...
"Are you feeling any better Anik?"
"...Yeah"
"I have something you need to see before you continue your search."
"I need to see?" Anik was confused.
With the sudden recollection of the past, he felt weird. Was it right? Killing so many people. He was not a social person and no one knew about him except for Aunt Laura. She is the one who picked up the call that day. She was his mother's best friend, his dad's co-worker and Laura was the one who used to cover his crimes up for a long time.
Anik doesn't know whether Laura is reliable, she didn't come on time that day. It took her so long to get there. Later she didn't try to comfort him when he was with the police till he was sent to an orphanage. Young Anik had no expectations for his mother's side family but he did expect Aunt Laura to do something.
She did, she did keep him safe from the police but in the end, she never visited him or came to check if he was alive.
Before coming here it never really bothered him, he was rarely worried about what happened to him or what Laura did or why was she late that day. He was just a lunatic wandering around the city seeking revenge. But after this dream it changed, and now Anik wants to know. If there was a way to go back to know the truth he would try that. She was close to his parents, there is no way she'd have come late on purpose. Maybe she was threatened? Maybe the higher ups had something to do with this?
What exactly was happening at that time?
"Yes, you need to see come with me." Said the Wind Master as he walked out of the room.
Anik got up from the bed and walked behind him. Wind master was going towards the pavilion. There was a strong breeze making the sand rise. Anik walked calmly behind him. Anik found the wind master, now he should be sent to the next place. He was waiting but there was no movement related to this at all.
This tall lean guy with now pale skin was walking steadily with no expressions on his face. He looked at Xie Yun and A'Fei walking back home from the market. His parents used to be like that too. Smiling, with love in their eyes. He would have had the best childhood if not for that guy. He didn't kill him and got here.
It was like a thorn in his heart, with every step the thorn seemed to poke harder and harder. He can do nothing except live it with for now.
"Anik"
"Oh! yes...?"
"Boy, what are you thinking about? I was calling you for so long. Are you not okay yet?"
"No, I mean I am sorry, what were you saying?" Anik looked at him with cold eyes. He managed to curl his lips up a bit but his eyes were emotionless.
"Here we are, follow me closely."
"Yes"
Wind Master looked at him and sighed in his heart. He pulled down the arm of a statue placed in the pavilion and a door opened up near his feet. There were stairs. The floor after the stairs was not visible as it was too dark. Wind master walked in and gestured for Anik to follow.
Anik walked behind him slowly, door closed behind him and it was completely dark. This reminded him of the closet he was stuck in for so long. He sighed and kept walking without care. He can't keep thinking about it for long and having a fear is not something he can afford.
After a while or so there seemed to be a ray of light visible at the end. He looked at the old man and followed it.
"This is the place."
Wind Master got down the last stair and walked into the room.
This room was dimly lighted and there were bookshelves loaded with books all over. It was a big room with a dark wooden table in the center and numerous chairs surrounding it. Chairs were orderly arranged and a single chair was sliding outwards as if someone was sitting there not so long ago. There was a book in front of the table.
Wind Master walked to the chair and picked up the book. He walked to Anik and placed the book in his hands.
"This book is not mine. I don't know where it came from. I saw it as I was looking for medical books."
"..."
"This seems to be a future-telling book."
"...Why did you give it to me?"
"It shows your future..." "Sit down and read it, this seems important for you to know."
He walked to a chair and moved the candle near and read its name. 'The Sweet Death Vol 2nd (2nd revision)'; There was a shock on Anik's face.
The second volume of the Sweet Death? What is it doing here? This story is about Ashleen. Reading it was normal but now it ain't. Ashleen is now a live human who is his partner.
He slowly opened the book and it was the 56th chapter on the front page.
No introductory pages, it was straight to the 56th chapter.
"Anik!! Run, I'll handle it here." Said Ashleen with her dress died crimson with the blood of the troops trying to kill her, it's not just any other status snatching scenario, but the Last battle where she finally dies...
