Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
M y mouth drops open in shock, and I turn my head to watch the makeshift cage we created. The space is crammed. There's only Ze and the countless shadows that are now screeching every time they come in contact with the barrier before disintegrating. The more shadows the demon creates, the more they perish as they try to cross over.
"They're not sentient," I note.
"No, they are not. At this point, I doubt the demon itself is too sentient. It's consumed too much energy to be able to think of anything else but the urge to attack—and the desire to feed. It needs to defend itself and find more sources of energy," Cer explains.
"That's why he was coming for me. The demon saw me as his next meal," I add drily.
"Could be."
"Will Ze run out of energy, too?"
"Unlikely," he answers tersely.
He's been fighting relentlessly and only on the defensive. I now see that it was all in an attempt to make the demon weaker because soon, the rate at which he's creating the shadows slows down.
"Are all demons like this?" I inquire, trying to imagine the effort it would take to defeat more of them.
"Ascended ones, yes. This is considered a level one, although he's a very developed level one."
"What's the highest level?"
Cer gives me a side glance—one I take to mean do you want to know?
"Twelve."
"What?" I blink repeatedly, thinking I haven't heard him right. If this is only one, then how powerful can a level twelve demon be?
"Level twelve are considered to be the most powerful. There aren't too many of those, and we've never encountered one in a fight so far," Cer explains.
"It's why we have an army dedicated to this problem," Thea interjects. "If these demons were let to roam freely around, there would be no more souls left in the universe."
"That's incredible. And no one knows you guys do that—that you're basically real-life superheroes."
"Well," Thea's expression sours. "They do have multiple fan clubs at home."
"His energy levels are going down," Cer interrupts us, nodding to the cage.
Ze's wielding his sword with both hands, rotating it in a circle. His speed is out of this world as only flashes of white remain as he moves it, taking out all the shadows in his vicinity. He takes one step at a time as he gets closer to the demon. And at some point, the demon stops producing those external shadows.
By the time Ze reaches his side, all the shadows are gone. The only thing remaining is the extended body that seems to be losing control.
When he's only one step away from the demon, Ze puts his sword away, his movements incredibly graceful as he slides it into the scabbard before resting his palm on top of the handle.
The demon releases a loud, roaring sound as he tries to move forward. The added weight of his body makes the earth quake with each step, and it's quickly evident that he's slowed down by the additional limbs. He tries to land a blow on Ze, but he's too slow.
Ze looks entirely unbothered as he plants himself right in front of the demon. Bringing his hands forward, he clasps his palms together until a purple-like energy emanates from him. He looks up at the demon, his eyes full of focus as he presses his palms to his chest, pushing the purple energy into the demon.
The demon opens his mouth to release a deafening screech that slowly turns into a myriad of cries for help—all in different voices.
"What the..." Cer mutters, taking a step forward. His eyes are wide with shock.
"The souls," Thea whispers. "They're still in there."
I purse my lips. I don't dare to hope that might be true. But as I watch the energy emanating from Ze's hands and onto the demon, I start to make out different shapes emerging from that monstrous body.
"How is this possible?" Cer shakes his head. "I've never heard of a level one demon retaining the souls after ascension."
"Maybe we got in time?" I add.
"No. Without the energy of the souls, the demon would have been unable to ascend. So how the hell did he do it?"
Colorful particles of mist erupt from the demon, filling the room and creating a kaleidoscope of color. But I quickly note that they're trapped in the black circle, swirling around the air and hitting the barrier before floating away, only to attempt it all over again.
The demon's screeches intensify as he loses more and more souls, his additional limbs evaporating. From the giant hulking mass of flesh he was before, now he resembles a child in stature. His cries become sharper until suddenly they stop.
Ze takes a step back, the purple disappearing from around his hands. He regards his handiwork for a moment before he nods to himself. Before I can blink, he withdraws his sword once more and pushes the sharp tip into the demon's body. This time, it doesn't heal anymore. As Ze withdraws his sword, the demon's physical manifestation becomes fragmented, bubbles appearing on the surface. Slowly, the bubbles rip through its flesh as if it's being burned by a caustic substance. It gets eroded until nothing remains of it. Nothing but the empty floor with no stains, nor any trace of a past presence.
Ze sheathes his sword, turning his gaze to us. He steps carefully over the circle of black dust.
"The Collectors will be here any moment," Ze mentions.
"That demon... I've never seen anything like that," Cer says, his expression still one of awe. "How did you know it hadn't consumed the souls yet?"
"I didn't," Ze replies blankly.
Cer frowns.
"Why didn't you kill it directly then? You attacked it as if you knew the souls were still inside of it."
"Did I?" Ze muses, his gaze dipping to me. There's an odd gleam in his eyes that makes me question my previous impression of him. If he didn't know about the souls, then...
I give him a tentative smile. Maybe he's not such a bad guy after all. Sure, he might be a little gauche, socially inept, and overall rude, but he fought until the end without even knowing if it was worth it. And going by Cer's words, he could have killed the demon at any point.
