I stood outside the building, my back against the rough stone wall. The sun had nearly set, and the air was growing colder with every passing moment. My breath left small clouds as I exhaled slowly. The silence was heavy, broken only by distant echoes. Then I heard it—a sound, loud and sudden.
At first, I thought it might be another demon attack. My body tensed. But as I listened more closely, something about it felt... familiar. I didn't want to leave Carlos's side. He was still inside, barely holding on. I hesitated, waiting to hear the sound again.
And then I did.
"Gentaro! Carlos!"
It was Iris.
Then another voice—Liam's.
I spun around, heart pounding. Without another thought, I rushed in the direction of the voices. My boots slammed against the broken stones as I ran. When I turned the corner, I stopped cold.
There they were.
Liam and Iris. And between them, Julian. He looked like he was in agony. His face was twisted in pain, his lips trembling as he screamed. His hands were both badly burned, red and blistered. Smoke still rose from his skin.
I scanned the street quickly. No demons. Not now.
"I'm over here!" I shouted, raising my hand.
They turned their heads, spotting me. Iris nodded, and they moved as fast as they could. Liam and Iris each held one of Julian's arms, helping him walk. He was barely able to move his feet, and every step looked like torture.
As they got closer, I reached out and helped them steady him.
"We need to get him inside," Iris said, her voice shaky. "He touched something... something cursed, I think."
I guided them back to the small stone building where Carlos and the rescued family were still sheltering.
Carlos was awake, but he looked pale and weak. The blood loss had drained him completely. His eyes were open, but they moved slowly, and his breathing was shallow. He looked like he hadn't eaten or drunk water in days. Still, when he saw Julian, he tried to sit up.
I helped lower Julian onto the wooden table, careful not to touch his hands. Iris immediately began trying to heal him. Her hands glowed with a soft blue light as she hovered them over his skin, whispering incantations through clenched teeth. But the burns didn't heal. If anything, they seemed to resist her magic.
Liam stepped outside, guarding the door. He didn't carry a sword, but his stance was sharp, his eyes scanning every shadow like a hawk.
I stayed beside Carlos, resting one hand on his shoulder.
"You're safe," I whispered. "Stay with me, alright?"
Moments later, I heard the sound of boots approaching. Heavy, sure steps.
Captain Strix.
He stepped through the door, his cloak torn and bloodstained. His eyes looked tired but focused. Behind him stood a man we hadn't seen before. Dressed in damaged noble robes, he leaned against the captain for support.
"Minister Malcolm," Iris breathed.
Strix had found him.
"How did you know where we were?" Liam asked as he stepped back in.
Strix looked at us but didn't answer right away. "I'll explain later," he said simply.
Then his eyes fell on Julian.
He walked over slowly and knelt beside the table. He looked at the burns, at Iris's magic still failing to work, and then met my eyes.
"It won't heal," he said.
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
Strix took a deep breath and sat down on a nearby stool.
"There's an old story," he said. "A legend I used to hear when I was a boy. They said that long ago, during the Demon Wars, a dark warlock created weapons for demons—tools of war made from cursed metal. One of those blades, they say, was bound with a spell. If a human killed a demon using that blade, it would curse the next human who touched it."
He looked at Julian again, eyes filled with regret.
"The curse sets the weapon's memory in stone. The demon may die, but the blade remembers. And when another human touches it, the blade burns their hand with fire from the pit of hell itself. It scars them. Not just on the outside, but inside. The pain stays. For life."
Iris blinked, stunned. "That's... that's a myth. A campfire tale."
"I thought so too," Strix said. "Until today."
Julian coughed, his voice raw. "So what? I'm cursed forever?"
Strix stood again. "We'll find someone. A healer. A mage. Someone who knows old magic. But right now, we need to ease your pain, even if only for a while."
He turned to Iris.
"You stay here," he said gently. "Carlos needs someone by his side. Julian can't move in this condition. Protect them. If anything comes close, you know what to do."
She nodded, still looking shaken.
Then Strix looked at the rest of us.
"Come on," he said. "Let's finish this."
We followed him back into the night.
For hours, we fought. We cleared the streets one by one. Every demon that remained in the city—we hunted them. No corner was left untouched. No building unchecked. The firelight glowed around us as our swords cut through the dark.
I lost count of how many we killed. My body moved on instinct. I didn't speak. I barely breathed. All I could think of was the look on Julian's face. The way Carlos had tried to smile through the pain. The way Iris's hands trembled.
By the time the last demon fell, the city was quiet again. Not peaceful—no. But still. Still enough for us to hear the wind, to feel the cold.
The stars were out when we returned.
We walked slowly back to the building, our boots heavy, our cloaks soaked with sweat and blood.
Inside, everything was quiet. The family we had saved earlier slept in the corner, curled up together for warmth. Carlos was resting, his chest rising and falling more steadily now. Julian was asleep too, though his face still twisted in pain from time to time.
Iris sat by the fire, holding one of Carlos's hands gently. Her head rested on the side of the chair, her eyes half-closed. When she saw us come in, she smiled weakly.
"You're back," she whispered.
"We are," I said.
Strix didn't say a word. He just walked to the corner, leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes.
I sat beside the window again and looked out. The moon was high now, casting silver light across the ruins.
I thought of everything we had done.
Everything we had lost.
Everything we had saved.
I looked at Iris. She still hadn't let go of Carlos's hand.
And in that small, quiet moment, I realized something.
Even in a city burned to ash.
Even in a world full of curses.
Love still stayed.
Hope still lingered.
And as long as we had that—we hadn't lost everything.