Asher pushed the coffin's lid slowly open, its smooth surface sliding effortlessly aside, releasing a gentle wave of radiant mana that cascaded softly over him.
As the coffin opened, revealing what lay within, Asher's eyes widened as he saw a human skeleton neatly wrapped in a white silk cloth, only the skull visible. The bones seed delicate, clearly belonging to a woman. An uneasy chill crawled down his spine.
His brows knitted in confusion as he slowly turned his gaze towards Skully, suspicion flaring in his voice, "Who is this woman? Why would you keep her here? Did you know her?"
Skully's hollow voice echoed softly, unsettling as ever, "She's here for you."
Asher stared at Skully incredulously, bafflent clear in his expression, "Are you serious? How am I supposed to have any connection with so ancient human who existed eons before I did?"
Skully tilted his skeletal head slowly, the magma-like glow in his eye sockets flickering ominously, "You possess an artifact that connects your mind with the dead. Use it. Find out the truth for yourself."
Asher hesitated, his heart thudding in his chest. Yet, seeing no other path, he took a deep breath and reached into his spatial pocket, pulling out the eerie Wraithlord's Crown. Its cold tal surface felt familiar yet unnerving under his fingers.
Placing it upon his head, he felt the chilling sensation instantly snake into his mind, tugging his consciousness away from reality. The skeleton's empty eye sockets stared back at him, and suddenly his surroundings began to lt away into a dark, swirling void.
His stomach lurched as the world around him twisted, spinning until he found himself standing in a grand opulent room though the sheer familiary of it hit him hard as mories of this room flooded.
This wasn't a room he could easily forget.
But he felt small and found himself moving on his own, walking past a mirror. But in that split second, he looked at the mirror only to feel shocked to see a little girl less than 10 years old, her auburn hair freely flowing, freckles dancing across her delicate features. Those hazel eyes briefly glanced at the mirror before looking away.
His heart clenched painfully as he easily recognized who this little girl was, "Why am I here…? Why am I seeing you…?" Asher tried to whisper, but no sound erged from his lips.
It felt like he was living a mory of hers, from her body.
All this hit him hard, vivid and hauntingly real. His heart quickened, having no idea what the hell this was.
He found himself, or to be exact, the girl walked towards the balcony of her room.
The place was unmistakable—the grand estate on Earth that had beco both his salvation and his curse.
She seed to gaze at the huge gate at the entrance.
It was then it struck him what day this was.
An elegant woman whom he recognized as Elizabeth, stood tall, confident, and authoritative just like he rembered, stirring complicated feelings in his heart. She looked very graceful and alive, making him wish he could just run to her and save her from her fate.
He saw her beckoning a younger version of himself and another child forward, her heels clicking firmly on the neat stone path. It was none other than Irina, whose figure once again made his heart clench.
"This is it, kids," Elizabeth said in her smooth, commanding voice, eyes glancing down at him with distant warmth. "This is where you'll be working from now on. Follow ."
His younger self hesitated before stepping through the gate, heart pounding with anxiety, innocence still reflected in his eyes.
The garden within was breathtaking—a lush variety of vibrant blossoms, their fragrances filling his senses. Yet his eyes were drawn upward, towards the elegant manor at the garden's heart.
He saw his young self's gaze getting drawn towards the little girl on the balcony.
This was the day he first t her. But why was he seeing this? How could this be possible?
Before he could grasp the aning, the scene blurred again, shifting swiftly to another familiar mory.
Now, he saw himself standing in a adow. And not too far, he saw his teenage self sitting beside a serene pond, staring bitterly at his reflection, the face of his teenage self twisted in disgust and self-loathing. His heart lurched again, recognizing this mont imdiately.
"Cedric, why did you run away from us?" He heard a gentle, soft voice as if it ca from his own body, making him realize he was still seeing things from her eyes albeit a teenage version of hers.
He saw his teenage self turning slightly, glimpsing at her as she spoke, "You have no idea how worried we were. Co with now. Let's go ho."
He jerked his head away, glaring at his reflection with revulsion, "Don't co near !"
She stopped, but refused to retreat entirely. Crouching down, she gazed at him gently, voice soothing yet worried, "What's wrong?"
He clenched his fists, feeling tears sting his eyes, "You know what's wrong…you saw it yourself! You saw what happened to when I got trapped in the demon world." His voice cracked, heavy with despair, "I-I transford into a demon!"
He turned abruptly, locking eyes with her, anguish tearing through his chest, "Can you believe it? Instead of radiant mana, I was channeling demonic mana…the very essence of those vile monsters…the ones who slaughtered people I cared about...my mother. I swore to destroy now. A-And now, I'm one of them!"
He whipped back to stare bitterly at his reflection, voice trembling, "I don't even know why I'm still alive…I don't deserve to live…Everything I touch turns to ruin. I couldn't even recognize myself when I felt that demonic power surging inside. All I knew was rage and pain—the urge to destroy everything. I let my team die and almost killed Irina when I returned."
She was quiet for a long mont, her voice gentle yet firm as she finally spoke, "You're not a monster, Cedric. What happened was beyond your control. You fought to survive. You're still you—soone who protects those he cares about."