"How the hell am I supposed to run like that? idiot!?" Anik was not at his best. His throat almost got slashed by Akansha... the girl Ashleen could have trusted her life to. Blood was dried on his neck as he was trying his best to get near Ashleen but there was a lot of distance between them. Sebastian planned it right. Separating them in a way that they can't have each other's back. He did nice work as a spy as well.
But that's not it, getting rid of Akansha and other people won't do, because Sabastian is coming... with Vanshika.
I need to get Ashleen out of here as soon as possible, I can't imagine the shock she'll go through once she sees Vanshika with Sebastian... a man who can change his appearance huh... I wish I was just a bit more cautious with Gayatri... thought Anik, last bit of hope he has in saving Ashleen is by running away with her.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
"GO AWAY MAN, please... They are here for me, why are you jumping in a pit of fire for no reason Anik... Who is the idiot one here??" tears rolled down her cheeks while she stood amidst a number of people from 'good alignment' trying to kill her.
Anik wanted to go near her as soon as possible but the biggest hurdle was Akansha, if he killed her Ashleen would never forgive him, that's the promise he was forced to make by her...
He was still having a conflict about it when he heard something... he looked in the direction of Ashleen, even Akansha stopped attacking and stood there in sheer silence. Her head was facing the ground as the scene in front of her got bad. A few seconds seemed long like a year. And he seemed to have lost all his strength to move when he saw a white horsed man dash towards her, Ashleen was stabbed right where she was previously injured by Gayatri. Blood came gushing out of her body as she looked at him with blurry eyes.
"Ashleen!" He saw many other people trying to use this opportunity to get rid of her. Anik felt a snap in his head and his brain blanked out...
A few minutes later.
Anik found himself dragging Ashleen out of the battlefield kicking away the corpses of people he has brutally killed, with no sense of mercy. Sorcerers, magicians, swords men, everyone met the same fate.
He walked near the sole tree standing in his previously beloved garden in front of the now-destroyed palace of his memories. He felt staggered trying to lay the unconscious Ashleen near the tree.
"Ha. Haha... who could have thought I'd have to ask her permission before dying..." He sat down beside her with a thump and started passing the last ounce of mana to her. After less than 30 seconds he started losing his vision to excessive use of mana, he felt his body shutting down while he did not stop passing mana.
"You are right about it. You can't die without my permission" It was a familiar voice, Anik's surroundings had long turned black, he had lost all the senses and felt nothing in his entire body except the mana flowing out. He felt like air at this point.
Gasp*
Anik finally realized what was going on as he felt his lungs working again. It was Ashleen she was passing her mana back to him, the way they always did when one got injured.
Slowly his vision came back and he looked at the smiling face of Ashleen. Although she is smiling, she still isn't able to hide the fact that she is extremely sad... she's so sad about Akansha's betrayal and death, how would she react when she'll find out her sister Vanshika is hunting her down with her partner/ Mastermind Sebastian...
Speak of the devil and he heard Sebastian speaking behind him.
"Ohho You guys survived, Impressive bro you are stronger than I expected."
Gotta run! I need to run before Vanshika arrives Quick...
Anik losing all his cool stood up abruptly hiding Ashleen behind him, Ashleen stood up too, and looked at the scene. She was pretty confused as the guy who appeared is the same her sister was paired with.
Anik held her hand secretly while he kept looking at Sebastian silently, looking for a chance to strike.
And there he got a chance when Sebastian tried to look at Ashleen by tip-toeing to get the scene clearer behind Anik, he used this chance and hit him hard with the side of his palm on his throat.
Sebastian fell unconscious while Anik picked Ashleen up and started running with all his might. He had no idea where was he going or what was happening except for the fact that he was running. He fell suddenly, sending Ashleen rolling away on her own. He tried to get up but was unable to, he wasn't even able to move his neck as if held down by a heavy weight.
He looked at Ashleen who looked horrified at the scene behind him which he was unable to see.
"We'll spare him but... would you mind dying instead, Miss Devil." It was Sebastian's voice.
"Ahck!!" Sudden pressure Anik felt above him broke two of his ribs while he felt his skull getting crushed slowly.
"Don't you dare lay a finger on him!!"
