Chapter 1: New Design...
Strom carefully fitted the new frame around the pendant's main gem.
The old chain remained unchanged, but the frame was completely different. Two metal sections held the gem between them, secured by a small locking pin.
Strom pushed the pin into place and tested it.
It held.
He pulled it back out then both sides separated.
Strom (satisfied): "Now try locking my Dragon!"
Sam (impressed): "And what are you gonna do then?"
Strom (proud): "I'll free her. Easy."
Wraith looked at the repaired pendant for a moment before raising a question that had been bothering her.
Wraith (curious): "So... what about all those demons lately?"
The others went quiet.
Astrid (serious): "Yeah. I've noticed it too. They're attacking way more often."
Sam: "Same here. I've heard about demons showing up in places they normally never go."
Wraith (annoyed): "And honestly, I'm done with them. Seriously."
The recent encounters immediately came back to them.
#1 The Attack of the Headless Hunter...
A few nights earlier, several farmers had complained that something was destroying their crops after dark.
Sam decided to investigate.
He casually wandered through the farmlands at night, looking around for anything suspicious.
Then he spotted a distant figure standing in the middle of the fields.
Tall and Bulky.
One hand held a sharp sickle.
But there was one obvious problem.
There was no head.
Nothing above the neck.
The creature suddenly raised its weapon.
Headless Hunter: "I'll kill you."
Sam: "Bro, how are you talking?"
For a second, the Headless Hunter stopped.
It clearly hadn't expected that question.
Then it immediately charged because he isn't came here to answer someone.
Sam: "Never mind."
The distance between them disappeared quickly.
Sam cast a spell.
In an instant, the Headless Hunter vanished and reappeared somewhere far away.
Sam (walking away): "Go buy one brain."
The memory faded.
#2 The Tea Monster...
It had been a quiet morning.
Wraith was making tea while Strom stood in the kitchen doorway.
Strom already believed Wraith's cooking was some form of witchcraft.
Today, that theory was starting to look surprisingly reasonable.
Wraith added the tea leaves on the boiling water.
A strange, skull-like shape suddenly formed from the rising steam.
Wraith (quietly): "The hell?"
She added sugar.
A small blast suddenly burst from the cup.
Wraith: "Ehh!"
She immediately ran behind Strom, apparently deciding that he was now responsible for saving her from the tea.
Strom stepped into the kitchen, looking genuinely offended.
Strom: "A tea can't be that scary, Wraith!"
Then he looked at the cup.
He went silent.
Two glowing eyes stared back from inside the tea.
One was red.
The other was purple.
Strom slowly stared at it.
Then...
SPLASH! (The unfinished tea hit the ground dramatically)
Strom (defeated): "No one is drinking tea."
The memory faded to the aftermath, with Strom and Wraith cautiously sipping tea anyway.
#3 The Grocery Monster...
In Valkyrie territory, it had been a peaceful evening.
Astrid was returning from the market with two baskets of groceries when she suddenly noticed that one of her hands felt lighter.
She looked down.
One basket had been ripped open.
Several groceries were missing.
Astrid looked behind her.
A tiny, cute-looking demon was sitting there, happily eating them.
Astrid (delighted): "Aww! So cute."
She placed the other basket on the ground and slowly approached it.
The little demon looked up.
The moment Astrid got close enough...
Demon: "AAAAAA!"
Its mouth opened.
An absolutely ridiculous number of razor-sharp teeth filled it.
Astrid's expression changed immediately.
A moment later, the demon was flying through the air, heading straight for an unfortunate piece of scenery.
Astrid's kick had sent it flying.
Astrid (angry): "Bitch ate my groceries!"
She picked up whatever groceries remained intact and walked away, still cursing the demon under her breath.
The memory faded.
Back in the present, Strom looked down at his repaired pendant.
Strom (thoughtful): "Something's definitely changed."
Sam: "I heard it's because of some lock."
Wraith (confused): "A lock? Like a padlock?"
Sam: "No, not a padlock. Something way bigger. I don't remember its name, but..."
Strom: "You mean some ancient seal or something?"
Sam: "Yeah! Its name was... something eternity... or... I don't know."
Astrid (impatient): "Who cares? Just tell me how we're supposed to get rid of it."
Sam: "We can't. Not because of our region."
Strom (confused): "What?"
Sam looked toward the village.
Sam: "Every region has something special, right? Some have rivers, some have mountains, some have ancient structures..."
He pointed toward the village.
Sam: "Our region is famous for having the highest demon population."
Wraith (sarcastic): "Famous for what? Wow."
Strom (dryly): "Can't even blame the winds at this point."
The group continued talking.
None of them noticed the distant figure standing beyond the village.
Two eyes remained fixed on them.
Watching...
Or...
Waiting...
Chapter 2: The Hell Is Happening?
That same evening, the four of them sat together in silence.
The strange demon attacks had been bothering all of them, but nobody seemed to know where to begin.
Then an idea suddenly popped into Strom's mind.
Strom: "I think it's adventure time, guys!"
