《The Devil’s Embrace》


 That was a bitter past

    On a dark night, the air was filled with the pungent scent of incense, mingled with the fresh smell of blood. A red light glowed from the center of the room, illuminating the faces of black-robed figures standing in a circle. Their shadows danced on the stone walls, trembling in sync with the flames of the candles arranged around a strange symbol carved into the floor.


    Their voices echoed, chanting a mantra in a language that felt foreign to my ears. Like whispers creeping into my head, repeating endlessly.


    In the center of the circle stood a man in a deep red robe. My father. His hands were raised, clutching a dagger dripping with blood. At his feet lay a motionless body, its blood seeping into the symbol on the floor, flowing like a river that seemed to awaken something greater.


    ¡°Ohh¡­ My Lord, your humble servant has awaited your arrival,¡± my father¡¯s voice was full of reverence, but there was a hint of unease in it. His fingers trembled, his breath ragged, as if he were facing something far beyond his control.


    I was supposed to stay in my room, but the pull of the magic was too strong. It was as if an invisible voice was calling me, urging me to come closer. My steps were light, almost soundless as I stood at the threshold, peeking through the slightly ajar wooden door.


    And there I saw it¡ªa massive creature with a pitch-black body, its eyes glowing red like embers. It resembled a goat, but more terrifying, more real. The air in the room shifted, growing heavier, pressing down, as if this space had been severed from the outside world.


    My father knelt low, his hands pressing against the floor as if bowing before the creature. His voice trembled as he spoke, no longer as calm as before.


    ¡°My Lord¡­ I beg for endless power. Grant me immortality, glory that will never fade with time.¡±


    The creature did not respond immediately. It simply stared, a smile slowly spreading across its unnatural face. The people around it began to sob, their bodies shaking violently, as if something unseen was gripping their souls.


    Then, another sound. Sharp, muffled by the darkness.


    A loud crash shook the room. The old wooden door, tightly shut, was flung open, revealing a group of fully armed knights. They stormed in like a tempest, swords drawn, shields gleaming under the pulsating red light from the ritual circle. But the intruders¡¯ arrival did not disturb the creature.


    ¡°NO¡­ NO¡­ I DIDN¡¯T WANT THIS!¡± More screams erupted, but they also began to fade.


    The creature raised its hand. In an instant, something white and translucent was forcibly ripped from their bodies. Souls¡ªI was sure they were souls. Even the knights in armor could do nothing, unwilling to become victims.


    I wanted to run, but my feet were frozen. I could only watch, only feel my heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst.


    People scrambled toward the door. They bumped into me, knocking me down. When I lifted my head, I regretted it.


    The creature was staring straight at me.In an instant, it was right in front of me.I wanted to scream. My breath hitched, my body felt frozen, the suffocating fear emptying my mind. But amidst the overwhelming terror, something else whispered in my head¡ªthat I shouldn¡¯t run.


    Its hand reached out, lifting me like a child. Its red eyes glowed, locking onto mine in a bottomless mirror.


    "Jdilameuioablepa¡­"


    Something sticky crawled into my chest. Warm, but horrifying. Like chains binding my soul.


    ¡°What¡­ is this¡­?¡± My voice was barely audible.


    Then its voice¡ªechoing directly in my head.


    ¡°You will bear it.¡±


    I wanted to refuse. But the words crawled in, embedding themselves into my mind as if they had always been a part of me. Was this a curse? Or¡­And before I could do anything, it vanished. Leaving me alone, with bodies scattered around me. Blank faces with wide eyes, and blood pooling on the floor.


    I looked at my father¡ªstill, unmoving, his once-angry face now pitiful, his mouth that always said he hated me now wide open. Would he be angry at me again for disobeying? before I could find the answer, heavy footsteps approached. An old man in knight¡¯s uniform stood there. He didn¡¯t speak. He just stared at me for a long time before slowly kneeling and hugging me tightly.


    ¡°We must report this to the king,¡± said a young man behind him.


    The other knights began to murmur in agreement.


    ¡°No, everything that happened today stays between us.¡±


    ¡°But sir¡­¡±


    ¡°DID YOU HEAR MY ORDER?!¡± the old man shouted, ¡°And the king doesn¡¯t need to meddle in everything!¡±


    The knights fell silent, though the young lieutenant showed a displeased expression.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Then what do we do with the girl?¡± asked one of the knights.