"I've already mentioned my conditions, dear sister-in-law"
"What do you mean-" Ashleen fell on her knees as she saw a figure landing down from the sky.
"Vanshika..."
"Sorry sis I know it's not your fault Demon chose you but we are helpless as well," said Vanshika with no emotions.
Ashleen was silent for minutes until something distracted her, it was a muffled shriek of Anik who was trying his best not to sound in pain while he felt his internals getting squeezed.
"... you'll leave him alone... if I come with you?"
"You have any other choice?" Ashleen's eyebrows twitched as she made a wicked smile.
"Ha...haha don't joke man!! You haven't done your homework nicely, have you? Don't you know a demon never leaves his host unless they are dead? Boy... I am hardly suppressing him from killing... and just so you know he's far more stronger than tens of you."
"As if you'd use him," said Sebastian summoning his death by himself.
"So you refuse to leave this guy here alone." She walked towards him like a lunatic, swaying left to right with each step, smiling so deeply that her smile seemed to reach her ears.
"Your 'partner' is about to die if you don't stop!" Sebastian had a trace of fear in his eyes as he realized he ended up provoking her more than the limit.
"Ha thanks for the reminder." these were the last words she said before letting the demon take over. Her eyes turned red while her smile turned even more wicked.
"You see I can't let you kill him. He's my target after all" Demon said while with a single lift of his finger, the spell crushing Anik was lifted effortlessly. Anik was unconscious instantly.
The demon walked towards Sebastian, who was standing next to Vanshika. He knew about the demon and his power but he never thought she'll try to use him when the one standing in front of her was Vanshika. She had no special relation with Anik why did she choose him over Vanshika??
The demon was now standing right in front of Sebastian who refused to back down.
The demon smirked as Sebastian was sent flying into the air. He was getting crushed all over just like he did to Anik, but the difference was that the demon had no intention of letting him live.
Slash* Splash*
These were the noises of Ashleen's abdomen being torn away by her sister while the blood splurted down with no end.
The demon glared at her before slashing her throat in a second with the nail of her index finger.
"Ashleen didn't want you dead, you should be thankful that I owe her otherwise I would have killed you in a way worse way.
So I wasn't able to save Ashleen after all thought Anik before hanging himself on the same tree he treated Ashleen under a few hours ago.
...
Anik closed the book abruptly. His hands were trembling lightly as he tried to calm the waves of emotions in his heart down. Wind master looked at him and sighed again.
"You know who Gayatri is?"
"She's the one who is behind all the mess with demon"
"You are right she's the master of void who died about a thousand years ago."
"She's master of void? But isn't she back now?"
"The girl with you? She's not her. It's someone playing her."
"...Where is she now?" Anik now had a rough idea of what was going on. In the book it was written than Sebastian could change appearances, so he should have learned about Gayatri and now used this to be a spy...
"She's nowhere to be found... It seems like she just disappeared."
"..." So Sebastian's job is done here. He needed information and planning to save the queen and king must be his plan as well.
But why bother with the masters? They weren't even in the book. Did something happen or maybe the reality now is different from the reality in the book? There was a lot to process but one thing was sure. Sebastian is doing his best to get rid of the demon.
Wait... Five Masters... They are behind the demon as well. Wind master read the book... he now knows about Demon being with Ashleen...
Anik looked at the wind master, under the dim lightening his expressions were not clear. Wind master was walking towards Anik slowly step by step fighting his 2nd ego which was telling him not to hurt Anik.
Anik instantly knew something was wrong and dashed towards the stairs. Wind Master was naturally faster. Wind master is near the of strength hierarchy and Anik is nowhere in the noticeable list. Wind Master was standing in front of the stairs now looking at Anik with a gloomy face.
With no idea what to do. With no way of running away, he used mayday trust.
Don't go to earth master!! Stop finding him! It was really a trap your feeling was right. Ask the demon to send you back before the earth master finds you!
You are late Anik...
There was no more text between them as both of them stood in front of a master. The people they thought were going to help them turned their backs as soon as they were done introducing themselves.