Morning sunlight slowly poured through the massive glass windows, filling the room with a soft golden warmth. The white curtains swayed gently with the breeze while Leo lay silently on the soft bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The mattress was so comfortable that his body almost sank into it. After a few seconds, he glanced to the side…
Ray was still asleep.
That was unusual.
Normally, Ray was always the first one awake.
Leo slowly got out of bed and walked toward the washroom. Cold water splashed against his face, washing away some of the exhaustion. Looking into the mirror, he noticed the faint darkness beneath his eyes… the past few days had been anything but peaceful.
When he stepped out, Ray had finally woken up too. His hair was completely messy, and his irritated expression made him look even worse.
"You woke up late too?" Leo asked with a smirk.
"Shut up…"
After changing into simple clothes, the two stepped out to explore the base.
And honestly…
The place looked nothing like a normal headquarters.
The hallways were wide and luxurious. Smooth black marble floors reflected the morning sunlight while expensive paintings decorated the walls — some showed ancient battles, some terrifying monsters, and others portrayed the previous captains of the 6th Division. Crystal lights hung from the ceiling, giving the entire place a royal atmosphere.
Glass cases displayed beautifully crafted swords. Some blades shined silver while others were forged from pitch-black metal. Beneath each weapon was a small engraved plate, as if every sword carried its own history.
Leo quietly stared at a long black katana for a few seconds.
"Damn…" Ray muttered. "These people are rich too?"
The hallways were crowded with members wearing black cloaks. Some were talking casually, some laughing, some simply walking past. Strange as it was, despite how dangerous the division seemed… the place carried a weird sense of comfort.
A strong smell of herbs and food drifted from one of the rooms nearby.
"Potion room…" Ray murmured.
The moment they entered, they saw shelves packed with bottles, herbs, and glowing liquids. Standing in the middle of the room was Aarya, wearing round glasses and a white coat while completely focused on mixing something.
She looked at Leo…
And instantly winked at him.
Leo's face immediately became awkward.
"Morning~" Aarya said with a teasing smile.
Ray burst out laughing beside him. "Bro's doomed."
Aarya simply smiled quietly while continuing to mix the glowing green liquid.
A while later, Leo and Ray stood outside Chris's chamber.
The moment the door opened, both of them fell silent for a few seconds.
The room looked less like a captain's office… and more like the chamber of a royal collector.
Dark wooden walls were covered with old paintings. A giant bookshelf stretched across one side of the room, filled with ancient records, files, and leather-bound books. Beautifully crafted weapons were mounted on the walls — elegant swords, silver daggers, and strange black blades that carried an unsettling aura.
One wall held neatly arranged metal plates.
The names of previous 6th Division captains.
Some names had scratched dates beneath them…
And some had only one word written below.
"Dead."
Ray slowly whistled. "Cheerful place."
At that moment, the door opened again.
Chris walked in calmly, sat down on his chair, and began pouring tea.
"Sit."
Leo and Ray sat across from him.
Chris casually handed tea to both of them.
"It takes time to understand the 6th Division," he said calmly.
The smell of the tea was strangely relaxing.
Then the door opened once more and Aarya stepped inside.
"The potion is ready."
A dangerous smile slowly appeared on Chris's face.
"Good."
He placed the cup down and looked toward Leo and Ray.
"There's something I want to show you."
A few minutes later, the group descended deeper beneath the base. Narrow stairs disappeared into darkness, and with every step downward, the air became colder and heavier.
At the bottom was a small prison.
Iron bars.
Stone walls.
A damp smell lingering in the air.
Chris stopped walking.
"This prison is normally useless."
Then his smile became darker.
"Except for Skye."
Leo frowned. "What do you mean?"
Chris slowly walked forward.
"You'll find out soon enough…"
The atmosphere inside the prison was suffocating.
The faint sound of chains echoed with every step they took. Dark stains of dried blood covered the walls. The air smelled like burnt flesh mixed with medicine, making their stomachs feel heavy.
Leo and Ray silently followed Chris deeper inside.
Then they stopped in front of a cell.
And both of them froze.
Inside the cell was a cultist chained to the wall.
His body had been completely destroyed by torture. Parts of his skin were badly burned. Deep cuts covered his arms. His fingers were twisted at unnatural angles. Knife wounds and burn marks overlapped across his chest. One of his eyes could barely open because the flesh around it had swollen horribly.
