Rai: Dark & Light

A Haunting Past

Vael woke with a sharp breath, his body tense, his mind clouded with fragments of a past he had tried to forget.

Blood. War. A battlefield drenched in the screams of the fallen.

His fingers twitched instinctively, as if gripping the hilt of a sword long gone. He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair.

"Damn…" he muttered, rubbing his temple. "With another demon around, it makes me feel like I'm back there again."

He sat up, stretching his arms, shaking off the weight of the dream. It was too vivid. Too real. But that life was gone. He had left it behind.

Standing up, he walked over to Rai's cot and kicked it lightly.

"Wake up. Training's on you today. I need to hunt."

Rai groaned. "Can't you hunt later?"

"No."

Rai sat up reluctantly, rubbing his eyes. "What are you hunting?"

Vael shrugged. "A beast for dinner." He grabbed his cloak from the chair, draping it over his broad frame as he walked toward the door. "Try not to slack off while I'm gone."

And with that, he stepped outside into the cool morning air.

The Hunt Begins

Vael moved through the dense forest, his boots pressing lightly against the damp earth. The air was fresh, filled with the scent of soil and old bark.

He stopped in a small clearing—the same place where he had first found Rai.

Taking a deep breath, he expanded his energy outward.

Unlike Rai, Vael didn't need to concentrate. His detection ability had been sharpened through years of battle. He didn't just sense life—he could read its movement, its weight, its very presence.

Almost instantly, he locked onto a beast.

"Alright. That'll do."

He moved to go retrieve it.

Then—his instincts screamed.

His detection flared wildly. Another presence. No—multiple.

Vael's eyes narrowed. "What… is this?"

Ten. Middle-class demons.

Moving with purpose.

They weren't hunting. They were searching.

And they were heading toward him.

Vael's Arrival

Vael bolted toward them.

To an observer, he would have been a blur, weaving through the forest with unnatural speed.

Within seconds, he arrived—standing directly in their path.

The ten demons stopped abruptly.

The leader of the horde, a mid-tier warrior, instinctively reached for his weapon.

"Where did he come from?!" His thoughts raced. "I couldn't even detect him with my technique… he's so fast!"

Vael tilted his head.

"Yo."

A Warning

The demon leader took a step forward, cautious but firm.

"Who are you?"

Vael ignored the question. His gaze swept over the group, unimpressed.

"This is neutral ground," he said, his voice steady but carrying a quiet authority. "I hope you understand—wreaking havoc in this land is a grave sin. And sins don't go unpunished."

The demons stiffened.

The leader raised a hand, signaling his men to hold their ground. "We are not here to wreak havoc."

Vael narrowed his eyes. "Oh?"

"The Demon Lord's child fell through the Eden Rift. We were ordered to retrieve him."

For the first time, Vael felt a flicker of genuine interest.

His thoughts sharpened. "Demon Lord? Rai?"

He studied them again. They weren't searching randomly. They were tracking someone.

And their leader… he didn't seem like he was lying.

Still, Vael wasn't convinced.

"Traveling to Eden as a child is a sin," he said carefully. "Rift travel is only allowed to mid-tier warriors. I assume he will be punished?"

The demon leader shook his head. "No. He will not be punished. The Demon Lord is simply worried about his child."

Vael's expression didn't change. But his thoughts?

"My ass."

The Threat

The demons began marching.

Straight in the direction of Vael's tavern.

Vael let out a slow breath and moved.

In an instant, he appeared in front of them again.

The demon leader's patience snapped.

"Move aside and mind your business," he growled. "Before we are forced to move you."

Vael tilted his head.

"Oh yeah?"

The leader reached for his weapon—

—And the world blurred.

Instant Annihilation

In the blink of an eye, it was over.

The ten demons stood still, confusion frozen on their faces.

And then—

Their heads hit the ground.

Blood sprayed into the air.

Their bodies crumpled like lifeless dolls, collapsing into the dirt.

The only one left standing was Vael.

He blinked. Looked down at his hands.

"Huh?" he muttered.

He had barely felt himself move. It was over before he even registered it.

He scratched his head, looking at the carnage around him.

"I guess they were all low-tier warriors like me."

He exhaled and rolled his shoulders.

"Now, dinner."