Kael

Kael’s eyes locked onto the dragon with a fire I hadn’t seen before. The nervous, uncertain boy who had hesitated at the thought of facing this beast was gone. In his place stood something entirely different—someone entirely different.

His feet shifted, planting firmly into the ground. The air around him buzzed, charged with energy, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

No, not gone. Just... too fast to see.

I barely caught the blur of his movement as he leapt, soaring through the air with impossible grace. In an instant, he was atop the dragon, perched on its massive, writhing back. It wasn’t a teleportation spell—I was sure of that. I’d felt no ripple of mana, no disturbance in the magical field. This was pure, unadulterated speed, honed to perfection.

I couldn’t help but gape, my mind racing to keep up. “What... in the hells is this kid?” I muttered under my breath, my fingers tightening around my staff.

The dragon roared, twisting its head to dislodge him, but Kael was already moving again, dashing along the creature’s ridged spine like it was nothing more than a paved road. He stopped at its head, crouched low, his fist clenched tightly.

The sun blazed high overhead, its light glinting off the dragon’s crimson scales. For a moment, the battlefield seemed frozen, time suspended as Kael reared back, his fist glowing faintly with crackling energy.

Then he struck.

The sound that followed wasn’t just the impact of his fist against the dragon’s skull. It was a roar of thunder, a deafening clap that echoed across the field and shook the very ground beneath us.

From the sky, a bolt of lightning descended, as if summoned by the sheer force of Kael’s blow. It struck the dragon’s head in perfect tandem with his punch, the two forces combining into a blinding explosion of light and sound.

I shielded my eyes, squinting through the glare just in time to see the impossible.

The dragon, this mighty, seemingly invincible creature, was falling.

Kael’s punch, amplified by the raw power of the thunderbolt, had driven the dragon from the sky. Its massive form plummeted to the ground, crashing with an earth-shattering impact that sent shockwaves rippling through the field.

Dust and debris filled the air, but I could still see him. Kael stood atop the dragon’s head, his body crackling with electricity, his stance steady despite the chaos around him.

I swallowed hard, my mind racing to process what I’d just witnessed. “Did that... did that kid just—” I cut myself off, unable to finish the thought.

Kael had brought a dragon out of the sky. With his bare hands.

In all my years of fighting, I’d seen feats of strength, cunning, and magic that defied logic, but this? This was something else entirely.

The dragon growled low, dazed but far from defeated. Its massive claws scraped against the ground as it tried to regain its footing.

I pushed myself upright, ignoring the ache in my side as I gripped my staff. My mind raced, focusing on what little I could do to help in this moment. With a whispered incantation, I conjured an orb of water, the shimmering sphere swirling at the tip of my staff.

The dragon’s eyes briefly flicked toward me as I launched the orb. It soared through the air and splashed against its massive body, a strike that seemed insignificant against the scale of the beast. But that wasn’t the point.

The water spread across the dragon’s scales, seeping into the cracks and crevices, leaving a glistening sheen behind. The creature shook itself, as if annoyed, but the damage wasn’t immediate. No, that would come with Kael.

Kael’s feet shifted, planting into the dirt with a deliberate power, and his body coiled like a spring. Before I could blink, he was gone, a blur of motion that seemed to vanish and reappear atop the dragon’s head.

He didn’t hesitate. His fist, crackling with pure electricity, descended with a force that defied reason.

When it struck, the thunderclap that followed was unlike anything I’d ever heard, a roar of sound so loud it made the ground tremble beneath my feet.

The dragon recoiled, its massive body convulsing as arcs of lightning coursed across its scales. But then I saw it—the water.

The liquid from my earlier orb had seeped into the dragon’s hide, amplifying the impact of Kael’s lightning. The electricity danced across the wet surface, crackling and sparking with renewed ferocity. The beast’s movements became jerky and erratic, its muscles spasming as the electricity tore through its body with amplified intensity.

Kael didn’t stop.

Another punch landed, and another thunderclap followed, each one sending a fresh wave of lightning surging through the dragon. The sky itself seemed to answer his strikes, jagged bolts of lightning tearing through the heavens and meeting his fists with each blow.

Despite the scorching sunlight overhead, the battlefield was a storm of sound and fury, with Kael at its center, relentless and unstoppable.

I watched in awe as he moved, his speed and power unmatched. Each punch landed with surgical precision, and every strike sent another surge of electricity through the dragon’s body, the water from my spell acting as a perfect conductor.

