Ike's POV:
Morak's eyes seemed to bore into my soul as he spoke. "You're a demon, but not fully. It seems you're infected, but not completely. The dark energy has turned you into some sort of hybrid, not fully accessing the demonic strengths."
I narrowed my eyes, intrigued. "And what about you? You're not human either."
Morak's smile was disarming. "I'm just like you, not fully infected too. We're one and the same."
I raised an eyebrow, sensing that something was off. But I didn't want to push further. Not yet.
Sarah broke the silence. "So, what's the plan now?"
I glanced at her, then back at Morak. "To find the Sword of Azaddon and end all this."
Morak's eyes lit up with interest. "So, you're looking for the sword too?"
Sarah nodded. "Yes, we were heading for the British Museum."
Morak shook his head. "It's not in the museum. I've checked. But I know who may possibly have it."
I leaned in, curious. "Who?"
Morak's smile was enigmatic. "Astra Wilson, the demonologist who found it in the first place. We find her, we find the sword."
I raised an eyebrow. "How'd you know?"
Morak's lie was smooth. "Because I worked with her in finding it. Thought she gave it to the museum, but I was wrong."
Sarah frowned. "Where do we start looking for this Astra Wilson?"
Morak's eyes seemed to gleam with excitement. "I do know a way. I can sense her energy. She's in some way connected to all this. If I can track her energy, I can find her."
I nodded, despite my reservations. "Okay, do your thing."
Morak took a deep breath, then said, "Follow me."
As we journeyed on, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off about Morak. I leaned in to Sarah, whispering, "I don't trust him. For some reason, something seems off about him. Watch your six."
Sarah nodded in agreement, her eyes darting towards Morak.
We encountered some demon-possessed bodies along the way. I used my enhanced demonic strength and abilities to fight them off, while Morak played along, fighting them off without showing much of his power. Sarah, on the other hand, couldn't do much, but she used a bat she found in a shop to fight them off desperately.
As we walked, the scenery shifted from abandoned buildings to sandy dunes. We crested a dune, and the beach spread out before us.
That's when we saw them – Astra, Marcus, James, Mike, and Claire. Astra's eyes locked onto Morak, and she took a step back, her voice trembling.
"Mr. Castor?!"
I frowned, confused. "What did you just call him?"
Astra's eyes never left Morak's face. "His name is Mr. Castor."
Morak didn't respond, his expression unreadable. I glanced at him, wondering what was going on.
Moraks POV:
I stood before them, a mixture of confusion and distrust etched on their faces. Astra and Marcus thought I was Mr. Castor, but I knew I had to convince them otherwise.
"Astra and Marcus, you think I'm Mr. Castor because I look like him, but I'm not," I began, spinning a web of deceit. "Mr. Castor took the fake Sword of Azaddon to the Temple of Gahena to release his son from hell, but he got possessed by a demon instead. The two of them merged into one being, and that is me, Morak."
The group exchanged skeptical glances, but I could see the doubt in their eyes begin to falter.
Marcus shook his head. "That's impossible."
I smiled, feigning confidence. "Oh, it's highly possible, especially in the world we're in. Just like Ike is not fully infected but has some demonic strengths and abilities."
I pointed to Ike, and the group turned to him. Ike nodded, confirming my words.
Sarah spoke up, her voice laced with uncertainty. "I guess he's telling the truth… I guess."
I nodded, relieved that my deception had worked. "I know you're all looking for the Sword of Azaddon, and I know how to find it."
Mike asked, "How?"
I turned to Astra, my eyes locking onto hers. "Astra is the key. All she has to do is focus, and she'll be able to sense the energy of the sword and track it. I don't know how, but Astra is possibly connected to the sword and all that's happening here."
Astra's eyes widened, and she took a step back. "Because I accidentally activated it with my blood… and because of that, all this happened. It's my fault."
James's voice was laced with shock. "What?!"
I smiled, my eyes never leaving Astra's face. "Well, Astra, you have a chance at redeeming your mistakes. Just try to focus on the energy of the sword, and lead us to it. Then, we'll go to Gahena and end this once and for all."
Astra nodded, determination etched on her face. "But I don't know how."
I smiled, feigning patience. "Don't worry, I'll teach you."
As I began to teach Astra how to focus and sense the energy of the sword, I couldn't help but observe the others. Claire and Mike whispered among themselves, their eyes darting towards me with suspicion. Marcus joined them, his voice low and cautious.
"Something is off about him and Ike. The two of them seem different. I don't know if they're telling the truth, but I don't trust them for a bit. Watch out for any monkey business."
I smiled to myself, knowing that my deception was working. But I also knew that I had to be careful. One misstep, and they would discover my true intentions.
As Astra practiced, I watched her, my eyes never leaving her face. It took a while, but finally, her eyes lit up with excitement.
"I did it! I can sense the sword! But we're going to need a boat."
I smiled, my heart racing with excitement. I was one step closer to finding and obtaining the Sword of Azaddon.
Astra's POV:
I stood at the bow of the speedboat, my eyes fixed on the horizon as I tracked the energy of the Sword of Azaddon. The wind whipped through my hair, and the sun beat down on my skin, but I didn't notice. I was too focused on my task.
James appeared beside me, his eyes concerned. "Hey, Astra, can I talk to you for a minute?"
I nodded, turning to face him. "What's up?"
James's expression was serious. "Why didn't you tell me about the sword? I thought we were a team."
I felt a pang of guilt, knowing that I had kept this secret from him. "I'm sorry, James. I wasn't too sure about it, and I didn't want to worry you."
James's face softened, and he pulled me into a hug. "I'm here for you, Astra. We're in this together."
I hugged him back, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. But I knew I couldn't tell him about my plan to sacrifice myself to save the world. Not yet.
Marcus noticed the exchange between James and me, but he didn't say anything. He understood what was going on, and he knew that I needed to keep this secret for now.
As we continued on our journey, James tried to lighten the mood by telling jokes. Everyone laughed, and for a moment, we forgot about the danger that lay ahead.
But our laughter was short-lived. Claire fell into the water by accident, and Mike stopped the boat to help her out. We all laughed it off, but I could sense the tension underlying our humor.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, we arrived at the island. The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow over the landscape.
We made our way through the dense jungle, our senses on high alert for any signs of danger. The air was thick with the sounds of birds and insects, and the scent of blooming flowers filled our nostrils.
As we journeyed deeper into the island, the trees grew taller, and the path grew narrower. We had to push aside vines and branches to make our way through.
Finally, we arrived at a cave, the entrance guarded by two massive stone statues. Marcus pushed aside the vines that covered the entrance, and we stepped inside.
The cave was dark and musty, the air thick with the scent of damp earth. But as we made our way deeper into the cave, I could sense the energy of the sword growing stronger.
And then, we saw it. The Sword of Azaddon lay on a pedestal, its blade glowing with an otherworldly light.
Marcus reached out and picked up the sword, its power coursing through him. I smiled, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. We had found the sword.
But as I looked at Marcus, I knew that our journey was far from over. We still had to face the darkness that lay ahead, and I knew that I would have to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the world.