The Damned Demon

805  Blood And Redemption

The cavern pulsed with an unnatural rhythm, the very walls breathing with the weight of history long forgotten. Rowena and Narissara descended further into the abyss, the dim glow of the dark vegetation barely illuminating their surroundings.

And then, at last, they saw it.

Nestled in the heart of the cavern, a basin carved from the very bones of the earth cradled an almost barren fountain that still seemed to have few drops of eerie, luminescent fluid. The liquid pulsed in slow, rhythmic waves—a deep, shimmering sapphire blue, as if alive with power.

The Elixir of the Ancients.

Rowena halted, her gaze fixated on the mesmerizing glow, the fluid shifting like thickened blood, swirling as though it held the remnants of something divine... or something cursed.

Narissara exhaled sharply, her usually composed features betraying a flicker of urgency.

"There is still enough left," she breathed in relief, moving forward quickly.

She pulled out a small vial, one engraved with elegant sigils, and carefully began siphoning the precious liquid, drop by agonizing drop. The Elixir was thick, heavier than water, and every drop she collected felt like retrieving a relic of history itself.

Rowena, meanwhile, let her gaze wander. The cavern was ancient, its walls scarred with time. And yet, something about this place felt preserved.

Her crimson eyes scanned the towering rock faces, trailing over the inscriptions etched into the stone—stories told through symbols and pictographs. Some were faded, barely discernible through the erosion of time, while others remained bold and defiant, resisting oblivion.

And then she saw it.

A large drawing spanning across the cave's inner wall. It depicted two towering figures—two devils with shadowy bodies, their eyes hollow, their mouths open in silent, eternal screams. And in front of them, at the center of it all, stood a woman.

Rowena furrowed her brows, stepping closer. The woman's form was striking, almost familiar—like an Umbralfiend, yet distinctly different. Half of her body was that of a fish, much like Narissara's people, but there were no glowing scales. Instead, her form was dark, muted, blending with the surrounding shadows, as if she belonged to the abyss itself.

Her upper body was quite similar to Isola's, making Rowena wonder if the reason Isola looked a bit different from her people had something to do with this elixir.

"Narissara," Rowena called, her voice steady but laced with curiosity.

Narissara, still focused on extracting the last remnants of the Elixir, spared a glance.

"What?"

Rowena gestured toward the engraving, "Who is she?"

Narissara followed Rowena's gaze and the moment her eyes fell upon the ancient carving, a shadow crossed her face.

"So you noticed her," she muttered, standing up straight. She wiped her hands and turned fully toward the inscription.

"She is nothing but a myth," Narissara finally said.

Rowena narrowed her eyes. "A myth?"

Narissara gave a small nod, her expression unreadable.

"It is said that before my people settled in the deep, before we learned to survive the cursed waters, there was one who lived in this abyss. The inscriptions say she was a being unlike any other—a goddess, the mother of the Kraken and our people. And those two devils beside her?" Narissara gestured at the towering, hellish figures etched into the stone, "Some say they were her followers, her servants, bound to her will."

"A prophecy that turned out to be for nothing. That is why I want to believe she was a myth. My people tell stories of how she was abandoned by something greater, left in these depths to be forgotten. And the devils that followed her? They weren't our saviors—they were her captors, her wardens. And if those two fell here..." Narissara gestured to the cavern, her eyes darkening, "...then who knows if she truly perished with them?"

09:12

Rowena studied the ancient markings, the whispers of a past long buried, "So she was your progenitor? She was the one who talked about the prophecy of the Midnight Maiden which was none other than Isola?"

Narissara's jaw clenched slightly.

"A prophecy that turned out to be for nothing. That is why I want to believe she was a myth. My people tell stories of how she was abandoned by something greater, left in these depths to be forgotten. And the devils that followed her? They weren't our saviors—they were her captors, her wardens. And if those two fell here..." Narissara gestured to the cavern, her eyes darkening, "...then who knows if she truly perished with them?"

A cold sensation settled in Rowena's gut.

She turned her gaze back to the eerie depiction. If this woman truly existed, what was she? And how would someone so powerful and divine like these beings even come down here?

Rowena let out a slow breath, dismissing the thoughts for now.

"We got what we came for," she finally said, looking at Narissara, whose vial was now nearly filled with the precious elixir and the fountain empty.

Narissara gave a firm nod, carefully sealing the container though her eyes were sad and heavy to see that she had drained the sacred fountain. Now no trace remained of the mythical beings.

"Let's head back now."

With silent agreement, the two swam toward the cavern's entrance, the cold, weighty presence pressing at their backs as if urging them to leave.

As they emerged from the Devil's Hollow, the once oppressive stillness of the ocean felt lighter, as though the abyss itself exhaled with relief at their departure.

But just as Narissara relaxed her shoulders, a sharp shift in the waters made her eyes narrow.