    ¡°We should kill her! Can¡¯t you see? The demon has possessed her!¡± retorted the young man.


    ¡°If she were truly possessed, the ancient chants you sang to try and banish that creature would have killed her already.¡±


    ¡°Commander, it must be a trick!¡±


    The commander continued to hold me, his breathing heavy. Then, he looked at them one by one before speaking calmly but firmly.


    ¡°Is a child who just witnessed a tragedy a demon to you?¡±


    The room fell silent. Then the commander stood, pulling me to my feet.


    ¡°For now¡­ just observe her. And I will oversee her.¡±


    After the tragedy, I was adopted by the old man¡ªthe Imperial Knight Commander¡ªbut with one condition: ¡°You must never let anyone know you were involved with a demon.¡±


    I simply nodded. Then he patted my head.


    ¡°Goodbyes are hard, but we have no choice but to accept them. From now on, I am your guardian. My name is William.¡±


    I looked at him.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m Elanor.¡±


    He gave a small smile.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Elanor.¡±


    Perhaps he was the perfect grandfather everyone wished for. After adopting me, he gave me everything I needed without imposing too many rules. At his home, I was free to ride horses, learn martial arts, even eat without forks or spoons.


    When I made mistakes, he didn¡¯t lock me in a dark room or starve me for days, as I had experienced before. His punishments were much lighter¡ªmaybe just tying me to a big tree because I shaved off his mustache and eyebrows.


    If I made other mistakes, it was probably unintentional or not.


    -----------------------------------------------------------


    Two Years Later


    ¡°Commander, your granddaughter sent three students to the hospital.¡±


    William sighed softly. ¡°What¡¯s the reason this time?¡±


    The young lieutenant beside him snorted. ¡°They made fun of her hair. Said it was messy, and suddenly the girl beat them up.¡±


    William looked at me, then back at the lieutenant. ¡°Maybe hair is a sensitive topic for her.¡±


    ¡°Sensitive? This is the fifth time she¡¯s done this!¡± The lieutenant glared at me. ¡°She¡¯s dangerous! You know that, Commander!¡±


    William was silent for a moment before finally approaching me.


    ¡°Why did you hit them?¡±


    I looked at him.


    ¡°They were talking bad about me behind my back.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure they were talking about you?¡±


    I clenched my fists. ¡°I heard them. The more I ignored it, the louder the voices became.¡±


    He took a deep breath, then slowly placed his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eye.


    ¡°When I first became a commander, many people underestimated me behind my back. So¡­ I imagined their faces as donkeys so I wouldn¡¯t want to hit them.¡±


    I let out a small chuckle, followed by William¡¯s faint smile.


    ¡°You need to learn to ignore those voices, Elanor. Because no matter where you go¡­ those voices will always be there.¡±


    ------------------------------------------------------------


    Three Years Later


    ¡°Elanor,¡± the young lieutenant¡¯s voice was sharp, ¡°you killed a thief on the street. Do you think you can act as you please?¡±


    I remained silent.


    One of the knights in the room clenched his fist. ¡°She hasn¡¯t changed¡­ Sooner or later, she¡¯ll become a threat.¡±


    The young lieutenant crossed his arms. ¡°Unfortunately, she¡¯s an asset to the academy. But I wonder¡­ how long can we keep covering this up?¡± Before I could answer, the door to the room slammed open.


    William entered. His gaze was dark.


    ¡°Release her.¡±


    ¡°Commander, this isn¡¯t the first time¡ª¡±


    ¡°I said RELEASE HER!¡±


    The room froze.


    Slowly, they let me go but William didn¡¯t hug me as he usually did he grabbed my shoulders¡ªand shook me hard.


    ¡°What did you do, Elanor?! YOU KILLED SOMEONE?!¡±


    I looked at him coldly.


    ¡°He tried to kill me first.¡±


    ¡°IT WAS JUST A THREAT, ELANOR!¡± his voice cracked. ¡°He just wanted to rob you! You could¡¯ve stopped him WITHOUT killing!¡±


    He took a deep breath.