A dark puddle of dried blood had gathered beneath him.
Standing silently in the corner of the cell was Skye.
Her black gloves were stained with blood.
Her cold silver eyes stared at the cultist without the slightest emotion.
Leo subconsciously swallowed.
"This…" Ray whispered slowly, "…Skye did this?"
Chris answered calmly.
"Yeah."
The cultist suddenly began laughing like a madman. Blood dripped from his burned lips.
"Hahahaha… kill me… just kill me already…"
His voice sounded cracked and broken.
Chris looked toward Skye.
"Did he say anything?"
"No," Skye replied coldly. "He still hasn't talked about his group."
Suddenly, footsteps echoed through the prison.
Aarya entered while holding a glass filled with glowing green liquid.
The cultist's face instantly twisted in fear.
"N-No…"
Without saying a word, Aarya grabbed his jaw and forcefully poured the liquid into his mouth. The cultist violently resisted while chains rattled loudly, but eventually the liquid went down his throat.
A few seconds later, his body began trembling.
His eyes slowly turned blank.
Chris crouched in front of him.
"Who is your leader?"
The cultist's expression became unnaturally calm.
"…white eye…"
Everyone fell silent.
"His right eye is completely white… his left one looks normal… but his eyes don't feel human…"
His breathing became heavier.
"His face…" the cultist's voice trembled, "…it looks like darkness wearing human skin…"
Ray's expression turned serious.
Chris asked another question.
"Why do you follow him?"
The cultist's cracked smile slowly widened.
"Because… he's a demon…"
The room went silent.
"A true demon…"
Leo's face instantly paled.
"Impossible…" Ray whispered.
"He's using a human body…" the cultist mumbled weakly, "…and more cultists are coming… strong ones…"
Chris narrowed his eyes.
Then Skye coldly asked:
"When will the sacrifice happen?"
The cultist answered without hesitation.
"Next month… on the night of the full moon… before the moon disappears…"
The atmosphere inside the room instantly became heavy.
The information was confirmed.
Chris was about to ask another question—
"Who is the special child—"
Suddenly…
The cultist's body violently froze.
His eyes widened in absolute terror, as if he had just seen something horrifying.
And in that exact moment…
Everyone felt it.
A strange pressure.
As if something incredibly dangerous had suddenly begun watching them.
Black veins spread through the cultist's eyes.
Chris's expression instantly darkened.
"…Shit."
Far away…
In the middle of a dead silent forest covered entirely in snow, a small old wooden house stood alone. Freezing wind howled outside while thick snow slowly slid off the roof.
Inside, darkness filled the room.
Only the dim yellow glow of an old lantern barely illuminated the space.
A figure sat quietly on a wooden chair.
A long black coat.
Pale skin.
And his right eye…
Pure white.
Completely white.
No pupil.
No emotion.
Just a dead white eye that no longer looked human.
His left eye was dark crimson, with black veins spreading around it. Half of his face still looked human… while the other half looked unnaturally distorted. Dark cracks spread across his skin as though something alive was moving beneath it.
A slow smile appeared on his lips.
He was watching everything through the cultist's eyes.
The prison.
Chris.
Skye.
Leo.
All of them.
"Hmm…"
His deep distorted voice echoed through the small house.
"You humans have learned more than expected."
Slowly, he raised his pale hand.
CRACK.
Back inside the prison, the cultist suddenly screamed.
"AAAAAGHHH—!!"
A horrifying crunch echoed from inside his chest.
An invisible force was literally crushing his heart.
Blood continuously poured from his mouth.
And inside the snow-covered house, the half-demon simply smiled quietly.
"Curious humans…"
His white eye began glowing faintly.
"But it's not your time to die yet."
The next second—
BOOM.
The cultist's entire face exploded from the inside.
Blood, flesh, and shattered bone splattered across the prison walls.
Leo and Ray instantly stumbled backward.
For the first time…
Real fear appeared in Ray's eyes.
Even Chris had fallen silent.
Skye stared coldly at the corpse for a few seconds without moving.
The only sound left in the room…
Was blood dripping onto the floor.
And at that moment, everyone understood one thing—
That creature…
Was no ordinary demon.