Astrid: "What adventure?"
Strom: "Since we're sitting here unemployed, why not step outside and find whatever we can?"
Sam: "That's actually a good idea. Let's investigate this mystery. We'll take different directions."
Wraith: "So anyone can kill us. Wow!"
Sam: "Just run away. It's a very effective strategy."
Strom: "Yeah, he's right. If we all go to the same place, we'll just find the same thing four times."
The others looked at each other.
It was actually a reasonable plan.
A few moments later, they gathered whatever they needed and stepped outside.
Even if the plan was basically:
Find clues.
And if something dangerous appeared:
Run.
Each of them took their weapons.
Strom headed toward the northern forest, his spear resting in his hand.
Astrid went toward the fields, where several farms had been damaged.
Wraith headed toward the village. The villagers didn't hate her, and she could move around there without immediately attracting suspicion.
Sam had no intention of fighting anyone today.
He went straight to the library.
By the time they reached their destinations, evening had already disappeared.
Night had arrived.
A bright full moon hung between dark clouds.
Cold winds moved through the region, carrying an unnatural silence with them.
The northern forest was especially quiet.
Not even the animals seemed willing to make a sound.
The recent demon attacks had disturbed more than the people.
It felt like they had disturbed nature itself.
Strom looked around.
Strom (under his breath): "What happened to our world?"
Then his eyes caught something between the trees.
A figure.
Standing completely still.
Two red eyes glowed in the darkness.
Strom (raised his spear): "Who's there?"
The figure moved.
Inhumanly fast.
Far faster than Strom could react.
Before he could even raise his weapon properly, the figure grabbed him and sank sharp teeth into his neck.
Strom immediately shoved her away and grabbed his neck.
Blood trickled between his fingers.
Strom: "The fuck?"
The figure wiped her mouth.
Vampire: "Eh! Your blood tastes very bad."
Strom: "There's your lesson. Don't drink dragon blood."
The vampire looked at him strangely.
Something about him was different.
She had encountered plenty of people before.
Most reacted to vampires with fear, when others immediately tried to kill them.
But Strom was still holding his weapon...
And he still hadn't attacked her.
Strom lowered his spear slightly before speaking.
Strom: "There isn't a single vampire within five villages. What are you doing here?"
Vampire: "What? Does your dad own this forest?"
Strom: "Answer the question. And what's your name?"
The vampire smiled slightly.
Vampire: "My name is Natalya. And yours?"
Strom: "I'm Strom. And seriously, tell me why you're here."
Natalya looked toward the deeper part of the forest.
Natalya: "I'm here because someone calls me there."
Strom: "Who?"
Natalya: "Something like a voice in my head. A presence... but with no body. Something unnatural."
Strom frowned.
Strom (annoyed): "Lady! Just speak without making puzzles, for God's sake."
Natalya: "Okay, you win."
She looked back at him.
Natalya: "I was saying that something came into my dreams. It spoke to me and told me to come here."
Strom: "You mean something ghost-like? Or some ancient power?"
Natalya: "Something like that. But I don't think it's a normal ghost."
She paused.
Natalya: "There was a huge void."
Strom stared at her.
He clearly had no idea what to make of any of this.
Meanwhile, in the library...
The library had suffered a terrible fate.
Not because of a demon but because of Sam.
A room that had once been clean and organized now looked like an earthquake had passed through it.
Books were scattered across the floor.
Scrolls were piled on tables.
Notes were everywhere.
The librarian stood at the entrance, staring at the destruction in silence.
His smile disappeared the moment he saw Sam.
He already knew that at least two hours of his life had just been sacrificed to cleaning.
Librarian: "Why do you need to visit this library every three days?"
Sam didn't answer.
He continued searching.
But his research wasn't going particularly well.
He didn't even know exactly what he was looking for.
He searched for records of demon attacks.
Different demon species.
Unusual activity.
Anything.
But nothing explained why demons were suddenly appearing everywhere.
Eventually, after digging through countless old notes, he found something.
An old fragment.
Only one sentence remained readable.
"They have to answer him whenever he wants..."
Sam: "Answer who?"
He looked at the missing portion of the page.
Whatever had been written there was gone.
Meanwhile, in the village...
Wraith moved from house to house, asking villagers if they had noticed anything strange.
The villagers were surprisingly helpful.
Some mentioned strange marks appearing across trees, walls, and roads.
Others spoke about voices they had heard during the night.
Some sounded like demons.
Others sounded like beasts crying in the distance.
Several villagers claimed they had seen completely different kinds of demons, creatures they had never encountered before.
Eventually, one villager gave Wraith another lead.
Villager: "You should meet an old woman. One of those creatures attacked her recently."
Wraith: "Is she alright?"
Villager: "She's alive, but badly hurt."
Wraith (hesitated): "I hope she can help me."
Villager: "She will. We know you're not a bad demon, Wraith."
The villager gave her the address.
Wraith followed.
When she arrived, she found an old woman lying on a woven cot while a young girl, possibly her granddaughter, prepared food nearby.