    ¡°Do you know how hard it¡¯s been for me to protect you from all the accusations?!¡± His fists clenched, his eyes glistening. ¡°Now they have a real reason to call you a demon!¡±


    I stayed silent and Finally, he released my shoulders.


    ¡°This incident will not be pursued. No one is to speak of it.¡±


    ¡°But, Commander¡ª¡±


    ¡°THIS IS AN ORDER!¡±


    That night, I saw him cry.


    ¡°William¡­¡±


    He looked at me with wounded eyes.


    ¡°Elanor¡­ I¡¯ve tried to protect you. But if you keep this up¡­ I can¡¯t protect you anymore.¡±


    His hands gripped mine tightly, as if pleading.


    ¡°Promise me¡­ You won¡¯t do something like this again.¡±


    I bit my lip, then nodded.¡°I¡­ promise.¡±


    Then, he hugged me tightly. From that moment, our relationship changed. He began restricting my movements and watching me wherever I went.


    His attitude reminded me of my father¡ªthe way he stared at me deeply, sighed heavily, then held his forehead as if bearing an invisible burden.All my martial arts lessons were halted, and every magic book I owned was confiscated. No sharp objects were allowed near me anymore. From then on, I wasn¡¯t allowed to go to the academy.


    ----------------------------------------------------------------


    Five Years Later


    On a quiet night, William lay weak. His rank had been stripped by the king. His once-strong body had withered, and the young lieutenant who was once his apprentice had become the new commander.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? The demon must be killed now,¡± he said coldly.


    William, frail and weak, looked at him.¡°She¡¯s human. Her heart won¡¯t turn into a demon,¡± he whispered.


    The new commander glared with hatred. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. But demons will never understand kindness.¡±


    That¡¯s what the new commander said, but that night, a group of knights stormed William¡¯s home.


    Without warning, they surrounded the house in the dead of night, led by the new commander. Their footsteps echoed on the rocky ground, swords drawn, ready to take a life. There was only one order¡ªkill Elanor before her power grew further.


    Elanor, who had been asleep, woke to the sound of the door being smashed open. She jumped from the bed, grabbing the dagger she had hidden from William. But before she could move further, a knight swung his sword at her.


    She rolled to the side, her breath catching as the blade sliced through the air, shattering a small table nearby. Dust and wood splinters flew, but she couldn¡¯t stop. Without thinking, she crouched and stabbed the knight¡¯s thigh¡ªaiming for a vital spot between the armor gaps. The man screamed, his body faltering. Seizing the opportunity, Elanor grabbed his sword, swung it deftly, and slashed his throat in one sharp motion. Warm blood sprayed onto her face, but she didn¡¯t blink. This was just the beginning.


    The first death cry shook the rest of the troops. With blood still dripping from her sword, Elanor glared at the new commander, as if seeing a shadow of her past. He grew fearful and tightened the reins of his horse.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give her time! Kill her now!¡± he shouted.

 demon

    Without mercy, they surrounded her, cornering her into a spot she could no longer avoid. In the fierce battle, Elanor fought desperately, but the overwhelming number of soldiers eventually brought her down. They captured her, chained her, and dragged her to a place that resembled a dungeon¡ªor perhaps a torture chamber.


    One of the knights kicked Elanor''s stomach hard, sending her crashing to the rocky ground. Her breath was heavy, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. A group of knights stood around her, their eyes filled with hatred and disdain.


    "Get up, demon! Or do you prefer crawling on the ground like an animal?"


    Elanor growled, trying to rise, but the second knight stepped on her back, pushing her into the ground. The insults filled her head, and her anger flared.


    "Someone like you should have been burned long ago. You''re not human. You''re just a curse that''s been allowed to live too long."


    One of them pulled Elanor''s hair, forcing her to look forward. Another knight punched her face, sending her back to the ground. Elanor''s eyes sharpened, as though ready to destroy anything if her chains were removed.


    They laughed quietly.


    "When the executioner sharpens his axe, your head will be separated from your body."


    Her chest felt tight. Their voices continued to echo in her head. Damn, they''ll kill me if this continues.


    "You will never be part of this world."


    They dragged her to the guillotine. Seeing the executioner with his blood-stained axe, one of the knights spat in her direction.


    "I''ll kill you all."


    "Huh?"


    In her rage, something inside Elanor snapped.


