Renji woke up suddenly, but he could not see anything. A coarse cloth covered his head, sticking to his breath. He tried to move his hands, but his body hung limp. Someone was carrying him on their shoulder, every step jolting his stomach.
Next to him, Tiberku groaned faintly. He too was trapped in the same situation, head covered and body drained of strength.
Renji tried to say something, but his voice died in the damp fabric. Only a muffled sound came out, which changed nothing. The carriers walked firmly, their heavy steps beating the stone street in a steady rhythm.
Above them, the elf hovered with trembling wings. He had not been affected by the dizziness from the fountain, and now he was the only one who saw everything. Four massive men, their faces hidden under hoods, carried Renji and Tiberku like two sacks of grain. The elf clenched his teeth, flying from shadow to shadow, trying not to be noticed.
Behind them, the fountain remained deserted, and the letter with the word "Lunarc" still lay on the cold stone. The night wind rustled around, but the city slept, indifferent to what was happening.
The elf told himself, with a cold shiver in his chest:
— "I must find out where they are taking them. I cannot leave them alone."
The kidnappers walked faster and faster, heading toward the dark edge of the city. Their elongated shadows on the walls seemed to swallow everything they left behind.
The massive men crossed the empty streets until they reached an old house, shutters closed and gate cracked. No lantern burned nearby. One of them pushed the gate, which creaked softly, then they went inside without a word.
The elf flew a few steps above the roof, watching their shadows slip into the building. The moonlight barely pierced through the frail roof, but his small eyes caught every movement.
A hidden trapdoor in the floor opened, and the men went down one by one. The stairs creaked, but their steps were hurried. Beneath the house, a heavy smell of dampness and mold greeted them.
In the basement, the light of a torch flickered weakly, throwing long shadows on the stone walls. The men threw Renji and Tiberku in the middle of the room. Then two of them lifted Renji and placed him on a thick chair, carved directly from stone. They tied his hands and feet with thick ropes, pulled tight against the flesh.
Tiberku was left on the cold floor, his head leaning to one side. He breathed slowly, still caught between dizziness and unconsciousness.
Renji tried to move, but the ropes burned his wrists. All he could do was breathe heavily under the coarse hood that still covered his head.
The elf, hidden on a low beam in the basement corner, watched the scene with wide eyes. His small heart beat madly, but he stayed motionless so as not to be discovered. He knew that the only ones who could escape this trap were Renji and Tiberku, and his duty was to see who held them captive.
One of the kidnappers lifted the torch and approached Renji. With a quick move, he tore the hood off his head. The reddish light hit his sweaty, tired face. Renji blinked, trying to get used to the darkness of the basement.
— "He's awake," the man muttered, glancing over his shoulder.
From the back of the room, another silhouette detached from the shadow. The steps were slow but firm, and the elf felt a shiver run down his spine. That person was not a mere kidnapper.
Renji clenched his teeth and fists, even though he was tied. He did not know who was watching him, but he felt that the real reason they had been brought here was only starting to unfold.
The elf felt his patience end and suddenly took off, determined not to wait any longer. His wings flapped strongly, and in his small hands a spark of energy he had gathered with difficulty began to shine. He had already aimed at one of the kidnappers, ready to strike him at the back of the neck.
Renji, from the stone chair, saw him at the last moment and opened his mouth to shout, but did not manage.
Just as the elf was a few steps away from launching his attack, a female voice, clear and firm, stopped his movement:
— "Little one, there is no need to fight. We are not here to hurt them."
The words entered his mind like an order. The energy disappeared from his palms, his wings folded abruptly, and his body weakened and fell to the floor, hitting without control. He remained lying there, breathing heavily, unable to move his arms or legs.
Renji froze, stunned by what he had seen.
Tiberku, who seemed lost between consciousness and fainting, trembled suddenly. When he heard the voice, he instantly recognized the tone and shouted with what strength he still had:
— "Eris!"
The shout echoed in the basement and made the air vibrate.
The hooded men stopped in place, and their gazes turned toward the dark corner of the room. From there, the steps of a woman slowly echoed. Her silhouette emerged from the shadow, elegant and confident. Her long hair fell over her shoulders, and her eyes sparkled in the torchlight like two pieces of steel.