But he didn't.
He seems puzzled by my smile, a frown pulling at his brows as he stares at me for a good moment.
My smile wavers under his intense perusal. What is it with him and staring—all without saying one word?
"You were really good in that fight," I add, just to fill the silence.
He's still watching me intently, a low sound erupting from his throat in what I think is meant to be a grunt of acknowledgment. But he doesn't open his mouth to say anything. He just...stares.
"Uhm," I stammer, looking at Cer and Thea for help. But they seem just as puzzled by Ze. Maybe he's just that odd. "Will I be able to see the Collectors when they come?" I decide to ask, once more to divert the attention from me.
"Probably not—" Thea starts speaking. But she doesn't get to finish as Ze interrupts her, taking a step forward and barking a low command.
"Give me your hand."
For a moment, I'm not sure what he means, but he doesn't await my answer as he grabs both of my hands in his big ones. My God, he really is a giant.
"What are you—" The words die on my tongue as he bends down, spitting on the back of my right hand before repeating the process on the other.
My mouth is hanging open in shock—for the thousandth time today? He spat on me not once, but twice now.
And on top of that, now he's smearing his spit on my arms.
Yet I can't find it in me to argue with him—not when the pain from the blistered skin is already receding. The red skin slowly heals, healthy tissue swallowing up the damaged one.
"Wow," I whisper.
I'd felt the healing effects before, but this is the first time I'm seeing his saliva in action.
"Thanks. I guess?"
He releases another grunt before stepping back. Yet his staring doesn't cease. Well, that must just be his manner. Who am I to judge after seeing him fight so well? He's officially won us the first trial, bringing me one step closer to getting Nikki back. For that alone, I'm willing to overlook any...eccentricities.
A white swirl of air appears within the circle, making the souls more erratic than before. It's almost like a portal, remaining open right in the middle while the souls move around it, almost as if being sucked inside.
"They're here," Cer says.
"I can only see a white mist." I frown.
"That's them. They're not visible to the naked eye," he explains further.
"Do we still need to convince them to go back?"
"I think at this point they're all pretty willing," Thea jokes, describing that the souls are overjoyed to have escaped the demon and that the Collectors are having an easy job getting them to cross over.
We wait for moments on end, and Thea relates to me what's happening that I cannot see. One soul after another, they say yes to the crossing. There must be over a hundred souls that the demon had accumulated over time.
"Is Olive there?" I ask, remembering the sighting.
Thea smiles.
"She is. I guess now we know how she came to be at this location when she died in another country. The demon must have eaten her soul there before coming here. And he used her projection to draw other victims."
I nod, happy with the outcome. At least now she'll be able to find peace in the afterlife.
"There are only a few left." She points out to the few particles of colored mist remaining.
When the last ones have left, the portal snaps shut and the entire room returns to its initial state.
It's rather shocking to realize that the first trial is done.
"We did it," I whisper, slowly turning toward the other three. "We did it, guys!" I squeak in excitement, jumping up and down. Thea joins me, grabbing my hands as we twirl and hop around. The guys, however, are merely looking at us with bored expressions on their faces. Cer shakes his head at Thea, already used to her shenanigans, while Ze simply stares at us. His hands are behind his back, his spine straight, his chin tipped up. He stands so still, no muscle moves on his face.
"We passed the trial," both Thea and I chant as we continue to jump up and down.
Yet our mirth quickly dissolves as I release a loud, startled scream, letting go of her hand and tripping on my feet. I fall back on my ass, staring wide-eyed at the translucent half-human, half-whatever-it-is thing in front of me. The torso resembles a young woman, but around the hips, the body is cut off, extending into a tail of sorts that doesn't touch the ground. She's floating, almost as if that tail was a cloud of smoke. She's a grayish color, wavering between a transparent white to a solid dark gray when her features are most pronounced.
"I think there's one more," I say as I point to the apparition, my voice trembling from the scare.
"That's not a soul," Ze steps forward, assessing the newcomer with curious eyes. "It's a wraith. They are used as messengers of the underworld," he explains before he sets his intense gaze on the wraith. "State your purpose," he commands her.
She floats in the air, her face serene and devoid of any emotion. It's just...blank.
"Congratulations. You have passed the first trial and are officially invited to join the second one. Is there anyone in your team who would like to withdraw?" she asks in a mechanical voice.
Ze turns to me, his eyes piercing.
"You." He points to me. "Now is the time for you to quit."
"W-what?" I burst out.
"You'll never survive in this, human. So quit while you can."
His words leave me flabbergasted. And here I was starting to warm up to him.
"No, thank you. I will not withdraw," I state firmly as I get to my feet.
"Noted," the wraith quips.
"Human," Ze addresses me in an exasperated tone, once more forgetting I actually have a name.
"Luce," I correct. "And I'm seeing this through. I wasn't useless in this round. I'm not going to bring the team down."
"Because I saved you," he fires back.
Well, I certainly can't argue with that.