    "I''LL KILL YOU ALL!"


    The air suddenly grew heavy.


    The knights immediately felt a chilling cold piercing their bones.


    "What is this...?"


    The girl slowly rose. Black feathers tore through her white skin, her beautiful face slowly transforming into a figure resembling a black goat with curved horns. The air vibrated. Her body grew larger, the ground cracked, and a dark aura enveloped her body.


    "AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"


    The creature''s roar was terrifying, reflecting the anger that had been buried for so long.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Her body continued to grow, destroying the roof and emerging into the city. She brought fire with her. In an instant, the once peaceful city was engulfed in flames. The sky, once clear, was now filled with thick dark clouds, and black smoke rose high, blocking the sun.


    The creature roared with a terrifying sound.


    "DEMON!" a knight screamed, horrified at the destruction happening so quickly.


    In the midst of the chaos, a very familiar voice snapped her back to reality.


    "Elanor."


    It was William. How did he get here with his weakened body? He appeared to drag his injured body, his eyes filled with sorrow.


    "Is that you, Elanor?" he asked.


    "William... I... I..." Elanor''s voice mixed with the heavy tone of the creature, but William surely recognized her.


    "You''ve gone too far, Elanor." His old voice was filled with confusion and disappointment.


    Elanor turned and saw her grandfather standing there, his eyes full of sadness. "What have you done? You... you''ve destroyed everything!"


    Elanor''s eyes widened. "I... I couldn''t control it. They... they forced me to become like this!"


    With steady steps, her grandfather unsheathed his sword. "Hendrick was right. I should have killed you back then. You''ve become a threat that can''t be left alive. There''s no more path for you."


    Tears fell from Elanor''s eyes. "William... why do you want to kill me? I... I don¡¯t know what to do."


    Fear consumed her. Her body slowly returned to the form of the little girl crying amidst the destruction. Hearing the sound of the sword scraping against the ground, Elanor realized¡ªthe sword was almost upon her.


    Her instincts made her dodge.


    Elanor staggered back, her body trembling. Then she made a decision to run. No matter if she looked like a dog fleeing from its master, she kept running, crashing through wood and debris until she reached a dead-end.


    "You are a demon," William''s voice was flat before he swung his sword again. Elanor could only dodge, her body covered in wounds.


    She thought it wouldn''t matter if she died at the hands of her guardian, but when she looked into William''s eyes, ready to strike, she saw the same thing as in the eyes of the knights and those who despised her.


    In that moment, before William could strike, Elanor grabbed a sharp piece of wood beside her and drove it into William''s stomach.


    The old man collapsed. A gaping wound in his stomach, his face pale, blood flowing from his mouth.


    "Why... Grandfather?" she whispered, her voice almost inaudible.


    Elanor held the dying man tightly. "I... I didn''t mean to... no, Grandfather..."


    But the response she received was not what she had hoped for.


    "Demon... you took my soul... and in return, what will you give me?" Her grandfather''s voice was weak and broken.


    Elanor held his hand tightly. "Grandfather... what are you talking about?"


    "Listen to me, demon... I want this kingdom to change... Give it to me... as payment..."


    The light in his eyes faded. His breath stopped. There was no more sound.


    "Grandfather... no..." Elanor whispered, her body trembling with overwhelming regret. But it was too late.


    The soldiers surrounded her again. In an instant, chains bound her.


    Elanor was locked in a cage, her hands bound. Her face was bruised and confused. After William''s death, the judge was determining her fate. Yet, despite being surrounded by soldiers and trapped, someone unexpected came to her rescue.


    A noblewoman, dressed in an elegant black cloak, stepped forward with confidence. Her sharp eyes fixed on Elanor with great interest.


    "I''ve heard you''re a demon who can grant any wish," she said with a hopeful smile. "I will free you. In exchange, you must make the King fall in love with me."


    Elanor looked at her blankly. The noblewoman''s gaze was eerily similar to William''s when he made his last request. She stayed silent for a long moment before finally answering.


    "I accept your offer."


    "Good. From now on, you are my servant. And please take care of this girl," said the noblewoman to a girl standing beside her.


    A blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl stepped forward, offering her hand to help Elanor stand. "My name is Isabella," said the girl. "From now on, you are under my supervision."