“This kid,” I muttered under my breath, unable to keep the amazement from my voice. “Magnificent.”

The dragon, desperate now, lashed out with claws and tail, but Kael was already gone, dodging and weaving with effortless grace. He stayed on its head, his fists a blur of motion as he continued his assault.

With one final roar, Kael reared back, his entire body surging with electricity. His fist crackled with a blinding intensity, arcs of lightning dancing across his form as if the storm itself was channeling through him.

Then he struck.

The punch landed squarely against the dragon’s neck, and for a brief, impossible moment, everything seemed to freeze.

And then, the air itself exploded.

The sheer force of the blow unleashed a shockwave that rippled outward in all directions, kicking up dirt and debris as it slammed into the earth. The sound was deafening, a thunderclap so loud it felt like the heavens were splitting apart.

The dragon’s massive head didn’t just recoil—it severed entirely from its body. The impact sent it hurtling through the air, tumbling to the ground with a bone-rattling crash that left the field silent in its wake.

The beast’s massive body swayed for a moment, as if in disbelief of what had just happened, before crumpling to the ground in a lifeless heap.

Kael stood there, his fist still raised, his body crackling with fading electricity. He was breathing hard, his shoulders rising and falling with each labored breath, but his gaze was steady, fixed on the fallen dragon.

I could only stare, my grip tightening on my staff as I processed what I’d just witnessed.

Greed

Kael stood in the stillness that followed, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths, his fists still faintly crackling with remnants of the power he’d unleashed. I watched him closely, noting the way his body trembled—not from weakness, but from something deeper. Something new.

Kael turned to me, his eyes wide, not with triumph but with confusion. “What... what just happened?”

I approached cautiously, gripping my staff as if I needed its grounding. “That’s what I’d like to know,” I said, scanning him with both my gaze and my magical senses. The air around him still felt charged, buzzing with energy that seemed to come not from magic but from within him.

Kael looked down at his hands, flexing them like they didn’t quite belong to him. “It’s like... I could feel something,” he said slowly, his voice almost hushed. “Flowing through me. Like a river or a current. I didn’t think—I just knew what to do.”

I tilted my head, studying him. “Chi flow,” I said, the words deliberate. “I’ve read about it. Rare, almost unheard of in someone your age... but clearly, it’s real.”

He blinked at me, clearly still processing, then gave a shaky laugh. “So I’m... what? Special?”

“Special’s one way to put it,” I replied dryly, though a part of me couldn’t help but feel impressed. Whatever had awakened in Kael, it was powerful. And useful.

But my attention shifted quickly as my gaze fell on the battlefield around us.

The dragon lay dead, its massive body sprawled lifeless across the cracked earth. The village in the distance was eerily silent, its people either too frightened or too far to witness what had just transpired.

And then, my eyes landed on Lyara and Bram.

Lyara’s charred, lifeless form was crumpled in the dirt, her once-bright aura extinguished. Bram, bloodied and broken, lay motionless a few feet away, his hammer still clutched in his hands as though he’d been trying to rise even in his final moments.

I should’ve felt something.

Sorrow. Loss. Guilt, maybe.

But instead, there was a strange hollowness, a void where grief should’ve been.

I stood there, silent, letting my eyes linger on their bodies. Lyara, whose magic had shielded us. Bram, whose strength had carved our path here. They were gone.

And yet...

A cold, calculating thought crept into my mind, unbidden but impossible to ignore. Five thousand gold.

With Bram and Lyara gone, the share of the reward would be split between Kael and me. Five thousand gold each—a sum large enough to set me up comfortably for years. It was an ugly thought, but it came easily, almost naturally, as if it were the logical conclusion.

Kael’s voice snapped me out of my reverie. “Thalia?” he asked, his tone uncertain. “What... what do we do now?”

I glanced at him, noting the worry in his eyes. He was young, inexperienced, still reeling from what he’d just discovered about himself. He needed guidance.

“We move forward,” I said simply, turning away from the bodies.

Kael’s voice cracked slightly as he gestured toward the still forms of Bram and Lyara. “Shouldn’t we... do something? For them?”

Before I could answer, one of the villagers hurried toward us, their expression a mix of exhaustion and gratitude. They stumbled to a stop in front of me, bowing slightly as they struggled to catch their breath.

“Thank you,” the villager said, their voice trembling with emotion. “You’ve saved us. The dragon... it’s finally dead.”