Wraith approached quietly.
Her footsteps made almost no sound.
Then she stopped.
Her eyes moved toward the woman's injuries.
She recognized the marks immediately.
The pattern of the claws...
They belonged to her own kind.
A blue demon had attacked this woman.
Wraith's expression changed.
If she walked over and started asking questions now, there was a chance the girl would become frightened.
Wraith slowly backed away.
She decided to leave.
But then...
Something hit her mind.
The world around her disappeared.
Wraith stood inside a dark void.
There was nothing around her.
No ground.
No sky.
No sound.
Then two red eyes opened in the darkness.
They stared directly at her.
Wraith froze.
The eyes narrowed.
And just as suddenly as it had appeared...
The vision disappeared.
Wraith stood in the village again.
Her heart was beating uncontrollably.
Wraith (breathing heavily): "W... what was that?"
She looked around.
Nothing.
Whatever had reached her...
It was gone.
Meanwhile, in the farmlands...
Astrid had already found enough to make her head spin.
There were marks everywhere.
Some were claws.
Some were footprints.
Some clearly belonged to reptiles.
Different creatures had passed through the farmland.
A lot of them.
Astrid crouched down and examined the ground.
But something was strange.
None of the tracks suggested that the creatures had attacked anyone.
Astrid: "Maybe they never wanted to fight..."
She looked toward the forest.
Astrid: "They were just passing through?"
CRUNCH!
Astrid immediately turned.
A tiger stepped out from the forest.
It remained at a reasonable distance.
But something about it was wrong.
Strange markings covered its body, like tattoos.
Its claws were stained with fresh blood.
Astrid tightened her grip on her weapon.
Then the tiger suddenly changed.
Its body transformed into a human girl, then immediately ran away.
Astrid (eyes widened): "What the..."
She knew the girl wasn't a demon.
So why was she here?
Astrid followed her trail toward the deeper part of the forest.
Eventually, she reached the place where the tiger had emerged.
There, she found the answer to at least one question.
A demon lay motionless on the ground.
It had clearly been attacked by something with claws.
Astrid looked around the forest.
Astrid: "So someone is hunting them..."
That was another mystery.
If demons were gathering here...
Who was hunting them?
Meanwhile back in the northern forest...
Strom was still trying to understand Natalya.
He rubbed his neck.
Strom: "You know what? I think you need a glass of water and some rest."
Natalya looked offended.
Natalya: "You think I'm lying?"
Strom: "Who the hell is going to believe someone talking about a voice in their dreams telling them to come here?"
Natalya stared at him for a moment.
Then she suddenly transformed.
Her body shrank into a bat.
Strom: "Wait!"
The bat flew into the darkness.
Strom watched her disappear between the trees.
Strom: "Hey, wait!"
Footsteps suddenly approached from behind him.
Strom turned.
Several villagers emerged between the trees.
They were carrying fire torches.
Strom's expression immediately changed.
They were standing in a dry forest.
With fire.
Villager: "Strom! Did you see a vampire here?"
Strom: "No! Why?"
Villager: "We've heard there's a vampire here. We're going to kill her."
Strom looked at their torches.
Then at the dry trees around them.
Strom: "Come on. You know there is no vampire here. And put those flames away. You could hurt the entire forest."
The villagers looked at each other.
Villager: "Yeah, yeah. We're going."
They slowly backed away, still searching the area before eventually leaving.
Strom watched them disappear.
Strom: "God protect everyone."
He turned and began walking away from the forest.
The moonlight followed him through the trees.
The forest became quiet again.
But Strom didn't notice the figure standing between the trees behind him.
Two crimson eyes glowed in the darkness.
Watching him.
Waiting for the right moment...
Chapter 3: Chaos of Thanks...
When the whole village had fallen into a deep sleep, only one house remained awake.
Strom's house.
The four of them had gathered everything they had discovered so far, trying to connect the pieces.
Even though none of it seemed to make sense.
Strom (frustrated): "Just tell me what we can connect with this shit!"
Every clue looked different depending on where they stood.
Demons were gathering in certain places, but not attacking.
But some demons were attacking.
Someone was hunting other demons also.
Someone was calling them here.
And then there was that strange line from the old note.
"They have to answer whenever he wants..."
But who was "he"?
And what proof was there that "they" even meant demons?
Sam (tired): "You know what? I think we should sleep."
Strom (exhausted): "Yeah. Overthinking at night isn't necessary today."
Wraith and Astrid had already gone to sleep, leaving only Strom and Sam awake, still staring at the clues.
Neither of them even knew why they were still trying.
Eventually, the torches burned down.
The house went quiet.
The Next Morning...
Morning tea usually brought freshness.
Today, it brought nothing.
Strom and Sam were still thinking about everything from the previous night when they finally noticed something.
One thing connected almost every demon they had encountered.
They had all been moving in the same direction.
They began mapping their movements, marking every location they had investigated.
Sam (pointing at the map): "On the south side, there's a big cave. I think they're going there."