Eris stepped into the flickering light, and the kidnappers bowed slightly, recognizing her.
Renji raised his head, trying to gather the strength to face the figure coming out of the shadows. When the torch in the corner lit her face, his breath stopped for a moment.
In front of him stood a woman unlike any he had ever seen. Her long black hair fell in waves down to her hips, tied loosely to one side to leave her face uncovered. Her skin was pale and smooth like polished marble, yet warm under the firelight. Her large emerald-green eyes had a cold yet captivating glow that made it impossible to look away.
Her lips seemed to hide both gentleness and danger. Renji felt that her smile could calm a lost soul, but just as easily make it tremble.
Eris wore a dark-colored dress, tight at the waist and with a discreet neckline, yet enough to draw the eye. The thin fabric traced her elegant figure, every step leaving the impression of a calculated, graceful movement.
Around her seemed to exist a special aura, something that could not be explained by beauty alone. It was a combination of confidence, mystery, and power. Renji realized that this woman was not just a simple kidnapper or a figure hidden in the shadows. She was someone who could command both respect and fear at the same time.
Tiberku still looked at her with emotion, while the elf, immobilized on the floor, trembled under her spell. But for Renji, the moment came down to a single revelation: Eris was unreal in her beauty, as if someone had gathered everything both attractive and dangerous into a single being.
Eris let her steps carry her until she stood beside Tiberku. She leaned slightly, and the torchlight contoured her face as if the entire room had been made just for her. Her green gaze locked directly on him, sharp and certain.
— "Tiberku…" she said, her voice soft yet cold, resounding through the heavy silence. "Tell me, why are you traveling with a demon? Or… did you even know until now who you are walking beside?"
The words struck against the damp walls of the basement like heavy blows.
Renji flinched, feeling his heart pound in his chest. He lifted his eyes toward Eris, clenching his tied fists. Demon? The thought tore through his mind, but he could not say anything.
The elf, from the floor, looked at her with fear, but also with a trace of curiosity. It was clear that this woman knew more than everyone else in the room.
Tiberku remained silent for a few seconds, still trying to gather the strength to respond. His eyes rose to Eris, filled with a mixture of surprise and unease.
— "What do you mean?" he burst out, his voice trembling slightly. "Renji is not…" He stopped suddenly, unable to finish the sentence.
Eris curved her lips into a cold smile, though without mockery. She seemed more curious, like a teacher waiting to see how much a student knew.
— "Do not try to deceive yourself," she said calmly. "My question is simple. Did you know the truth, or did you choose to walk blindly beside him?"
Renji clenched his jaw. He wanted to shout, to deny her words, but Tiberku's silence and Eris's piercing gaze made his blood boil in his veins.
Tiberku clenched his fists on the cold floor and gathered all his strength to speak. His breathing was heavy, but his voice rang firm:
— "Renji is not a demon! How can you say such a thing? I… I was sent to escort him. You asked me to do this, Eris!"
The basement filled with the echo of his words, and the massive hooded men looked at each other, visibly uneasy. Renji suddenly lifted his eyes toward Tiberku, surprised by what he had heard.
Eris fixed him with her green eyes for a moment, then slowly turned her gaze to Renji, who was still tied to the stone chair. The cold smile vanished from her lips, and her face filled with unexpected seriousness.
"I was the one who sent Tiberku to escort the boy from the neighboring kingdom…" Her thoughts gathered quickly, like pieces of a puzzle she still could not fit together.
She bit her lower lip, and in her eyes a spark of doubt lit up. "Takamura Haruki's letters… they all spoke of a boy. A special boy, who had to be helped at any cost. Could it be him? The one tied now to the stone chair?"
Renji felt the weight of her gaze, as if she was analyzing him down to the deepest corners of his soul.
Eris said nothing for a few moments, but her silence had become heavier than any question.
She took a step closer to the stone chair and stopped in front of Renji. Her green gaze pierced his eyes as if she wanted to read his soul.
— "Tell me, boy… who is your sensei?" she asked slowly, pressing each word.