"I helped," I repeat, pushing my chin up.
"The contestant has confirmed her position," the wraith continues. "What about you?" she asks the others.
Ze gives me a murderous look before he shifts his gaze to Thea.
"I'm in, too," she quickly adds.
And just like that, Cer and Ze confirm their participation, too.
"Congratulations," the wraith repeats in the same dry tone. "You can continue in the same formation or individually. How would you like to proceed?"
Before anyone can say anything, Ze responds.
"Same formation."
Thea and Cer raise their brows at him while I simply narrow my eyes, wanting to convey that I'm still mad at him.
"Noted. The second trial will take place in P'davi. You have until the end of the week to be present at the gates of P'davi for the convocation. You will be assigned your second trial upon arrival."
"P'davi?" I frown.
"It's another world," Thea whispers.
"But how will we get there?"
"You will need to find your way by following a list of clues."
Out of nowhere, she materializes an envelope that she hands to Ze.
"What happens if we don't find it?" I ask, confused.
"Since your ongoing participation has been noted, if you fail to make it to P'davi by the end of the week, you will be eliminated from the game."
I stare at her. How the hell is that fair? But I'm realizing very few things about this game are. I open my mouth to ask another question, but the wraith says a stilted goodbye before she disappears.
"What's in the envelope?" I ask as I go to Ze's side, getting up on the tips of my toes to get a better look.
He gives me a glare—shorter than his usual—before he slowly takes out a sheet of paper from the envelope. There's an illustration of five squares, one in the middle, one up, one down, one left and one right. In the middle of the first square, there's a drawing of a rising sun, together with two symbols.
I'm fairly sure the writing is Chinese. But the rest? How are we supposed to decipher that?
Cer and Thea come to get a look at the clues, but they don't seem overly concerned about the odd drawings. If anything, they look pretty indifferent, which is completely insane to me.
My blood is boiling just thinking about how unfair this is. It's almost as if getting to the second trial is a trial in itself. How else are we supposed to decipher those odd drawings?
"Why is no one freaking out about this?" I ask when no one says anything.
Ze turns his gaze to me. "Because it's not hard. Maybe for your little?—"
"Human mind." I roll my eyes. "I got the general idea. So why don't you go ahead and tell me what this is all about, Mr. Know-it-all?"
He narrows his eyes at me, just watching me. For moments on end.
I clear my throat.
"You're probably just not as familiar with this as we are," Thea intervenes. "Here." She snatches the paper out of Ze's hands, earning herself a scowl. Drawing me to her side, she points to the squares. "The squares are equivalent to the five elements. Or, in Chinese mythology, it was a way to group the five sacred mountains. The second clue is the rising sun in the middle, which is associated with the east—and in Chinese mythology, that is Mount Tai. The last clue and the one that confirms the location is the Chinese symbols for bi xi , which is a mythological creature with the body of a tortoise and the head of a dragon. And some of the earliest and most famous representations of it are at a temple on Mount Tai."
As she finishes the small history lesson, I stare at her in awe.
"How do you know that?" I whisper.
Wasn't she asking me what phones were just the other day? How would she have no idea how the modern world works but know everything about Chinese mythology?
"Doesn't everyone know this?" she replies, looking genuinely confused.
"Um, no? I would have never in one million years thought of China or Mount Tai."
"But it's a holy place!" Thea bursts out.
I blink at her.
"Maybe to some people, but I've never heard of it before."
She turns to her brother and Ze.
"This is blasphemy, I tell you. Blasphemy! "
I'm shocked at how vehement she is about it. Thea's voice becomes increasingly distraught, to the point that her brother has to intervene, taking her in his arms and leading her to the next room over.
"What was that?" I turn to Ze, who's standing still as a stone and equally expressionless. "Why was she so hurt about that?"
His piercing stare meets mine.
"She's passionate about this subject," he answers casually.
"That was more than just being passionate."
"We need to leave for Mount Tai. How long will it take us to get there?" He changes the subject.
"I'm not sure. A day or so?"
He frowns.
"On foot?"
"Of course not. We'll need to take a plane to China, and then probably a car to reach Mount Tai."
He stares at me, unblinking.
"What is a plane?"
I take a deep breath. Right. These people are experts in Chinese mythology but have no idea what a plane is. But that's not the most pressing issue right now. To get on a plane, I'll need to go through passport control. It hasn't escaped me that I'm technically a fugitive—okay, maybe not that bad, but there's a warrant out on my name. The moment I check into a flight, the police will be notified.
My eyes snap shut as I ball my hands into fists in frustration. Of course nothing would be easy. How the hell am I supposed to bypass the police and get to China? Do I even need a visa to go to China? Do they ?
need a visa to go to China? Do they even have passports?
"We'll talk more about that at dinner. I'm starving."
"Dinner," he repeats, an odd look on his face.
"Food? I don't know about you guys, but I need food to survive," I explain, my tone less than civil.
"Food. Fine. We will get food," he decrees with the same air of superiority as before.