Astrid (confused): "But what's inside that cave?"
Wraith (thinking): "I think they're all searching for something. If someone is calling them here, then they're probably here to complete some kind of work."
Strom remained silent.
Natalya's words suddenly returned to his mind.
A dark void...
Two glowing red eyes...
What if that thing was inside the cave?
Strom (serious): "We should stop them from entering that cave."
Sam (raising an eyebrow): "Bro, the demon invasions have been going on for more than two weeks. I'm pretty sure they've already entered that cave by now."
Astrid (looking at the map): "I think he's right. If they've already entered the cave, then why are more demons still coming?"
Wraith (quietly): "Are they really trying to free someone?"
Strom (looking at her): "Who?"
Wraith (hesitating): "Someone with red glowing eyes in the darkness?"
Strom (immediately): "How do you know?"
His response came so quickly that everyone noticed.
Sam slowly looked toward him.
Astrid raised an eyebrow.
Strom turned back to Wraith.
Strom (serious): "How do you know?"
Wraith (uneasy): "I was walking back when I had a vision. I was standing in darkness, and there were two red eyes staring at me."
Astrid (curious): "And what did he say?"
Wraith (shaking her head): "Nothing. He just narrowed his eyes and disappeared... like he wanted to say something, but changed his mind."
Strom went quiet for a moment.
Then he stood up.
Strom (determined): "I think I know someone who can answer our questions."
Astrid (confused): "Who?"
Strom: "Follow me."
They gathered whatever they needed and followed Strom.
The problem was, even Strom didn't know where to find her.
Natalya had last been seen somewhere in the forest.
And now she was nowhere to be found.
Wraith (suspicious): "Strom, why are we here?"
Strom: "When I find her, you'll get your answers."
Astrid (raising an eyebrow): "Her?"
Strom: "I found a vampire here last night. She was talking about the red eyes."
Sam (interested): "Then this is definitely our chance to understand all of this."
They searched everywhere they could think of.
The forest.
The surrounding roads.
Nearby villages.
Even places where they thought a vampire might hide during the day.
But Natalya was nowhere.
Time passed... too quickly.
By evening, they had searched almost the entire kingdom.
Only one place remained.
The cave.
Strom hadn't considered searching there earlier because, from what Natalya had told him, she didn't seem particularly interested in whatever had called her to this region.
The group walked toward the dark cave in the distance, its entrance carved into the side of a hill.
The forest around them had grown unusually quiet.
Then suddenly...
WHOOSH!
Someone moved faster than any of them could react.
Natalya (whispering beside Strom): "Thanks for saving me from those villagers..."
Before Strom could even turn around, she disappeared again.
He slowly touched his cheek.
There were lips mark with tiny trace of blood.
Someone else's blood, of course.
Natalya finally appeared in front of the group, wearing that same playful smile.
Wraith's eyes immediately locked onto the mark on Strom's cheek.
Then they moved toward Natalya's lips.
For one second...
Her soul left her body.
Then it came back to take revenge.
Wraith (pure anger): "I'll rip her soul out."
Natalya (confused): "Ahh!... You guys have a pet Phonix also?"
Strom (confused): "What?"
Before any of them could properly react, two enormous claws wrapped in living flames suddenly burst from above.
They caught all four of them at once.
Strom: "WHAT?!"
The flaming creature spread its wings and flew away, carrying Strom, Wraith, Astrid and Sam with it.
Natalya remained standing on the ground.
Completely unharmed.
Or perhaps...
Completely ignored.
Nobody knew.
She watched them disappear into the distance.
Natalya (playfully): "So... no goodbye kiss in return?"
Chapter 4: Rebirth...
They were thrown into the volcano.
But instead of falling straight into the lava, they landed on a massive obsidian platform suspended above the molten crater by several enormous chains.
Everyone was mostly fine, except Wraith, who immediately started coughing from the volcanic smoke.
One side of the platform was covered in countless deep scratches, as if something enormous had dragged it up from somewhere beneath the lava.
Strom already knew who had done it.
He knew exactly who had brought this platform back from the depths.
Phonix finally landed in front of them, her flames burning brighter than ever.
Phonix (coldly): "Remember this place, Strom!"
Strom: "How could I forget?"
Phonix: "Now I'll take my revenge... for Volkthane."
Strom (annoyed): "Come on, bird! That demon literally killed your mother."
The flames around her wings suddenly extended even farther.
Phonix: "I don't care what happened in the past... All I care about is blood for blood."
Strom: "That monster killed your real mother, then raised you because he felt guilty. But that still doesn't change what he did."
Phonix: "That Dragon let your parents die, then raised you out of mercy... But that doesn't change anything either, right, Strom?"
Strom: "It's my personal matter!"
Phonix: "Same for me."
Sam was already done listening to them. While they argued, he silently chanted a spell, gathering enough energy to strike straight at Phonix's chest.
He released it.
The heavy blast tore through her chest, but before anyone could react, molten magma covered the damaged area. Several seconds later, the magma burst outward and her wound was completely healed.
