Marcus/Rocco
The first sign
wasn't the smell. It was the noise.
Distant at first.
Faint. Then
unmistakeable.
Screaming.
I froze mid step,
my head snapping toward the edge of the forest.
"That's not from
here," Riley said, already tense.
"No," I replied.
Callie's
expression hardened. "It's coming from the outer district."
The edge of the
town. Where the houses thinned out.
Where people lived
closer to the forest than they should.
Seraphina didn't
hesitate. "Move."
We ran.
Branches snapped
underfoot as we pushed through the trees, the sound of panic growing louder the
closer we got.
By the time we
broke through the forest line, it was already happening.
Houses stood
scattered along the edge of the road, a few lights still on, doors open, people
outside- running, shouting, trying to pull others away.
And among them-
Demons.
Not one, not two
but several.
Moving through the
streets like they belonged there.
One lunged at a
man who barely managed to pull back in time before crashing into the dirt.
Another dragged
something-
No. someone.
I felt something
in my chest tighten. Hard.
"We split,"
Seraphina said immediately. "protect the civilians first."
No arguments or
hesitation. We moved.
I went straight
for the nearest one.
It turned toward
me the moment I entered its range, its eyes locking onto mine like it had been
waiting.
"Of course," I
muttered.
It lunged.
I met it halfway.
Steel clashed
against something far stronger than it should have been as I blocked, stepping
in instead of back. My body moved without hesitation now- faster, sharper.
One blade struck-
feint.
It reacted.
Wrong move.
I closed the
distance instantly, my leg rising before dropping in a sharp arc-
The axe kick
connected, slamming down and breaking its balance.
No pause.
I stepped in,
driving my elbow forward before both blades followed through in a clean,
crossing strike.
This time, it
didn't get up.
"Over here!"
Riley's voice cut
through the chaos.
I turned just in
time to see another demon closing in on two people trying to get into a house.
I moved without
thinking.
Faster than
before.
The bracelet
pulsed- steady and controlled. Not forced, not unstable, just there.
I reached them
before the demon could.
Intercepted.
Blocked. Turned. Struck.
This one was
quicker. Stronger.
It adapted faster;
its movements more controlled as it pushed against me.
But I didn't fall
back. Not this time.
I adjusted.
Stepped in again. Closed the gap.
A sharp knee drove
into its midsection, breaking its rhythm just enough-
Then the blades
finished it.
Clean. Decisive.
Behind me, Noah
shouted, "Okay, I officially hate this place!"
"You said that
yesterday!" Riley snapped as she struck at another demon, forcing it away from
a group of people.
"And I meant it
then too!"
Despite
everything-
He was still
moving and helping.
Pulling someone
out of the way just as Callie's whip snapped forward, wrapping around another
demon and dragging it back before she finished it with brutal precision.
She didn't hesitate. Not even once.
The street was chaos.
But it wasn't collapsing. Not completely.
Because people here-
They knew.
They weren't frozen or confused, they were running in the right
directions, pulling each other away, shouting warnings.
They had seen this before. And that made it worse.
One of the demons let out a sharp, distorted sound.
Not random. Not pain.
A signal.
I felt it before I understood. That same wrongness from earlier.
"Back!" Seraphina's voice cut through everything.
We moved immediately.
The remaining demons froze. Just like before.
Still and watching, then they pulled back.
Retreating into the darkness beyond the road.
Gone. Just like that.
Silence followed.
Not complete or peaceful. Just quieter.
The kind of quiet that came after something broke.
I stood there, breathing steady, my gaze drifting across the street.
People were moving.
Checking on each other.
Helping the injured.
But not everyone… was getting back up.
I swallowed slightly. That tight feeling in my chest returned.
Stronger this time.
Because this wasn't like training.
This was real.
"We stopped most of them," Riley said, her voice lower now.
"Not all," I replied.
No one argued.
Later that night, the air felt heavier.
Even the clearing didn't feel the same.
I sat down slowly, staring at my hands before letting my eyes close.
I didn't hesitate this time. I let myself sink into it.
The realm opened.
But it wasn't stable. The darkness shifted unevenly, like something
beneath it was pressing upward.
"Dad?" I called.
He appeared- but not fully.
"His form flickered, less steady than before."
"You felt it," he said.
"Out there," I replied. "That
wasn't random."
"No."
"What's happening?"
His expression tightened slightly. "The barrier is weakening."
My chest tightened.
"Because of me?"
"Because of what is trying to reach you."
That was worse.
Something moved in the distance.
Not him. Not me.
Something deeper. Waiting and watching.
My breath caught slightly.
"… what is that?"
"That," he said quietly, "is what must never be released."
"Marcus."
I snapped out of it.
Ella stood there. Her expression was different.
Not just fear. Something heavier.
"You saw it too, didn't you?" she said.
I didn't answer immediately. She shook her head slightly.
"They weren't just attacking," she said. "They were… looking for
something."
I met her gaze. "They were."
"And you didn't hesitate."
There it was again.
I exhaled slowly.
"If I did, more people would've died."
"I know," she said.
That hurt more than if she didn't.
"Then what's wrong?" I asked.
She hesitated.
"I don't want to get used to this," she continued. "I don't want you to
either."
I looked away slightly.
"I don't have a choice."
Her expression tightened. "You always say that."
"Because it's true."
"And what happens when this is all you are?" she asked.
I didn't answer. I looked straight ahead.
"I don't want to lose you," she said softly.
She wasn't angry, just honest.
She stepped back slowly. And walked away.
I sat there for a long time after that.
The bracelet pulse faintly against my wrist.
Steady and waiting.