Inside the shadows of his mind, Asher found himself face-to-face with the demon once again. The familiar oppressive atmosphere filled the air, as dark chains rattled and the demon's amused voice echoed in his head.
"SO,WHAT BRING'S YOU HERE?" the demon's voice oozed with sarcasm, yet there was an underlying menace to its tone.
Asher's lips curled into a tight frown. "I'm here to tell you that we're going to have to face Korrin. He seems to be our biggest threat," he said, his voice steady, though there was a hint of weariness beneath his words.
The demon let out a low chuckle, almost mocking. "OH, REALLY? IS THAT SO? ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE NOT JUST HERE BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO ONE TO TALK TO?
Asher's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?" he asked, trying to keep his composure.
The demon's voice echoed with amusement. "I MEAN,NOW THAT SELENA IS A CLONE, AND YOU'VE DECIDED TO IGNORE HER, YOU DON'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE'S TO TALK TO, AND I GUESS OUT OF LONELINESS YOU DECIDED TO SPEAK TO YOUR INNER DEMON? SEEMS TO ME YOU ARE AVOIDING THE ONE PERSON WHO MIGHT UNDERSTAND YOU. FUNNY, ISN'T IT?"
Asher's eyes narrowed, his fists clenching. "I'm not here to talk about my personal feelings. I'm here to focus on what's ahead. I don't need advice from you on how to solve my problems."
A deep, guttural laugh came from the demon. " WELL, IF YOU DON'T NEED ADVICE FROM ME, YOU'D BETTER GET SOME ELSEWHERE. BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU'RE RUNNING FROM YOUR PROBLEMS RATHER THAN FACING THEM LIKE A MAN."
"Silence!" Asher commanded in a loud, forceful voice, the air around him thick with authority. With a flick of his wrist, Asher's hand reached out, and he squeezed his fist tight, tightening the chains around the demon's body. The demon's roar of pain echoed, the chains digging into its flesh as it writhed in agony.
"I don't run away from my problems!" Asher spat, his eyes burning with fury. "I don't need you to fix them either! I'm here to tell you that we need to put aside our differences and work together. If we don't, both of us will die."
The demon gasped, barely able to contain its laughter. "Hahahahaha! You really have become something else, haven't you? Look at you, all serious and demanding. What happened to the fearless and strategic Asher I once knew? You want us to put aside our differences when you haven't done the same with your fragile clone maid or with me?" The demon's voice was both mocking and full of a terrifying venom.
But Asher didn't flinch. He held the chains tighter, feeling the demon's body shudder beneath his control. He wasn't scared, not anymore. "I guess you're right," Asher said, slowly releasing the grip on the chains, allowing the demon to breathe freely once more. "We need to let go of our differences. But as for Selena... that's my problem to solve. Do we have a deal?"
The demon's eerie smile stretched across its face. "YES, OF COURSE. I'LL HELP YOU DEFEAT KORRIN," it said, its voice dripping with amusement.
Asher felt the weight lift from his shoulders. For now, at least, he had the demon on his side. With a heavy sigh, he turned, exiting the mental confrontation and returning to the real world.
---
Asher's eyes snapped open, and he found himself back in the Abyssal Forest. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and the faint rustle of creatures lurking in the shadows. The morning light was breaking through the canopy above, casting an ethereal glow on the scene. But it didn't last long.
From the corners of his vision, Asher saw the beasts – massive, hulking creatures, their eyes glowing with menace. They tried charging to attack him with their claws and fangs bared in anticipation. But Asher was prepared. He had set an intense magic gravitational force field trap around him.The beasts were frozed, stuck in their position through out the night, unable to move as the air became dense with his gravity magic.
Asher smirked, effortlessly swinging his chain and smashing through the creatures around him. With a flick of his wrist, the beasts crumpled to the ground, unable to resist his power. The battle was over before it even began.
Asher then jump high leaving cracks to the floor and soaring into the air, flying toward his mansion. The cool wind brushed against his face as he thought about the conversation he'd just had with the demon. Things were escalating quickly, and the presence of Korrin loomed like an inescapable storm.
He landed smoothly in front of the mansion, just as the familiar sound of Princess Lily's voice reached his ears.
"Asher!" she exclaimed, her arms outstretched as she rushed to him.