She halted abruptly, raising a hand to stop Rowena,

"Wait."

Rowena tensed immediately, sensing the shift as well.

Narissara turned her head slightly, her sharp eyes scanning the murky distance.

And then, her expression hardened.

"We're not alone."

A ripple moved through the water—a distortion, almost imperceptible, yet unmistakably unnatural.

Rowena reached for her mana, her blood thrumming with power.

The water around them suddenly became too still. A silence so profound it made Rowena's instincts warn her of danger surrounding her.

Narissara's eyes widened in horror as a ripple tore through the depths, followed by another. Shadows slithered between the jagged underwater rocks, moving with an unnatural grace, their grotesque bodies twisting in ways that defied nature. Then came the glow—sickly, malevolent veins pulsating along sinewy figures that emerged from the darkness.

Narissara clenched her jaw.

"It's them…the Cursed Wraiths."

Rowena had never seen such malevolent creatures before in her life. These were not mere monsters…but something far worse, making her realize how difficult it must have been for Narissara and her people to survive down here. No wonder they were so desperate to reclaim their lands.

"They were either waiting for us to leave or feeding…" Narissara muttered, her voice filled with dread as she reached out, grasping Rowena's arm firmly, "We must leave—NOW."

Rowena nodded as the two combined their mana to propel themselves away at a higher speed.

But the shadows shifted. The Wraiths moved faster than the two.

In a single, grotesque motion, they lunged.

The first attack came from below—Rowena twisted in the water, her blood igniting in explosive power as she released a wave of searing, crimson tendrils. The dark waters turned red as the blood-laced energy speared through the first few Wraiths, obliterating them instantly. Their bodies contorted violently before dissolving into black mist.

Narissara didn't hesitate—dark water surged around her, forming razor-sharp currents that cut through the swarming creatures like a storm of death. She never thought she would face these nightmarish creatures again in her life.

Her movements were fluid, merciless, precise. Every time her hands moved, the water responded, shaping into spears, blades, and crushing waves that tore through their grotesque forms.

Rowena winced, blood spilling into the water.

"Rowena!" Narissara shouted in concern, but she had no time to check on her—the Wraiths were overwhelming them.

Another struck Narissara from behind, its maw opening to clamp down, razor-sharp teeth sinking into her shoulder. She grimaced in pain, twisting her body to send a spike of dark water straight through its skull. The creature convulsed before disintegrating, but more were already closing in.

They weren't going to win this.

Narissara knew it first. She always knew.

"We can't kill them all," she said, her voice strained as she gathered the last of her mana. "They will keep coming. You must leave, Rowena!"

Rowena whirled around, shaking her head violently.

Narissara ignored her resistance. With the last reserves of her strength, she raised a powerful barrier—a massive, translucent sphere of dark water that enclosed them both.

"Listen to me," Narissara said, her voice urgent but soft. "You must take the elixir and go. If you stay, we both die."

Rowena's eyes quivered, the weight of Narissara's words slamming into her like a blade to the chest.

"I will hold them here, but you must save Isola. She is running out of time."

Rowena clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

She wanted to fight. She wanted to stay.

But she could see it.

The barrier was already cracking. The Cursed Wraiths were slamming against it, their grotesque forms clawing, bashing, shrieking. The sphere trembled under their relentless assault, veins of fractures spreading across its surface.

Narissara's breath was heavy, her body trembling from exertion.

"I know you don't want to leave me," Narissara whispered, her eyes softening with sorrow.

"But you have to. For Isola. For our people and your unborn child. If not for you, I would have tried dying while not saving my daughter. That's why I can't express enough how grateful I am to you for giving me a chance to save my daughter. I could finally do something right for her."

Rowena shut her eyes tightly.

The barrier shattered.

The force of the break sent a shockwave rippling through the water.

And in that instant, Narissara moved.

With every ounce of her remaining strength, she pushed Rowena away.

Rowena's body was flung backward, the force sending her spiraling through the dark waters.

Her vision blurred as she saw hundreds of Wraiths descend upon Narissara.

The last thing she saw was Narissara standing tall, defiant, a sad but resolute smile on her lips as the Wraiths pounced upon her.

'Moraxor…I will be joining you soon, my love…Let our sacrifice mend the wounds we inflicted on our daughter…'

Then—a burst of red.

Blood.

Rowena's heart clenched with unspeakable agony.

She wanted to go back. She wanted to fight.

But she knew...

She knew that if she stayed, Narissara's sacrifice would be for nothing.

Tears mixed with the blood in the water as she turned, her entire body aching with grief, rage, and helplessness.

With a final, heavy breath, she swam away, disappearing, away from the scene of carnage and pain.

Damn :/

Please vote using Golden Tickets and Power Stones if you guys are enjoying and want to support the novel :D

Join my discord channel -https://discord.gg/HjWkd4nB3z