After what felt like an endless thirty minutes, the group finally arrived unscathed at the village of Paraya. However, they quickly noticed that something was amiss. The streetlights of the village no longer emitted any light, casting a shadow over the tree-surrounded village, making it appear both dark and eerie. The moon was now their only source of light.
"Here we are! Paraya!" exclaimed Dasra.
"It's eerily quiet, isn't it?" remarked Yanis.
"Yeah, the streetlights aren't even on," Jacob observed.
"Hold on, kids! This isn't right! The King provided electricity to all the villages in his realm! If it's off, then something serious has happened."
"Um... You're scaring me now!" exclaimed Alora.
Dasra quickly understood Alora's fear for her own life. The warrior knew it was her duty to protect the Lost Ones at all costs.
"Don't worry! I'm prepared to give my life to protect you!"
As she reassured the distraught teens, Dasra leapt from the cart, vaulting over the horses, wearing a proud smile to lift the Lost Ones' spirits.
"It's your choice now, to come with me, or not!"
Everyone appeared anxious at the prospect of potential danger. Yanis, ever unflappable in the face of death and challenges, volunteered to follow Dasra, stepping out of the cart.
"Personally, I'm with her. I came here to do mission, not to do no shit."
"Thanks, Yanis. But you could be a bit more polite, eheh," Dasra added.
After this, everyone agreed to follow Yanis' lead. One by one, they descended from the cart, their faces showing a hint of anxiety, but they were nonetheless committed to fulfilling their first mission.
"Alright, let's go!"
As a group, they headed towards the entrance of Paraya, which showcased medieval architecture. The sound of the wind rustling the trees around the village and the caws of crows made the situation feel even more unsettling and eerie, for there seemed to be no sign of life within Paraya. It was as if it had been abandoned in a day. Rogue shivered as he followed the others, alongside Yanis and Alora.
"Guys... This is really creepy..."
"Don't be a wimp, dude. You're not scared," Yanis teased.
"Maybe, but this is freaky. I've never faced something like this before."
"Yanis! It's not cool to call your friend a 'wimp'," Alora scolded, "you should be kinder."
"Ugh! Calm down, Alora. I didn't even insult him."
"Just be careful how you speak to others. Remember, we're not on Earth anymore!"
"All the more reason to tease more! Ahah!"
"Oh, come on!"
"Hey, friends, it's okay! No need to argue over something so trivial," Jacob intervened.
"Relax, man, I'm just teasing her, that's all."
In the back of the group, Gwendoline and Kalen found themselves alone. It was undeniable that there was a spark between them: they blushed, hesitated to speak, and constantly looked away. Finally, Kalen, with an intense blush, took the initiative.
"So, how's your world?"
"Sad. Society is cruel."
"Why?"
"People are selfish. It's a living hell."
"Oh, sounds like my family..."
"Really?"
"Yes, my sister and father see me as the weakest. They reject and scorn me, but I believe I can prove myself as the second heir."
"That's the spirit! I believe in you!"
"You're right. I can do this! But I have a question, if you don't mind?"
"Go ahead."
"Why are you here? The Lost Ones are supposed to be four, not five, right?"
Kalen's question made Gwendoline pause. She hesitated to give a straight answer.
"It's because... I took my own life."
"Oh... So you died in your world and got... reincarnated?"
"Yeah, at least that's what I think. I'm trying to figure it out."
"I'm sorry to hear that..."
"You don't need to be. I plan to live a new life here. A different one, where I can shape a new identity!"
"I see. I hope to be a part of that journey and be with you till the end."
"I have no doubt... I want you to be a part of this adventure with me, Kalen."
Gwendoline and Kalen's conversation had abruptly ended when the group halted. Dasra, who had been leading the teenagers towards the village center, stopped mid-way when something alarming appeared before her.
"Young ones! Be on your guard! Something terrible has happened here!"
"What's wrong? What's happened?" Alora inquired.
They all gathered around Dasra as she pointed to a street gutter. It was rapidly filling with blood, streaming all the way through the village. The group immediately became vigilant, bracing for what might come next.
"It's horrendous!"
"There's been a massacre. It couldn't be anything else," Jacob remarked.
"I fear you might be right," Dasra sighed. "We might encounter Abaguo sooner than expected."
"Abaguo?" Yanis questioned.
"He's an archdemon wanted by police worldwide. Even the federal agents from Edra and the WADI are after him. Abaguo typically consumes thousands of victims. On average, he consumes five villages a year, accounting for 500 to 5,000 souls."
"Wait! Are you serious?!" Jacob exclaimed.
"Yes..."
"So, Jacob? Not feeling so strong now, huh?" Yanis teased.
"Alright, fine, I got carried away..."
United by their fear and led by Dasra, they ventured forth. As they delved deeper, they all began to feel a colossal energy force, apparently emanating from the heart of Paraya.
"Do you all feel that?" Jacob whispered.
"Yeah, and it's really not good."
Soon, it was Dasra's blazing mana everyone could sense. She channeled her mana into her fists, glowing with an intense, fiery orange hue. The heat and light from her hands illuminated the alley they navigated.
"By the way, what's your power?" Yanis asked.
"I'm a Phoenix. I can do whatever a Phoenix can do."
"So, you're immortal?" Jacob pressed.
"Yes, but to an extent. I've died 925 times in my six hundred years of existence."
"That's crazy! You've died that many times?"
"We'll discuss this later. We're approaching the village center."
Upon reaching Paraya's heart, they were paralyzed with horror at the sight of a pile of a thousand dead villagers next to a fountain stained with their blood. Alora, overwhelmed with dread, covered her face, unwilling to witness the hellish carnage.
"This is horrifying!"
"Only demons can do such a thing!"
"I have to stop you there, Kalen. A human did this. A demon would just suck out souls. These are real villagers, killed one by one."
"Whoever did this is pure evil," Yanis spat.
"There's actually a plausible reason. The human who did this was contracted with an archdemon to acquire demonic energy. The human massacred the village, and the archdemon converted the villagers' souls into demonic energy, then gifted it to the human. It's a tragedy that happens at least once a year in every country..."
Their progression into Paraya was marked by Alora's constant sobbing. They were headed towards the energy source they felt earlier. Soon, they were near the perpetrator of the massacre: the notorious and sadistic Tony Magreki, Yanis's Inversed One. Tony had absorbed so much demonic mana that a dark aura radiated from him.
Yanis, while shocked at the sight, recognized the malevolent aura emanating from his enemy, Tony. Yanis, usually stoic and calm, let his anger explode in front of the astonished group.
"You bastard, Tony! I'm coming for you!"
"What?!" Dasra exclaimed.
Before Dasra could grasp the unfolding situation, Tony, covered in blood from head to toe, turned with a wicked grin.
"Ah, Yanis! I knew you'd come! Come here, I'm waiting!"
Dasra, with precision, halted Yanis by grabbing his arm.
"Let go of me!"
"I don't know what that ‵Tony′ means to you, but I highly advise against approaching him. Look who's here..."
The horror escalated as Yorgor joined, his arms crossed, his face stoic.
"That's Yorgor... The Archdemon of anger and rage. I warned you they'd be back."
Gwendoline, trembling, was overwhelmed. It was their first mission; why were they facing such formidable foes?
"Guys, is this some kind of sick joke?" Jacob voiced, his fear palpable.
Tony summoned nunchaku from thin air, saturated with demonic mana.
"Ready for round two, Yanis?"
"Stay right there! I'm coming for you!"