Jenny heard the door creak open and glanced forward. Bladen and two wolf guards walked inside from the open doorway.

The guards unlocked the chains off Jenny’s arms. Bladen stood in front of her. “Get up.”

Jenny glared at him, but she obeyed him. Her legs shook as she rose to her feet. The guards cuffed her hands in shackles and checked her thick collar.

“Follow me.” Bladen turned his back to her and marched out of the chamber. The guards shoved Jenny to move forward in Bladen’s lead.

While walking through the corridor, Jenny kept her eyes on the tall black wolfman.

“Why are you helping Eera?” Jenny whispered. “You know she is a demon. If she succeeds, she will burn your world.”

Bladen snickered under his breath. “She is like a mother to me.”

“Your mother?”

“Hunters slayed my tribe for harboring her. She saved my life and showed me how cruel this world is.” A sad tone crept through his speech. “I made a vow to always serve her, no matter the cost.”

Jenny raised an eyebrow. “Even if it means ending our world?”

“Eera promised to make our world better. She will spare those who serve her kind, while the others will face their own judgment.”

“You can’t trust her. She is a demon! They are pure evil and they will spare no one! If Eera changes the future, you will not exist!”

“Then it will be better if I don’t, so I would never see my family die.”

“Are you crazy?”

Bladen stopped and turned toward her. He snarled at her. “I am more loyal to her than any other servant. She will change this world, and I will make sure she will succeed!”

Jenny giggled. “I met another conqueror who wanted to change the world for his tribe. He didn’t succeed at all.”

Bladen shrugged. “The conqueror may have failed, but Eera won’t. You should keep your mouth shut before you die, or else I will make your death painful.”

Jenny closed her lips without losing her glare. When he continued down the corridor, the guards pushed Jenny to follow him.

Bladen was only a brainwashed cultist like the rest of Eera’s tribe. She had to be patient if a miracle would come and stop the insane demon.

*****

The ritual chamber was almost massive as a stadium. Thousands of demonic cultists stood on stone step rows around the platform. They wore black cloaks with hoods over their heads, blending in the shadows where the torch lights couldn’t reach them. A large round hole was at the top of the domed ceiling, exposing the full moon in the void of stars.

The wolf guards cuffed chained shackles on Jenny as her body lay on a stone altar table near a pedestal. Eera placed the time stone on the pedestal.

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After the guards secured Jenny on the altar table, they walked off the platform to join the moaning crowd. A few cultists played drums, enhancing the chanting atmosphere. Jenny’s skin crawled as she listened to their dark, moody voices.

While standing near the altar, Eera raised her arms up. “My loyal worshippers! Tonight is the time to begin the great change!” She pointed her claw at the bonded human girl. “I will use this human’s power to open the time portal to the demonic invasion. Once I travel to the past, I will change the course of the war to ensure my victory. Then a new era shall expand across this world!” She stepped toward her audience. “Your existence will fade away, but you will be reborn as great servants to my kind. No more suffering and isolation for you if you obey the new superior race. And we will torture those who will stand against us for eternity! Remember this night before your minds cease from existence. Remember your savior for what she did for all of you!”

Her cultist tribe roared with loud applause. Jenny couldn’t understand why all of them would die for their false goddess.

"Now it is time to begin the ritual!" Eera turned toward the time stone and placed her claws on it.

With her eyes closed, she mumbled a chant that Jenny couldn’t understand. A demonic spell in her own language?

Then her hands glowed red on the time stone like fire. The runic symbols on the stone shined into a blue glow.

Jenny could feel the power growing inside the stone as if the force was pulling her toward it. Then she noticed the stone was sucking her blue energy into it. Her body temperature rose, and the pull grew painful. She gritted her teeth with her eyes shut.

It felt like she was being pulled apart. If the ritual doesn't stop, she might not survive.

"Jenny!"

Jenny flashed her eyes open. "Huntar?"

Three hooded figures clambered to the platform and removed their robes. Huntar, Zena, and Rani revealed themselves in front of Eera. However, Torag and Basju weren’t with them. Hopefully, they weren’t dead.

Huntar pulled out his broadsword and pointed it at the demon goat woman. "Release Jenny, you fiend!"

"Or we will crush you!" Zena shouted.

Eera snarled as she stood behind the time stone, keeping her red glowing hands over it. "You will not stop me. My worshippers! Protect your goddess!"

The robed cultists charged toward the platform like a screaming mob. Each of them carried daggers to spill blood.

While Zena and Rani knocked each cultist off the platform, Huntar engaged the demon. But Bladen landed in front of the lion and blocked Huntar’s sword.

"You will not harm her!" The wolf roared, pushing Huntar’s blade back with his two swords.

The lion glared. "I'll harm anyone who harms Jenny!"

The wolf kicked Huntar back and swung his two swords. Huntar dodged the strikes and fought back against Bladen.

Everyone battled around Jenny while Eera focused on drawing Jenny’s power into the time stone. Above her, a blue swirling sphere of light grew in mid-air. It must be the time portal! Eera was already summoning it!

"Torag!" The rhino charged down past the stone seats, ramming through the mob.

Jenny sighed, almost fearing the worst.

A hooded figure rose next to the altar. Jenny almost screamed until he removed his hood.

“It’s me!” Basju whispered.

Jenny widened her eyes with a grin. “Bas-”

The monkey placed his finger on his lips. “Sssh! I will free you.”

From his pocket, he pulled out a key and unlocked the shackles on Jenny’s limbs. The moment the cuffs opened, Jenny sat up and rubbed her wrists. “Thank you.”

Basju saluted her and jumped into battle. Indeed, he was a sneaky monkey.

Jenny stood up on the table and looked down at Eera. The demon spun around and widened her eyes at Jenny.

“What?” she exclaimed.

Jenny smiled. Her skin glimmered white, and her hair flowed in the air. Half of her energy returned to her body. "Are you ready for your punishment?"

The demon goat woman stepped away from the time stone. “You can’t stop me! I am stronger than you since I have taken most of your power!”

“But can you stop this?” Jenny held up her left hand and formed a white energy ball. Then she tossed it down toward the time stone.

Eera widened her eyes at Jenny’s attack. “No!”