But her comforting voice barely reached him through the storm of pain. He shook his head, overwheld, "You don't understand! Nobody can. The things I've done…the things I felt…It doesn't change that I am sohow a demon. If anyone knows…they will kill for sure but maybe that's what I deserve. I don't want to live a second longer as a demon."
He gave a sideways glance at her, his eyes heavy with suspicion and lingering fear, and asked in a strained voice, "So...why did you not report ? Or are there people waiting to kill ?"
She released a soft, gentle sigh as she knelt gracefully beside him on the cool grass.
He rembered gazing at her hazel eyes, filled with an emotion he couldn't quite place, t his as she delicately picked up a wilted lily that had fallen near her feet.
Her fingers brushed against its faded petals as if she felt sorry for it, before she gently reached out and took his trembling hand into hers.
"D-Don't touch !" he flinched, panic surging through him, and tried to pull away. "I don't want to hurt or corrupt you."
But her grip, though tender, held firm as she smiled faintly, shaking her head with calm certainty, "You can't hurt , silly. See... nothing is happening to ."
He hesitated, the weight in his chest easing slightly as he gazed into her srizing hazel eyes.
She carefully opened his palm and placed the wilted lily into it, then held his hand in hers, softly cupping it. Her warmth seeped into him, chasing away his fear bit by bit.
Her gentle voice broke through his anxiety, clear and reassuring. "You are not a monster or a bad person just because you sohow managed to channel dark mana."
He watched in silent wonder as a radiant, pure white light started to glow from her hand, flowing into his. His heart thudded faster as he saw the lily in his palm slowly begin to revive. Its petals regained their color and vitality, blossoming beautifully as if they had never wilted at all.
"You said everything you touch gets ruined," she continued softly, her gaze firm yet warm. "But that's not true, Cedric."
His breath hitched, eyes wide in disbelief and hope as she went on, "You've saved so many lives already, and you'll save many more in the future. Monts of darkness can't change who you truly are. People like us—we face darkness every day, but it's our choice whether to break or stand strong. If you let yourself break, the monsters win. The people you care about will die. You vowed never to let them win, rember?"
Her voice grew firr, unwavering in conviction. "Anything bad that happens to you—turn it into your strength. If you can channel darkness, it only ans you're invincible against monsters in the demon world. Don't see it as a curse, Cedric. It's a part of your strength."
He swallowed hard, his vision blurred by tears as he stared into her unwavering eyes, his voice barely audible, fragile and raw. "Why...why do you believe and trust so much? How do you know I'm not a monster? How do you know I'll save people in the future?"
She smiled softly, her eyes glowing with affection and a mysterious certainty. "I don't know how to explain it, Cedric. But from the first mont I saw you, I felt in my heart that you're the light we'd all desperately need against the darkness that tries to devour us."
She rose gracefully, extending her hand to him with gentle reassurance. "Now let's go ho before everyone gets worried. This will be our little secret. Don't worry."
He blinked away tears, and, feeling a warmth he'd never imagined he could feel again, reached out and took her hand.
Asher's heart sank, tightening painfully in his chest, the mories hitting him hard in a way he didn't want to and before he knew it, the scene shifted abruptly.
The cold winds of the snowy mountain howled softly against the wooden walls of the cabin as she stepped through the entrance. The interior, dimly lit and slling faintly of lted snow and steel, imdiately fell into silence the mont her boots thudded softly against the floor.
Asher ntally frowned upon seeing her walk into this cabin, rembering that this was the day he died in his human life, though in this mory he hadn't died yet.
All eyes turned toward her—at least twenty of so of the most powerful Hunters humanity had birthed. They didn't speak, but the air thickened with wariness and restrained hostility. Asher, still unseen, was watching all of this unfold within her mory, silently observing with a heavy sense of dread.
Derek, with his pristine uniform, radiant blue left eye glowing faintly beneath his blue-tal eyepatch, stepped forward with his usual smug calm. "Where is Cedric?" he asked, voice casual but his stance tight.
Aira kept her expression unreadable as she calmly answered, "He's scouting ahead. Preparing for the worst... just in case."
She walked past him, letting her gaze sweep over the others—Lenny, Lena, Rhino King, and the rest.
All of them wore the weight of the decision they'd already made.
Her fingers wrapped around the handle of the porcelain teapot resting on the table, the steam from the cup rising gently. She poured herself tea in silence.
Lena stepped beside her, voice quiet and prodding, "Aira… you made a decision, right? You ca back alone. That must an you've chosen."
The room held its breath.
Aira sipped from her cup, eyes closing briefly. The tea was bitter. Fitting.
Derek's voice deepened with pressure, "I know how much you care about him and how much you don't want this to happen. But you know what happens if you don't cooperate. Even if you survive… there won't be a place in this world for you. You'll be hunted down, worse than any demon. So help us out here and this will just be another bad mory that you will forget in ti."
Aira lowered her cup, her fingers gently setting it back onto the table.
From Asher's perspective, watching through this strange imrsion, he clenched his fists. This was it—the mont she betrayed him. The weight of his past pain returned like a blade reopening an old wound.
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