I nodded, gripping my staff tightly. “The job’s done,” I said simply, gesturing toward the massive corpse of the dragon. “It’s yours now. Do whatever you see fit with it. But...” I hesitated for a moment before pointing toward Bram and Lyara. “Give those two a proper burial. It’s the least they deserve.”

The villager nodded solemnly, their gaze shifting to the fallen pair. “Of course,” they murmured. “We’ll see to it.”

I offered no further words, simply inclining my head before stepping back.

Kael and I lingered for a while, watching as the village began to stir with cautious celebration.

Children, their fear momentarily forgotten, scrambled onto the dragon’s massive carcass, climbing its lifeless form with gleeful shouts. Some of the older villagers approached the dragon with knives and tools, carefully cutting away chunks of its flesh. They carried the meat to hastily built fires, the rich smell of roasting dragon meat filling the air.

The scene was oddly... heartwarming.

I crossed my arms, watching the laughter and activity with a faint smirk. “Not bad,” I murmured to myself.

Kael glanced at me, his expression still heavy with the weight of the fight. “Not bad?” he echoed, clearly struggling to understand my calm.

I gestured toward the villagers, the children laughing, the families gathering, the fires burning brightly against the midday sun. “They’re alive. They’re free. They get to live their lives because of what we did today.”

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He followed my gaze, his shoulders relaxing slightly. “Yeah,” he said softly. “I guess you’re right.”

I let the satisfaction settle over me, brushing aside the lingering fatigue from the battle. All because of me, I thought, the words oddly comforting.

“Come on,” I said after a moment, turning back toward the road. “We’ve done our part here. Time to move on.”

Kael hesitated for a moment, his eyes lingering on the celebrating villagers and the fallen forms of Bram and Lyara. Then, with a nod, he followed me.

At the gate of the village, we were met by the village head—a frail old man who looked like a strong gust of wind might knock him over. The thought of gently nudging him with my staff to see if that was true flickered through my mind for a brief moment, but I pushed it aside.

He bowed his head deeply, his voice quivering as he spoke. “Thank you, travelers. You’ve done what no one else could. The village owes you everything.”

I crossed my arms, letting his gratitude wash over me without much thought. “Gratitude is nice,” I said, my tone clipped, “but I’m here for the payment. Ten thousand gold. That was the deal.”

The old man nodded quickly, almost too eagerly. “Yes, yes, of course. The gold... it’s in the cave just outside the village.” He gestured with a bony hand toward a shadowy opening near the base of the hill. “It’s all yours, as promised.”

I squinted in the direction he pointed. Somehow, I hadn’t noticed the cave when we arrived. That wasn’t entirely surprising—I’d been a little preoccupied with the massive, fire-breathing dragon at the time.

Next to me, Kael remained uncharacteristically silent. His sharp eyes followed the old man’s gesture, but he didn’t say a word. If he’d seen the cave earlier, he gave no sign.

“Fine,” I said, nodding curtly. “We’ll get our reward and be on our way.”

The village head mumbled a few more words of thanks, but I wasn’t really listening anymore. My focus had shifted to the cave ahead, my staff tapping lightly against the dirt as I started walking toward it.

Kael followed close behind, his steps unusually quiet.

As we walked toward the cave, the dirt path crunching under our boots, Kael finally broke the silence. “Ten thousand gold,” he said, a spark of excitement lighting up his voice. “That’s a lot of money. My mom… she won’t have to suffer anymore.”

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, noting the genuine joy spreading across his face.

“I can move her out of Velbridge,” he continued, his words tumbling out faster now. “Maybe to a warmer town. Somewhere peaceful, you know? Away from all the mess. And—” he gestured animatedly, his enthusiasm almost contagious—“I could even open up a training ground. Now that I can, you know…” He flexed his fingers, tiny sparks of electricity dancing across his knuckles. “Now that I can do this.”

I chuckled softly. “So, a kid who can barely hold himself back from punching a dragon decides he’s going to teach discipline? That’s rich.”

Kael grinned, unbothered by my jab. “Hey, you’ve got to start somewhere.”

His enthusiasm was almost endearing, enough to make me forget for a moment the exhaustion still weighing me down.

“What about you?” he asked suddenly, his bright eyes turning to me. “Five thousand gold is a fortune. What are you going to do with it?”

I hummed, letting the thought settle. He wasn’t wrong; five thousand gold was more than I’d ever handled at one time. “I’ll probably give some to Roderick and his family,” I said, the words coming easier than I expected. “They could use it more than me. After that… maybe I’ll finally retire from monster-slaying. This job isn’t exactly kind to people my age.”