Sam: "What?"
Wraith: "Does she have some kind of enchanted healing now?"
Strom: "Every time a Phonix dies... its rebirth makes it even stronger."
Phonix: "But none of you will get a single chance at rebirth..."
Astrid: "Oh, please no."
Strom (confident): "Don't worry, guys. I have something to make chicken curry tonight."
Phonix's eyes widened.
Everyone went silent.
In the next instant, she moved with unnatural speed.
She snatched Strom's pendant from his neck and threw it away.
The gem flew off the platform and landed somewhere in the forest below the volcano.
Strom: "We fucked up."
Phonix's claws ignited with red flames. Her eyes locked onto Strom with an almost satisfied smile.
She knew exactly what she had taken.
Strom's biggest weapon was gone.
Strom held out his hand.
His spear came flying through the air and landed in his grip.
Strom: "I won't give up... Never."
He charged.
Sam and Astrid followed immediately.
Wraith: "Ugh... I hate birds."
She charged as well, gripping her small dagger because she had no other weapon.
The four of them attacked from different angles.
Sam kept Phonix occupied with spells, using flashes of blinding light to disrupt her attacks.
Astrid targeted her claws while Strom focused on her chest.
Wraith was already struggling. The fight before this had drained most of her strength, and Phonix's overwhelming presence made it even harder for her to fight.
Still, she kept throwing her dagger, calling it back, and throwing it again.
Over and over.
It didn't take long for Phonix to lose patience.
She closed her eyes and started attacking blindly.
No hesitation.
No target.
Just pure destruction.
Her size and speed made her nearly impossible to dodge. Astrid's gauntlet began to tear under the force of the attacks.
Astrid: "Can someone explain why we're fighting a walking sun?"
Sam: "All because of that guy."
He pointed toward Strom.
Strom: "Excuse me! I helped this bitch once, and now she wants to kill me!"
Phonix: "I NEVER ASKED YOU TO HELP ME!"
A powerful burst of flames erupted from her body, throwing everyone backward.
Her entire body began glowing with a golden-red light.
Phonix: "You don't know what you have done to me."
Strom: "If you never asked for help, then why were you crying when I passed by?"
For a second, everyone went silent.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Phonix had no answer.
Or perhaps she had never thought about it that way before.
That only made her angrier.
She attacked again.
Strom charged forward, but Phonix caught him and threw him across the platform. He crashed onto the obsidian surface.
Strom (lying down): "Ouch!"
Phonix moved toward him.
Just before she could finish the attack, Astrid intercepted her.
Strom immediately got back up and ran.
Strom: "Astrid, back!"
She nodded without hesitation.
Sam blinded Phonix for a split second.
That was enough.
The massive glass blade slammed into Phonix, knocking her to the platform.
STRUCK!
For a moment, the flame creature lay still.
Strom: "I think we won!"
Phonix's eyes suddenly opened.
The anger in them had reached another level.
Her eyes burned crimson.
Sam: "Fuck it."
He instantly teleported everyone away from the platform and back onto the forest ground.
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted from the top of the volcano.
Wraith: "Oh, finally!"
Astrid: "Damn... we survived."
Strom: "I don't know how many times I have to fight her..."
Sam: "Now what?"
Strom: "I want my pendant back. Then we'll go home, eat, and sleep."
Astrid: "And what about the demons?"
Strom (angrily): "Put all the demons in a room and blast it."
Wraith gave him a look that immediately made Strom regretted his choice of words.
Strom: "Except this one."
He pointed toward Wraith.
Before they could start walking, a roar echoed through the forest.
They looked up.
The sky above the trees was beginning to glow orange.
Sam (annoyed): "You guys just keep fucking up my weekends."
They started running.
There was no chance of fighting her again.
Not now.
Phonix descended from above, her burning claws striking toward them again and again.
Then Strom noticed something.
Phonix came dangerously close to Wraith.
But she didn't attack her.
Her claws always changed direction.
They kept coming toward him.
Strom finally understood.
He was the main target.
Everyone else was secondary.
Strom (under his breath): "Understood."
He suddenly changed direction.
Sam (shouting): "Where are you going?"
Strom: "You all go! I'll be back after taking her down!"
Sam caught his breath, then raised his hand.
A massive stun spell struck Phonix, sending a surge of energy through her body and forcing her to the ground for a few seconds.
Sam turned to run.
Then he saw it.
A massive fireball was already flying toward him.
He moved aside.
The fireball missed him.
But it struck Wraith.
A painful scream escape from her, as the unbearable pain of being scorched alive made her collapsed on the ground.
Astrid: "Wraith!"
Sam (horrified): "No! Fuck!"
Astrid (panicking): "We need to get her near water!"
She immediately grabbed Wraith and started running.
But they were in the middle of a forest.
They didn't even know where the nearest water was.
Sam (thinking): I should have used Barrier... I'm sorry, Wraith.
Meanwhile, Strom kept running.
He had no idea what had happened behind him.
All he knew was that the death wrapped in flames is chasing him.