Renji blinked rapidly, feeling trapped. He wet his dry lips and answered in a low but clear voice:
— "Takamura Haruki… he taught me, he sent me to this kingdom. He told me to find you, Eris. But I don't understand…"
He let his head fall against the cold back of the chair, drawing breath with difficulty. His eyes showed fury mixed with helplessness.
— "Why am I tied here? Why do you say I am a demon?"
His words echoed in the basement, and the hooded men shifted nervously, as if the mere mention of Takamura Haruki's name shattered their confidence.
Eris crossed her arms and looked at him steadily, without blinking. The name confirmed her suspicions, but it also opened a new wound in her thoughts.
"So Takamura really sent him… then the letters did not lie… But how is it possible? Why do I feel a demonic aura in him?"
Renji held his breath, waiting for an answer. Tiberku, still on the floor, clenched his fists, ready to intervene however he could. The elf watched her with wide eyes, as if every passing second could decide all their fates.
Eris raised her hand, and the torchlight reflected in her green eyes, sparkling like crystals.
— "Renji… if you want the truth to come out, I will have to use a spell. I want to confirm what I suspect."
Renji tried to protest, but he could not speak. She uttered a few words in an ancient language, and the air in the basement seemed to vibrate. From her fingertips, a bluish-silver light spread and struck Renji directly in the chest.
— "Veritas Interna!"
A force engulfed him, chilling his whole body. Renji began to scream in pain, his voice echoing through the stone basement. Suddenly, Eris spoke another short formula:
— "Silentium Vocis!"
Renji's mouth was covered by an invisible web of magic, sealing his sounds, leaving him only to tremble and breathe heavily.
Eris then leaned forward, grabbing Renji's hand and at the same time Tiberku's, pulling them close to one another. Her green eyes shone, and her gaze penetrated deep into Renji's soul.
Through her, Tiberku saw what no human or elf could easily see: inside Renji was hiding a demon. A dark, crouched creature, with invisible claws, gnawing from within Renji, slowly weakening him, waiting for the right moment to consume him completely.
A cold shiver ran down Tiberku's spine. Seeing that creature, he understood why Renji sometimes seemed so powerful and yet so vulnerable.
Eris fixed Tiberku for a few seconds, to make sure he saw exactly what he needed to. Then, with a slow but firm movement, she withdrew her hands, leaving them both to feel the power hidden inside their friend, but also the imminent danger stalking Renji.
Eris felt how the magic that allowed her to see Renji's true nature wavered. Within seconds, an invisible, wild force pushed her out of the boy's mind. Her spell, which had offered clarity over the hidden demon, shattered instantly.
Tiberku, holding Eris's hand, felt the tension in the basement rise, and the demon's presence became almost palpable. For a few seconds, the demon inside Renji completely took control. The boy's body moved on his own, and his black eyes glowed in the darkness. His voice echoed inside the minds of everyone present, deep and malevolent:
— "I can't wait to kill another witch… it has been too long since the last battle."
Renji remained outwardly motionless, but inside him the demon gnawed at every thought, feeding on his energy and preparing to emerge fully, waiting for the right moment to consume him.
Eris clenched her fists, aware that her spell had been broken. She trembled slightly, but her green eyes still held a spark of determination: she had to find a way to control him before the demon became unstoppable.
Tiberku watched the scene in horror, realizing the imminent danger. The basement seemed to shrink under the pressure of the demon's presence, and every passing moment could be fatal if no one intervened.
After a few moments that felt like an eternity, Renji felt the demon retreating, gradually loosening his grip inside him. His breathing returned, his muscles relaxed, and his black eyes became his own again.
He slowly moved his hands and feet, feeling once more that he had full control over his own body. The tremor had not disappeared completely, but it was only from exhaustion, not from the foreign force that had possessed him moments earlier.
Tiberku looked at him seriously and gently grabbed his shoulder.
— "Renji… I must tell Eris everything that has happened since we started traveling together," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Everything… for your sake. I cannot hide the truth, and I should not."
Renji looked at him for a few seconds, breathing heavily, then slowly nodded. His thoughts gathered, preparing to face whatever was to come.
Tiberku took a step back, narrowing his eyes, while Eris, still observing the scene, seemed to wait patiently. Renji felt that he could rely on his trusted ally, someone who protected him and who would help him take control of his own destiny.