Silence filled the air, broken only by the crunch of leaves underfoot and the distant cry of an owl. The deeper the group ventured, the thicker the trees and grasses grew. Yet there was no trace of anything demonic. No strange footprints, no scattered leaves, no unnatural signs.
Code exhaled, a plume of cold air escaping his lungs. His eyes grew heavy, and it took effort to keep them open.
Complaints began to drift from behind. "Gods, my legs are killing me," one man groaned.
Hours passed. The sun began to set, casting pale golden light through the overhead canopies. Still, nothing appeared.
"Is there even a demon?" someone whispered.
"We should've seen signs by now if there really was one."
"I'm exhausted."
Code glanced ahead at Ran and Kael. Their faces had hardened; concern was clear in their postures. 'Wait…' An unwanted thought crept into Code's mind. 'Low- and mid-class demons usually stay near forest edges. If we've come this deep without a trace…' He forced the idea away and kept walking.
More time slipped by. The moon rose, bathing their faces in silver light.
"You know what?" Lyra—the sorcerer in the black cloak—snapped, stopping abruptly. The whole group halted and turned to her.
"There's no demon here. We're just wasting time!" she shouted.
"Maybe a little farther," Kael said evenly.
"Ridiculous!" Dane—the leader of the cloaked group—barked. "It's almost dark! There's nothing!"
Ran raised a hand. "Keep your voice down. You'll attract something worse than nothing." But his warning only fueled the tension.
"There's nothing here, goddamn it!" Alric screamed. "The villagers must've lied to you!"
"Impossible!" Ran shot back. "They wouldn't lie about a demonic attack!"
"I'm done!" Dane yelled.
"Same," Lyra and Alric said in unison.
"This is suicide," Jadda snarled, jabbing his staff toward Ran. "If you want to die, do it alone."
Code stayed quiet beside Elara, arms crossed, watching the scene unfold. "Man, free drama like this is better than any show," he muttered. Elara, standing next to him, hadn't moved or spoken; she simply observed.
The shouting escalated into a heated argument until Kael had enough. He stepped forward and slammed his palms together once. The sharp crack echoed like a gunshot. Birds erupted from the branches in every direction, and the forest fell instantly silent.
Code blinked in awe. "Damn," he muttered.
Kael placed a heavy hand on Ran's shoulder. They exchanged a few low words, then Kael turned to face the group.
"We've decided," he said, voice deep and commanding. "Anyone who wants to leave is free to go. But understand this: the village pays only for the demon's head. No completion means no coin. If you walk away now, you get nothing."
"What the fuck?!" Alric protested.
"What about all the walking we did?!" Dane grumbled. He exhaled heavily and leaned back against a tree. Lyra rubbed his shoulder. "Oh… leader," she said in concern.
"Make your choice now," Kael replied flatly.
The decision took less than a minute: Four turned back. Six remained.
"Tch. My life's worth more than your suicide pact," Dane spat as his group disappeared into the trees.
"Don't scream too loud when it eats you," Alric called over his shoulder. "No one's coming to save you."
The forest fell silent again.
Code bowed his head to hide his delighted grin. 'That's more…!' he thought, beaming inwardly.
Ran walked over and tapped him on the back as he stood. Code avoided eye contact, trying to conceal his joy.
"Honestly thought you'd be the first to bail," Ran said.
Code gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah… haha."
Ran clapped him on the shoulder again. "Guess I shouldn't have doubted you."
Kael cleared his throat. "We're six now, so we'll need a tighter formation. Swords and battle specialists surround the healers. We cannot lose our only support." He glanced at Elara, who gave a slight nod.
"One last time," Kael said. "If anyone wants to leave, now's the time."
A soft night wind howled through the leaves, but no one moved. Code clenched his jaw. 'I'm not going back with nothing,' he told himself.
"Okay then. Ran, lead the way!" Kael ordered.
"Alright." Ran took point. "Fucking bastards!" he rasped, punching a nearby trunk in frustration. He froze when a wet thud answered back.
"Huh?" Code blinked.
"Wa—was that me?" Ran asked, voice cracking in disbelief. "M-maybe I've finally awakened my powers," he whispered delightedly, staring at his fist.
But he was wrong.
Because the thud came again, louder this time. The ground trembled beneath their boots as leaves rained downward.
Code's breath hitched. "What the hell is that?"
Kael's face darkened. "Something's coming," he announced, turning toward the sound.
Almost immediately, something massive flung past his ear and collided with a tree meters away.
Code stumbled back. "What the—"
Ran staggered, eyes wide with horror. He dropped his fist and stared at the tree.
Pinned to its trunk was a human body—broken, mangled, and twisted beyond recognition. The face was battered in, legs crushed, arms shattered, blood pouring from every wound and drenching his cloak in crimson.
The face was barely recognizable, but still unmistakable.
It was Dane.
His eyes remained open and twitching. His cracked lips gradually parted and kept repeating the same word.
"De… de… mon…"
Code clamped a hand over his mouth. His heart raced, threatening to burst.
Then came the thud again, shaking the forest floor. The woods themselves seemed to hold their breath.
"A demon," Ran whispered.
"Yeah," Kael replied grimly.
"De… de… mon…"