And the Phonix was enjoying every second of it.
Chapter 5: Something for Something...
Strom's body was already giving up.
He had been running continuously while everything around him burned like hell.
The thick smoke was slowing him down, and every breath felt heavier than the last.
Strom: "Can't we talk like elders? I mean, say no to violence." ✌️
Phonix (coldly): "This violence will end your breathing tonight."
Strom: "Wow!"
He kept running until he finally found a ray of hope.
Or, more accurately, a hole of darkness.
A cave entrance appeared ahead.
It wasn't very small, but it was narrow enough that Phonix's claws couldn't reach inside.
Strom pushed himself harder.
With the last strength left in his body, he threw himself into the cave.
Phonix's claws came within inches of him before stopping at the entrance.
Strom quickly turned around, grabbed his spear, and struck one of her claws.
The severed nail fell to the ground.
But something strange happened this time.
No magma appeared.
No healing happened.
The detached piece simply turned to ash.
Strom (quietly): "So you can heal... but you can't regenerate."
Phonix stared at him from outside.
From the darkness of the cave, Strom could only see one crimson eye burning through the smoke.
Strom: "Thank God she can't use something like a flamethrower."
A fireball suddenly flew into the cave.
Strom: "Never mind!"
He immediately rushed aside.
The fireball struck the wall behind him and exploded.
Strom looked deeper into the cave.
It was much larger than he initially thought.
And from somewhere deep inside, a strange blue light was glowing.
Then he heard something else.
Laughter.
Screams of joy.
Celebration.
Strom's expression slowly changed.
Strom: "Please no..."
He started walking deeper.
Strom: "Please don't be what I'm thinking."
The sounds grew louder.
Then he finally reached the source.
His eyes widened.
Goblins.
Dozens of them.
And right in the middle of their little gathering was something Strom knew very well.
His pendant.
Strom (defeated): "No Fuck... why?"
The moment they heard his voice, every goblin turned toward him.
They were small.
Very small.
Green skin, bald heads, huge noses, rough leather clothes, and at least one crooked tooth sticking out of nearly every mouth.
One goblin stepped forward.
Goblin: "What are you doing here, human?"
Strom: "Forget that. Tell me how you got that pendant."
The goblin looked at the glowing gem.
Goblin: "Uh... it's really shiny."
Another goblin proudly completed the explanation.
Goblin: "So we took it."
Strom: "Damn, you guys took my pendant. Enough playing. Give it back."
Silence.
Every goblin stared at him.
Their eyes widened as if Strom had just asked them to sacrifice their lives.
Goblin: "It's your time to leave now."
Strom: "Challenging me will get you killed."
Goblin: "Try us."
Strom looked at them for a moment.
Then he sighed.
Strom (annoyed): "When God was raining intelligence, you guys were carrying an umbrella?"
The goblin answered without hesitation.
Goblin: "Yeah. How do you know?"
Strom: "I know."
Strom looked around the cave.
There were several places that weren't exactly comfortable for climbing, but they could still work.
He pointed upward.
Strom: "Hey! Look! Flying cow!"
Every goblin immediately looked up searching.
Strom moved.
He snatched the pendant and jumped onto the largest rock nearby.
Several goblins tried to reach him, but they were simply too short for that.
Strom: "Learn to climb, bitch!"
He turned to leave then stopped immediately.
The goblins were standing on top of one another.
They were building a tower.
One climbed onto another.
Then another climbed onto them.
And another.
Slowly, the tower grew until they reached the pendant.
Strom: "You've got to be kidding me."
Some goblins grabbed his legs while others tried to force him off the rock.
Eventually, they succeeded.
The pendant was taken from him again.
The goblins jumped back down and started dancing in circles.
Strom: "Okay. New plan."
He jumped down and extended his hand.
His spear came flying into his gripbwh4n he landed.
Strom: "How about you guys take this spear and give me my pendant?"
The dancing stopped.
Every goblin stared at the weapon.
Strom's spear was deadly sharp, yet its design still carried an elegant appearance.
The goblins' eyes lit up.
The goblin holding the pendant slowly approached.
Strom got his pendant back.
And lost his spear.
Strom: "..."
The goblins immediately climbed on top of one another again, forming a tower almost as tall as Strom.
Then they pointed the spear directly at him.
Goblin: "Give us the pendant back, and we are taking this spear too. You may leave."
They began swinging the spear blindly.
No target.
No technique.
Just wild slashing that forced Strom backward.
Then a smaller goblin rushed in.
It snatched the pendant from Strom's hand and ran.
Strom: "Hey! No!"
Goblin: "Now leave the cave."
Strom stared at them.
He couldn't leave.
Phonix was still outside, burning the night itself.
Without Dravyss, he couldn't defeat her.
And if he ran outside with the pendant while the goblins followed him, they could easily become collateral damage.
Strom was trapped.
His own spear was being pointed at him.
Behind the goblin tower, several others were happily playing with the shiny gem.
Strom slowly narrowed his eyes.
Strom: "Okay... Blackmailing arc."
