Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Amara's POV

The silence that followed my question was suffocating.

The demon stared at me with those corrupted golden eyes, and for a moment, I thought I had gone too far. That my boldness would be the thing that finally made it kill me.

Then it laughed. But this laugh was different from before. Sharper. More dangerous.

"Afraid?" The demon's voice dripped with amusement. "You think I fear anything, little witch?"

"You hesitated," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "When I asked what you were afraid of, you stopped. Even now, you are stalling instead of simply ending me."

The demon tilted Alaric's head, studying me like I was an interesting puzzle. "You are observant. I will give you that much." It began to pace around me in slow circles. "Very well. I will indulge your curiosity before I tear you apart."

My heart hammered against my ribs, but I forced myself to stay still. To listen.

"I am not afraid of you," the demon said. "I am cautious. There is a difference. Your ancestors were clever when they sealed me away. They wove their magic into bloodlines, into prophecies, into the very fabric of this realm. Breaking free required patience. Strategy."

"What does that have to do with me?" I asked.

"Everything." The demon stopped pacing and faced me directly. "Your bloodline was one of the strongest. The Oris Coven held the key to maintaining the seals that kept me imprisoned. That is why I had to destroy them first. Every single witch with your blood had to die."

Cold understanding washed over me. "But I am still alive."

"Yes." The demon's smile widened. "An unfortunate complication. You see, as long as even one witch from your bloodline exists, the possibility remains that the seals could be restored. That I could be locked away again."

My mind raced. This was important information. Dangerous information.

"So you need me dead," I said slowly. "Completely and permanently dead."

"Precisely." The demon leaned closer, and I could smell the dark magic radiating from Alaric's possessed body. "But there is a problem. The Moon Goddess brought you back. That makes you protected in ways I cannot easily break. If I simply kill you now, she might resurrect you again. And again. Until you finally succeed in stopping me."

Hope flickered in my chest. The Moon Goddess had given me a second chance for a reason. I was not as powerless as I thought.

"So what will you do?" I asked, unable to stop myself.

The demon's expression shifted. The amusement drained away, replaced by something cold and calculating. "I will make you wish you had stayed dead. I will corrupt this body you inhabit from the inside. I will ensure that every spell you cast brings you closer to your final death. And when your soul finally breaks, when the Moon Goddess abandons you for good, then I will end you properly."

Fear coiled in my stomach, but I refused to look away. "You are afraid that I might actually find a way to stop you."

The demon's eyes flashed dangerously. "Careful, witch."

"You are trapped in a body that is fighting you," I pressed on, the words spilling out before I could stop them. "I felt it when I touched Alaric. He is still in there, struggling against you. That is why you cannot fully take control. That is why you need time. You are not as powerful as you pretend to be."

The temperature in the throne room plummeted. Ice spread across every surface. The shadows on the walls began to writhe and twist like living creatures in pain.

"You dare?" The demon's voice rose to a thunderous roar that shook the stone walls. "You dare question my power?"

I had pushed too far. I knew it the moment the words left my mouth.

The demon raised Alaric's hand, and dark energy exploded from his palm. It shot toward me like a spear of pure hatred.

I threw myself to the side, barely avoiding the blast. It struck the floor where I had been standing, leaving a smoking crater in the stone.

"Run, little witch," the demon snarled. "Run and see how far you get before I catch you."

I did not need to be told twice.

My weak legs screamed in protest as I turned and ran toward the massive iron doors. Behind me, I heard the demon's footsteps, heavy and deliberate. It was not rushing. It was hunting.

Another blast of dark energy exploded beside me. Shards of stone flew through the air, cutting my face and arms. I stumbled but kept moving, my lungs burning with each gasping breath.

The doors were still closed. Locked. Sealed by magic I could not break.

Panic clawed at my throat. I was trapped.

"There is nowhere to run," the demon called out, its voice echoing through the hall. "This palace is mine. Every shadow, every corner, every locked door. You cannot escape me."

I pressed my hands against the iron doors, desperately searching for any way out. My magic flickered weakly in response, but this body was too damaged. Too drained. I did not have the strength to break through.

Footsteps drew closer. Slow and confident.

"When I catch you," the demon whispered, and somehow its voice sounded like it was right behind me, "I will make your death last for days. I will peel away every layer of that borrowed flesh until there is nothing left but screaming."

My fingers found a gap in the door. A crack just wide enough for me to hook my fingernails into. I pulled with everything I had.

The door groaned. Shifted. Opened just a sliver.

Behind me, the demon roared in fury. I felt the rush of dark energy gathering, preparing to strike me down.

I threw my entire body against the door. It swung open just enough for me to slip through.

I tumbled out into the corridor beyond, hitting the floor hard. Pain shot through my shoulder and hip, but I forced myself to keep moving. I could hear the demon behind me, could feel the malicious presence pressing against my back like a physical weight.

I ran.

Down corridors I did not recognize. Past tapestries and suits of armor that blurred together in my panic. My feet slapped against cold stone. My breath came in ragged gasps. This weak body was failing, but I could not stop.

The demon's laughter followed me through the halls, echoing off the walls like it was coming from everywhere at once.

I turned a corner and nearly collided with a statue. Stumbled. Caught myself. Kept running.

Behind me, the footsteps stopped.

I risked a glance over my shoulder and saw nothing. The corridor was empty. Silent.

Had it given up? Or was this another game?

I slowed my pace, pressing one hand against the wall to steady myself. My legs shook so badly I could barely stand. Blood dripped from the cuts on my face, leaving a trail behind me.

I needed to find somewhere safe. Somewhere I could hide until I figured out what to do next.

I rounded another corner, my breathing still heavy and uneven. The hallway ahead was darker than the others, lit only by a few scattered torches.

Then I heard voices.

I froze, pressing myself against the wall. The voices were coming from a room just ahead, the door slightly ajar. Low and secretive. The kind of conversation people only had when they did not want to be overheard.

I should have kept walking. Should have found another way. But something about those voices made me pause.

I crept closer, moving as silently as this weak body would allow. Through the crack in the door, I could see figures gathered around a table. Men in expensive robes. Members of the council.

"...cannot wait much longer," one of them was saying. "The curse is getting worse. Soon he will be completely lost."

"Good," another voice replied. "Let the demon consume him. It will make our job easier."

My blood ran cold.

I leaned closer, my ear pressed against the door frame, my heart pounding so loudly I was afraid they would hear it.

These were not just council members having a private conversation.

They were planning something. Something terrible.

I stepped out of the throne room breathing heavily, my body shaking from the encounter with the demon. I tried to find my way through the unfamiliar corridors of the palace, my mind still reeling from everything I had just learned.

Then I turned down a darker hallway and froze.

Ahead of me, standing in a circle of torchlight, were several members of the council.

And they were looking directly at me.