But Asher wasn't in the mood for hugs. With a swift step back, he dodged her, causing the princess to trip and dramatically fall to the ground. She let out a theatrical gasp, clutching her chest as if she had been gravely wounded.
"Oh, the pain! The agony!" she cried out, making sure to exaggerate the moment.
The queen who was behind the princess rolled her eyes,as the watch the drama between Asher and Lilly . Asher approached her, his movements calm and graceful. He knelt down and stretched his hand to lift her up, but just as he reached for her, the princess crossed her arms, refusing to take his hand.
"No, Asher, you must carry me," she demanded, her eyes sparkling mischievously.
Asher couldn't help but smirk, his hands remaining at his sides as he watched the princess pout. Over her shoulder, he noticed the queen standing, her eyes narrowing in quiet judgment.
"What have you been up to, Asher?" the queen asked, her voice tinged with a mix of concern and suspicion.
"Oh, do you miss me, Your Majesty?" Asher teased, his smile widening.
"What do you mean 'miss you?'" The queen pouted, though there was a hint of amusement in her voice. "I expected you to be beside me, while I sleep in my bed, all through the night."
Asher's smirk grew wider at her words, his charm undeniable. But before he could respond, the queen's blush deepened, realizing what she had just said. She quickly covered her mouth, avoiding Asher's gaze.
The princess, still clinging to Asher's arm, looked up at the queen with a playful grin. "I though you said you would rather die than let Asher be beside you." but the queen didn't answer and stood there awkwardly in silence.
"The queen is right Asher" Cassandra said and continued "You are expected to be guarding both the princess and queen at this times".
Asher shrugged nonchalantly, not letting the conversation distract him for too long. "I was just preparing something," he said. "Besides, Cassandra, you have the ability to see the future with your eyes, am sure you can handle the threat alone?"
Cassandra, who had been silently observing, shot him a sharp look. "I don't know how you know my powers but that is not how it works," she replied coolly. "Yes, I can see the future, but it's not omnipotent. And even if I can't see everything, it takes a lot of energy to."
Asher yawned, clearly uninterested in the lengthy explanation. "Ah, boring," he muttered. "Can we just have breakfast? I'm starving." He turned away, heading toward the dining hall to escape Cassandra's complaints.
---
Later that morning everyone gathered at the dining table. The air was filled with the clinking of utensils and the murmur of quiet conversation as the meal was served. Asher sat at the head of the table, his gaze flickering between the princess, the queen, Cassandra, and Selena.
Suddenly, Selena spoke up, her voice serious and pale. "I have bad news," she said, her face grim. "I heard that two queens were murdered last two weeks. The killers are headed in this direction we don't know if they plan to attack here or still keep a low profile. We have to prepare to protect the queen and the princess. I plan to call in the guards and the teams to secure the mansion."
The princess's cheerful expression wavered for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure, holding Asher's hand. "I'm scared asher," she said, her voice light but unwavering. "I don't need protection. As long as I'm with my Asher, I'm safe."
Selena's face twisted with anger, her voice sharp. "Oh, like he protected the real me from dying?" she shot back, her words cutting through the room like a blade.
A heavy silence fell over the table.
Asher's grip on his cup tightened, and he dropped it down onto the table, signaling that he no longer wished to discuss it. "We don't need to talk about that," he said, his tone cold and final.
But Selena wasn't finished,she slammed the table with her first as she got up. Her voice broke as she spoke again, with more anger this time. "Of course you don't want to talk about it. But I do. I get it, it hurts when the original me died. But don't you know that I'm also hurting....? I'm just a clone, Asher. You of all people should know what that feels like. To realize you're just a copy of someone who's gone."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she covered her face abruptly and fled the room, Cassandra quickly following to console her.
The dining room was left in an uncomfortable silence, with only the sound of the princess softly snuggling into Asher's arm. The queen, however, wasn't done yet.
"So, you're a clone as well?" she asked, her voice low and accusing.
The princess looked up at Asher, her eyes soft but firm. "I still like you, even if you're a clone," she whispered, her tone gentle.
Asher remained silent, knowing the queen's interrogating stare was not one that would be easily dismissed.
"So now what, Asher?" the demon's voice echoed in his mind, dripping with a mocking laughter.
"HAHAHAHAH, THIS IS GETTING INTERESTING… I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT" it sneered.