He suddenly yanked his spear back.
Before the goblins could react, Strom lunged forward, grabbed one of them, pinned him against the wall, and placed the tip of the spear against his throat.
The entire cave went silent.
Strom: "Now give me my pendant back, or your friend won't see the world again."
Goblin: "Hey! You can't do this! It's cheating!"
Strom: "Everything is fair in war... and war for my pendant."
Another goblin raised his hand.
Goblin: "Hey, where is love?"
Strom: "There is no love for you!"
The captured goblin suddenly looked genuinely sad.
Goblin: "My ex also said that."
Strom (disbelief): "I'm literally trying to threaten you guys."
Goblin: "You remind me of her."
Strom (crying from inside): "Just give me the pendant already."
The cave went silent again.
Strom didn't actually want to kill anyone here.
But they weren't giving him another option.
Strom: "Okay. One last deal."
He tried the final piece of negotiation he could think of.
Strom: "How about you give me the gem and keep the frame?"
Goblin (bargaining): "How about we take th—"
Strom (cutting him off): "Shut up."
Goblin: "Okay."
Strom took a breath.
Strom: "If you don't give me the pendant, I'll kill all of you right here. Every single one of you..."
His eyes moved toward the goblin holding his pendant.
Strom (coldly): "And I'll take it from you in the end."
His voice was different this time.
It didn't sound like a joke anymore.
For the first time, the goblins believed he might actually do it.
They lowered their heads.
Saving their friend's life wasn't worth sacrificing their own over something shiny.
Slowly, the goblin handed the pendant back.
Strom finally had it.
And this time, he hadn't lost anything in return.
The moment the pendant reached his hand, Strom dropped the goblin and immediately placed the chain around his neck.
Strom: "Honestly, fuck you all for touching my pendant."
Goblin (in disbelief): "This human has no manners."
Strom: "My mentor was far worse, for your general knowledge."
With that, Strom turned around and walked away.
It had been one of the most chaotic moments of his life.
Somehow, he had still managed to get his belongings back.
Strom reached the cave entrance.
Phonix was still waiting outside.
He stepped out without hesitation, walking freely as if nothing in this world could harm him anymore.
The moment Phonix saw him, she rushed forward at full speed.
She didn't notice the pendant around his neck.
Her claws came within inches of Strom.
Then—
**BOOM!**
A much larger blue claw slammed Phonix into the ground.
The force shook the forest.
The smoke around the pendant's gem finally faded.
Something enormous stood between him and Phonix.
A mystical dragon.
Dravyss was back...
Chapter 6: When the Flames Exhaust
Phonix had finally met someone who could match her size.
Dravyss's claws tore through every defence Phonix tried to create, sending flaming feathers scattering through the burning forest.
But Phonix was stronger than before.
Her claws struck Dravyss's scales again and again, each impact slowly wearing her down. They were sharp enough to cut like fine swords.
Dravyss's claws weren't nearly as sharp, but her enormous size and overwhelming strength made every attack devastating.
Phonix pushed herself further through pure rage.
Her flames burned darker.
The forest around them continued to burn, the fire spreading farther with every passing second.
Strom: "Deforestation final boss."
Phonix suddenly found an opening.
She lunged toward Dravyss's chest and struck her with tremendous force.
The attack landed dangerously close to the crystal embedded there.
Fortunately, the stone was buried deep enough to remain protected. Otherwise, that attack might have torn it free.
Dravyss retaliated.
Again.
And again.
Her attacks destroyed Phonix's body, but every time, magma immediately covered the damaged area and restored it.
There was no blood.
Only lava.
Phonix's regeneration seemed endless.
Slowly, despite everything Dravyss threw at her, the fire creature began gaining the advantage through sheer endurance.
Then Strom remembered something.
The severed nail from earlier.
It still hadn't grown back.
Phonix was missing one of her sharpest weapons.
Strom (realizing): "Mom... she'll die the way you like the most."
A wide smile appeared across her face.
She understood immediately.
Dravyss: "Remember the last time?"
Phonix's eyes widened.
Before she could move, Dravyss grabbed her with both claws.
One claw locked around her upper body while the other held her firmly in place.
Phonix struggled desperately, but Dravyss's grip was impossible to escape.
Then Dravyss used the weakness they had discovered.
And with one decisive movement of her arms, she tore the phoenix fully into two separate pieces...
Lava poured from the damaged areas as the flames began to weaken.
The regeneration couldn't restore what was no longer connected.
Phonix's fire slowly faded.
When Dravyss finally released her, molten lava covered her claws.
Strom: "Biggest nightmare of my life. Goblins 1, Phonix 0."
Dravyss (annoyed): "Seriously, Strom?"
Strom: "Negotiation is my fear."
Dravyss: "Let's complete the remaining part now."
She unleashed her blue cosmic flames.
The remaining parts of Phonix were consumed by the powerful fire until nothing remained that could trigger another rebirth.
The flames finally disappeared.
Strom looked around.
Strom: "So now we can finally get home... Finally."