Kael scoffed, a teasing grin pulling at his lips. “You? Retire? I don’t buy it. You’re still too good at this to quit.”

I raised an eyebrow, smirking despite myself. “Good or not, kid, I’m getting too old for this. My back hurts, my legs ache, and I’m sick of sleeping in the dirt half the time.”

Kael laughed again, his grin wide and genuine. “Maybe, but you’ve still got a lot of fight left in you. And let’s be honest—you’d get bored in, like, a week.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help smirking at his unshakable optimism.

“And that spell,” he added, his voice tinged with excitement. “The one you used on the dragon—the huge explosion? That was awesome! I reckon if it wasn’t a dragon, whatever you hit would’ve been toast in a second.”

I glanced at him, my grip on my staff relaxing slightly as I allowed myself a small chuckle. “Supernova,” I said. “It’s not the kind of spell most mages use lightly.”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Why not? It looked like it could wipe out an army.”

“It could,” I admitted. “But the thing about Supernova is that it’s pure mana. Unfiltered, uncontrolled. That kind of raw energy doesn’t just drain your reserves—it tears through them. Most mages can only manage it once, if that, before they’re spent. They’d be defenseless afterward.”

Kael tilted his head, considering my words. “But you didn’t look spent,” he said, a note of awe creeping into his voice.

I gave a slight shrug, my tone casual. “For me? I could cast it twice. Maybe three times in a row if I really pushed myself.”

His jaw dropped. Literally dropped. “Three times?!” he exclaimed, staring at me like I’d just told him I could juggle dragons.

I smirked, enjoying his reaction more than I should’ve. “What can I say? Big mana pool. Comes in handy.”

Kael shook his head in disbelief, letting out a low whistle. “And here I thought I was strong. Guess I’ve got a long way to go.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “Don’t feel too bad, kid. You just punched a dragon to death. Not exactly something most people can claim.”

He grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, but three Supernovas? That’s a whole other level.”

I waved him off, my smirk turning into a full grin. “Let’s just hope I don’t have to use it that many times anytime soon.”

He laughed, the sound bright and infectious, and for a moment, the weight of the past few days felt a little lighter. But as the cave loomed closer, I tightened my grip on my staff once more, readying myself for whatever awaited us inside.

The entrance to the cave yawned before us, its interior a black void that seemed to swallow the dim light of the day. The air that seeped out was thick, damp, and carried a stench so foul it made my stomach churn. It reeked of decay, of rot, and something else—something unnatural.

Kael stood beside me, his fists clenched, his usual bravado muted as he stared into the darkness. “We’re really going in there?” he asked, his voice low, almost hesitant.

I tightened my grip on my staff, my lips pressing into a thin line. “Not if I can help it,” I muttered, my instincts screaming at me to stay put.

Then we heard it.

A wet, dragging sound echoed from the depths of the cave, accompanied by a shallow, rattling breath that sounded more like a death rattle than actual breathing.

The stench grew worse, thickening the air around us until I could practically taste it. I raised my staff, its tip glowing faintly with light, casting long shadows on the jagged walls of the cave.

And then it emerged.

The creature dragged itself slowly into view, its bloated, misshapen body moving with a sickening squelch as it left a glistening, oily trail in its wake. Its flesh was mottled green and black, pulsating with each labored breath, as if the very act of existing was a struggle. Boils covered its swollen frame, each one throbbing rhythmically, as if about to burst.

Kael inhaled sharply, his fists clenching tighter. I couldn’t blame him. Even I, who had seen my share of monstrosities, felt a wave of nausea roll over me.

Its face emerged from the shadows, and I had to fight the urge to recoil. One bulging eye twitched erratically, far larger than the other, which was sunken and clouded over like a rotted fruit. Its wide mouth stretched unnaturally across its face, revealing crooked, yellowed teeth that jutted out at disturbing angles.

And then it smiled.

The grotesque twist of its mouth sent a shiver down my spine, the sickening grin dripping with malice and mockery. Its breath came in shallow gasps, each one wet and labored, as though the effort to draw air into its vile form caused it pain.

“Thalia,” it rasped, its voice wet and gurgling, like it was drowning on its own words.

I froze, my blood running cold. I knew this creature. Not from life, but from my dreams—my nightmares.

The same grotesque figure that had smiled at me in the dark now stood before me, all too real.

It dragged itself closer, its massive bulk quivering with every movement, leaving a slick, stinking path of filth behind it. The air around us grew heavier, fouler, until it felt like even breathing would poison us.

