energy in there debating as never before.

The phoenix felt the body of his disciple asking for more energy. In the advance to Gold, the cultivator's whole body was undergoing a transformation, ready to receive the Oversoul.

At that moment, the monster understood Isaac knew what he was doing. Dante's body was exceptionally prepared for the extra energy. The constant battles and subsequent regeneration had left his vessel able to absorb all the energy the monster could muster.

So, Ikarus spared no effort. He bathed his disciple's body with everything he had.

Oversoul was different in each of the cultivators. By then, his other partner had developed great wings, worthy of a phoenix. But, the monster knew Dante would be different. Knowing the heavens was not what the boy needed most right now.

Now, he needed to save his friend.

Dante felt his body changing. The heat enveloped him all over, but especially his back, where his arm connects with his torso.

When the transformation was over, Dante looked at Sabrina. The poison had already eaten away part of her skin. She was only alive because Shadow Qi was trying to contain the substance.

He knew what needed to be done. Dante called for the Oversoul, and felt new energy light up his body.

From his back, two tails of Phoenix appeared, like flaming whips. Dante placed both hands on Sabrina, and wrapped her with his new evolution.

Carefully, so as not to overwhelm her, he ordered Qi to envelop the cultivator. Her body gladly accepted the energy. Like a thirsty woman in the desert, she absorbed Dante's heat, fighting against the poison.

At that pace, the dance continued. Dante giving his all to save his friend, and she struggling to avoid death.

After they were both exhausted several times, Dante smiled when the poison was gone.

They were both bruised and exhausted, but they would survive to see tomorrow.

Letting go of the girl in all but his hand, Dante let his body fall. There was nothing left in him.

And then they slept.

This time, neither darkness nor light prevailed.

There was only harmony.