Dravyss: "Not now, sweetie. The forest is burning, so we can't just leave it like that."
Strom's expression dropped.
And just like that, Dravyss had unlocked a new chore for him.
Helping her exhaust the flames.
The task was simple.
Find a huge water source to put out the fire.
Strom (head down): "Yeah... why not."
Chapter 7: The Unnecessary Plan
After completing all the work, Strom finally came back.
And by finally, he meant **finally**.
On his way home, he saw Sam walking toward him.
Strom: "What are you doing here?"
Sam: "Just a light walk after dinner."
Strom knew Sam would never admit that he had come looking for him.
But at least Strom knew.
Strom: "Yeah. Why not."
The two finally reached home.
Wraith was already completely fine. She had healed from her earlier injuries, and apparently, nobody had dared to tell Strom exactly what had happened.
Strom started telling everyone about everything he had experienced during the chase.
From Phonix burning the forest...
To hiding inside the cave...
Putting out a forest fire because mom said so.
And how could he possibly forget the goblins?
According to Strom, they still had the higher score than the deadly flame creature.
After that, they all went to sleep.
___
The next morning...
Strom spent most of the day resting.
Apparently, his legs were still hurting from all that running.
The day passed surprisingly quietly.
Then night came.
Sam and Strom were walking outside after dinner, continuing their so-called "light walk."
Then came the most unnecessary plan of humanity could think of.
Strom: "You know, I have a plan to capture that vampire."
Sam (genuinely interested): "Yeah? Tell me."
Strom: "Since she's interested in me, you guys could use me as bait."
Sam: "Fantastic. But how are you planning to escape from her?"
Strom: "Escape?"
Despite saying that he didn't sound confused., it was something else entirely and Sam understood it.
Sam: "It's not necessary. Please believe me."
Strom (with a big smile): "Ha! I've got no problem with a goth baddie drinking my blood."
Then a voice came from behind them.
Wraith: "Ahem!"
Strom's face turned pale.
For a second, even his blood seemed to freeze.
Strom (barely audible): "Is... is she behi—"
Sam placed a hand on Strom's shoulder.
His face carried the saddest expression imaginable.
There were even fake tears in his eyes.
Sam: "I'm sorry, lil bro."
And with that, he ran away without even looking back once.
Wraith: "Goth baddie, huh?"
____
Hours later, all four of them were heading somewhere.
Same place.
Same people.
Only one thing had changed.
Last time, Strom had been holding his right cheek because someone had kissed it.
This time, he was holding the same cheek because someone had slapped it.
Same person.
Same place.
Completely different action.
Sam was trying desperately not to laugh.
He was having the best time of his life.
Whenever Wraith beat Strom, it was basically a festival for him.
Astrid (suspicious): "Why are you smiling, Sam?"
Sam: "I think it's all rainbows and sunshine."
Astrid: "But it's night!"
Sam: "Must be the winds, then."
Strom kept walking with a serious expression.
Whenever he got hurt, his friends always tried to protect him.
Unfortunately, his best friend had apparently chosen entertainment over loyalty.
Eventually, they found Natalya again.
She was simply sitting there, quietly watching the moon.
Then she noticed Wraith approaching.
A blue demon with a very angry expression.
The moment Wraith saw Natalya, her anger reached its peak.
She immediately snatched Astrid's massive blade and rushed forward.
Wraith: "ATTACK!"
She began swinging the enormous weapon rapidly.
It was very obvious she had absolutely no idea how to use a sword.
Natalya was fast enough to dodge every attack.
Astrid stayed farther back.
This was a matter of speed, and Astrid clearly wasn't built for chasing someone that fast.
Sam and Strom decided not to involve themselves in the ladies' fight.
Sam: "Gentlemen, would you like some popcorn?"
Strom: "Why not?"
Wraith finally lost her patience.
She hadn't managed to land even a single hit on her.
So she threw the blade.
Natalya dodged it again.
But she hadn't expected Wraith to move that quickly.
During the dodge, Wraith caught her.
Natalya fall on the ground when Wraith's hand crushing her face on the ground.
Wraith: "Time to end this forever."
Her other hand formed into a sharp claw.
Before she could strike, Natalya transformed into a bat and flew upward.
She knew exactly why Wraith was so angry and she still didn't hold back.
Natalya: "We'll meet again, sweetheart!"
Strom: "He he."
Unfortunately for him, Wraith heard that.
Wraith: "You're sleeping outside today."
Strom: "Hey! You can't kick me out of my own house!"
Wraith: "Yes, I can."
Natalya has enough of their nonsense, so she decided to flw away.
Natalya: "I think I should follow the other demons."
She spread her wings and flew away.
Sam watched her disappear into the distance.
Sam: "Wait... why is she moving in that direction?"
Strom: "Because the other demons are going that way?"
Sam: "But that ancient seal is in the South..."
He looked toward the direction Natalya had flown.
Sam: "Then why are they going East?"
Nobody had an answer.
And somewhere beyond the forest, the demons continued moving East.