Kael stepped back, his eyes wide with a mixture of horror and confusion. “What... what is that?” he whispered, his voice barely audible.

The creature stopped just short of us, its grotesque face tilting upward to meet my gaze. That smile widened, impossibly so, and for the first time, I saw its tongue—a blackened, writhing thing that slithered between its jagged teeth.

I gripped my staff tighter, forcing myself to stand firm. “I don’t know,” I said, my voice steady despite the unease clawing at my chest. “But it looks like it knows us.”

And that grin only widened.

The creature let out a rattling, gurgling laugh, its grotesque form trembling with amusement. “Oh no, no,” it rasped, its bulging eye twitching erratically while the sunken one remained eerily still. “I only know you, Thalia.” It leaned forward slightly, the stench of decay rolling off it in waves.

Kael took a half-step back, his fists clenching. “What the hell are you supposed to be?”

The demon didn’t even spare him a glance. Its focus remained locked on me, its sickening smile never faltering. “Tell me, Thalia,” it hissed, its voice slithering through the air like a serpent. “How does it feel? To have it all within your grasp—the gold, the reward. Everything you’ve worked so hard for, all the sacrifices you’ve made, all the blood you’ve spilled. Doesn’t it feel... intoxicating?”

I tightened my grip on my staff, forcing myself to meet its uneven gaze. “I don’t feel anything about it,” I replied curtly. “It’s just a job. And you’re just another thing standing in my way.”

It chuckled again, the sound wet and broken, like a laugh strangled by its own filth. “Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong,” it said, its voice growing softer, almost conspiratorial. “It’s not just a job. It’s desire. It’s hunger. It’s the need to have more, to climb higher, to take what you believe is yours. That, my friend... is what we call greed.”

Kael scoffed, stepping forward despite the foul air. “Yeah, well, some of us know when to stop,” he said defiantly. “Not everyone’s obsessed with having more.”

The demon’s grotesque face twisted into something that might have been amusement. “Do you now? Then why, boy, did you punch your way through seven men just to chase a bag of coins?”

Kael froze for a moment, his mouth tightening into a line, but the creature didn’t give him a chance to respond.

“It felt good, didn’t it?” it continued, its grin widening. “The power. The victory. The satisfaction of knowing you were better, stronger. And now, you’re here, chasing even more. Tell me, boy—how many more will you take down for the sake of your precious gold?”

“Shut up,” Kael muttered, his voice low.

“And you,” it said, swiveling its grotesque gaze back to me. “You, Thalia. The infamous mage who killed Envy. That’s what they call you now, isn’t it? A demon-slayer. A hero.”

I felt a flicker of annoyance but didn’t let it show. “I didn’t kill a demon because I wanted a title,” I said. “She got in my way. That’s all there is to it.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” it rasped, its tone dripping with mockery. “But tell me—when you buried her, did you feel it? That thrill of accomplishment, of knowing you’d taken something so powerful and crushed it under your heel? That’s the beauty of greed, Thalia. It’s not just about gold. It’s about more.”

I rolled my eyes, trying to shake off the unease creeping up my spine. “If you’re here to preach, save your breath. You’re not convincing anyone.”

The creature chuckled again, this time with a darker edge. “Convincing? No. I don’t need to convince you. I can feel it already—inside you, deep down. That drive to survive, to win. You can deny it all you want, but it’s there. Just like it’s there in everyone.”

Kael shot me a worried glance, but I ignored it, focusing instead on the demon’s next words.

“And now,” it said, its grin faltering slightly, “you’ve caught the attention of my brothers.”

“Your brothers?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh yes,” it hissed, almost gleefully. “You are marked. Envy was the weakest, but still, her death was no small thing. My brothers will be... interested in you, I think. Hopefully, it’s not Astoroth. You wouldn’t survive that.”

My lips tightened. “It’s Lucian.”

The demon’s smile disappeared instantly, replaced by a sneer of pure disgust. “Lucian,” it spat, as if the name itself tasted foul. “That pompous fool. Of course, it’s Lucian. Always skulking about, thinking he’s better than the rest of us. Hmph.”

I couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at my lips. “Trouble in paradise?”

The demon’s gaze snapped back to me, and for a moment, the amusement and mockery were gone, replaced by something darker. “Careful, mage,” it growled, its voice low and venomous. “Mock me all you want, but remember—you may have killed one of us, but you are marked now. That mark binds you to us, and there’s no running from it. Not from me. Not from him.”

I raised my staff slightly, my smirk fading. “We’ll see about that.”

