Estrallosa stood atop a jagged outcrop, his towering draconic form silhouetted against the dim glow of the horizon. From this vantage point, the Cavern of the Soaker stretched out beneath him, a desolate expanse of dark stone and echoing winds. Below, Adrian Falter moved like a blade through the air—his strikes sharp, his movements relentless. Shadows coiled around him, twisting and writhing like serpents answering their master's call.
The boy was changing. No—he had already changed.
Estrallosa's reptilian eyes, sharp and ancient, tracked Adrian's every motion. There was something eerily familiar in the young demon's tenacity, something that pulled at the frayed edges of Estrallosa's long-buried memories.
'Jaguroth.'
The name whispered through his mind, unbidden and heavy, like a ghost rising from the ashes of time.
The Cavern of the Soaker had not always been a realm of shadow and silence. Long ago, it had been alive with the unyielding will of Jaguroth, the Soaker—a demon whose name had once shaken the foundations of their world. Estrallosa's claws flexed absently as the memory took hold, sharp and vivid.
In the depths of Estrallosa's mind, the cavern was transformed. Where shadows now lingered, there had once been a brilliant, roaring energy—a primal force that pulsed with strength and vision. Jaguroth had been its center.
Estrallosa remembered their first meeting. Jaguroth had not been like other demons. Pale-skinned and dark-eyed, with an aura that burned brighter than any flame, he had radiated defiance. His voice, deep and resonant, had been a challenge to the very fabric of the underworld.
"Strength without purpose is a hollow existence," Jaguroth had said, standing amidst his gathered followers. "To stand at the top means nothing unless you reshape the world beneath you."
Those words had burned themselves into Estrallosa's mind. Jaguroth had not sought destruction for destruction's sake, nor had he thirsted for meaningless chaos. No—he had wanted balance. A world where strength dictated rule, but tyranny and corruption found no foothold.
And yet, such a dream had been dangerous.
Estrallosa's eyes flickered open, the memory dissolving like smoke in the wind. He looked down at Adrian again, his brow furrowing.
"You had the same fire, Jaguroth," he muttered to himself. "And I watched it burn you alive."
Below, Adrian moved with single-minded focus. Sweat beaded on his brow, but he didn't falter. His fists, glowing faintly with dark energy, struck the ground with explosive force. Shadows erupted on impact, tearing through the stone like claws slicing through flesh.
Estrallosa's tail curled behind him, his massive wings shifting slightly as he studied the young demon. There was a rawness to Adrian's power—unrefined, untamed—but beneath it lay a dangerous potential.
'He's too much like you,' Estrallosa thought grimly. 'Too reckless. Too determined.'
"He's just like you…" The words slipped from his mouth, a quiet whisper lost to the winds.
Adrian launched himself forward, his body a blur as he twisted mid-air. A pillar of shadows exploded upward in his wake, sending a shockwave rolling through the valley. When Adrian landed, his chest heaving, his crimson eyes burned with quiet resolve.
Estrallosa turned away, his talons scraping softly against the stone as he descended from the outcrop.
The cavern's main chamber was dark and still, the air heavy with echoes of the past. Estrallosa's massive form moved with surprising silence, his thoughts a storm he couldn't quite calm.
"Staring at shadows again, are we?"
Estrallosa halted, turning his head to find Draven leaning casually against a pillar of stone. The advisor's yellow eyes gleamed with curiosity, though his face remained unreadable beneath the hood of his robe.
"You've been watching him," Draven continued, pushing off the pillar and stepping closer. "Adrian."
Estrallosa's wings shifted slightly, an unconscious twitch. "He reminds me of Jaguroth."
At this, Draven's gaze sharpened. "Jaguroth? You truly see that in him?"
Estrallosa nodded slowly, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. "The same defiance. The same… fire. Jaguroth never broke, not even when the world turned against him."
Draven tilted his head, his expression contemplative. "And we both know where that fire led."
Estrallosa's eyes darkened. "I watched it consume him. He believed he could stand against Meliodas, that his vision was worth the cost. But he was too bold. Too proud."
"And now?" Draven pressed. "Do you think Adrian will walk the same path?"
Estrallosa hesitated, the weight of the question pressing against him. "That depends. If Adrian learns from Jaguroth's mistakes, he could become something far greater."
"And if he doesn't?"
Estrallosa's gaze turned distant. "Then history will devour him, as it did Jaguroth."
Meanwhile, Adrian had collapsed to one knee, his hands pressed against the cracked stone. The shadows around him flickered and dimmed, as if responding to his exhaustion. His breathing was ragged, but his resolve hadn't wavered.
'Not enough,' he thought bitterly. 'I need to be stronger.'
He slammed his fist into the ground, and a burst of darkness rippled outward, shattering nearby boulders. His crimson eyes burned with rage, the weight of everything he'd lost fueling him.
"I won't stop," he growled, his voice hoarse. "Not until I reshape this world with my own hands."
A deep voice echoed through the valley.
"And what will you do if the world resists?"
Adrian turned sharply to see Estrallosa stepping into the open, his draconic form casting a massive shadow over the ground. The ancient demon's yellow eyes met Adrian's gaze, unblinking and piercing.
Adrian rose to his feet, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Then I'll crush it," he said simply, his voice unwavering.
Estrallosa let out a low, rumbling laugh. "Bold words, boy. But that doesn't mean nothing. Jaguroth thought the same once. Do you know where he is now?"
Adrian's eyes narrowed. "Dead, I assume."
"Destroyed," Estrallosa corrected, his tone grave. "Not because he lacked strength, but because he lacked control. He burned too brightly, and in doing so, he set himself aflame."
Adrian stared at the ancient demon, something unreadable flickering across his face. "Then I'll learn. I'll grow stronger. And I won't make his mistakes."
Estrallosa's gaze lingered on him for a long moment before he finally nodded. "Good. You'll need that resolve. Keep pushing, Adrian. The world isn't ready for what you're becoming."
Adrian's lips curled into a faint, determined smirk. "Then I'll make it ready."
Estrallosa watched him for a moment longer, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. 'Perhaps,' he thought, 'there's hope yet.'