My grip on my staff tightened as I stared at the grotesque creature before me, forcing my mind to focus. This thing was a demon, no doubt about it—its twisted form, the oily slick it dragged behind, and the palpable aura of corruption that clung to it like a second skin. But every creature had a weakness, even demons.

The slick trail it left behind caught my attention again, gleaming faintly in the dim light. It smelled like rot and oil, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was as flammable as it looked. A fire spell might do the trick—quick, efficient. But this thing wasn’t just some monster skulking out of the woods. It was a demon. Stronger, smarter, and probably far more resilient than anything I’d faced before. Fire alone might not be enough.

I needed a plan. Something calculated. Something decisive.

The creature’s wet, gurgling voice dragged me out of my thoughts. “You know,” it rasped, tilting its grotesque head to one side, its bulging eye twitching. “I do miss my siblings.”

I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone.

“Belephas,” it said, its voice tinged with something almost like melancholy. “And dear Baelzeth. If only Astoroth hadn’t been so... impulsive. They’d still be here. And together, we would have conquered this wretched world.”

Kael frowned, glancing at me for some kind of explanation. I didn’t have one, keeping my attention locked on the demon. “Astoroth killed them?” I asked, my voice steady, though my stomach twisted at the thought.

The creature nodded slowly, its jagged teeth glinting in its unsettling grin. “Oh yes,” it hissed, almost lovingly. “Our eldest brother. So strong, so angry. He couldn’t stand their... ambitions. He thought himself better than us. And in his wrath, he destroyed them. Snuffed them out like candles.”

It let out a guttural chuckle, its body quivering with the motion. “But he’s not wrong,” it added, its tone almost wistful. “Astoroth is better. And someday, when he’s finished tearing apart this continent with the war he brought, he’ll finish what we started.”

I narrowed my eyes, the pieces of the demon’s words clicking into place. Belephas and Baelzeth were long gone, Astoroth was a force to be reckoned with, and this creature before me was their siblings, another one that will hunt me to death.

Either way, it didn’t matter. I couldn’t let it live.

But for now, I needed to stall, to glean more information, while my mind worked on refining the plan. I straightened slightly, my staff still at the ready. “You talk a lot for someone about to die,” I said evenly, watching its reaction.

The demon’s grin only widened, its sunken eye narrowing. “Oh, Thalia,” it purred, oozing mockery. “Let’s see if you can prove that little boast.”

My grip tightened further. I didn’t just need a plan. I needed the right plan. One shot, no mistakes. Because if I failed, I doubted I’d get a second chance.

As if he could hear my thoughts, Kael surged forward in a blur of movement so fast I barely registered it.

“Kael, wait!” I shouted, but he was already gone, a streak of motion hurtling toward the demon.

His fist connected with the creature’s grotesque form, and the sound of thunder reverberated through the cave, so loud and sharp it made my ears ring. The demon staggered slightly, but Kael didn’t stop. Another punch followed. Then another. Each impact was accompanied by that same deafening crack of thunder, the echoes bouncing off the jagged cave walls like a storm trapped inside.

By the fourth punch, I had to grip my staff tighter just to steady myself, my head pounding from the sheer force of the sound.

Finally, the assault ended, the air thick with the remnants of Kael’s fury. He leapt back to my side, his breath heavy but controlled, his fists still crackling faintly with residual energy.

And yet... the creature remained standing.

Its bloated body barely swayed as it tilted its grotesque head, the sickening grin stretching wider across its distorted face. “Oh, my,” it rasped, a wheezing giggle bubbling up from deep within its throat. “That tickled.”

Kael’s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked down at his fists—fists that had brought down a dragon mere hours ago. Now, they were coated in the demon’s slimy, oily residue, the thick substance dripping from his knuckles like tar.

“What... what is this?” Kael muttered, shaking his hands as if to rid himself of the filth. The slick refused to budge, clinging stubbornly to his skin, and I could tell by the look on his face that it wasn’t just unpleasant—it burned.

The demon let out another giggle, its bulging eye twitching as it watched Kael’s reaction with twisted glee. “Oh, little boy,” it crooned mockingly. “Did you really think your fists were enough to stop me? A dragon is one thing. But I... I am something far greater.”

I gritted my teeth, my grip tightening around my staff. This wasn’t going to be as simple as brute force. Kael’s strength was incredible—something I’d seen bring a monster as mighty as a dragon to its knees. But against this creature? His punches hadn’t even made a dent.

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To be continued