The flickering torchlight dimmed, the air thick with dampness that clung to Kurogami's skin. Shadows morphed into grotesque shapes, twisting as fear surged like a cruel tide. He lay on the cool stone floor of the sanctuary, blood pooling around him, mixing with the muck of destruction surrounding the grotesque scene.

A guttural roar shattered the heavy silence, a sound that vibrated through his bones. Kurogami turned, eyes wide, watching in horror. The demon—Trangul—ripped apart his friends like mere playthings, their screams reverberating in his ears, echoing through the cavernous space.

"Why?! Why this?" he shouted, voice hoarse.

His heart thundered as he forced himself to look away from the carnage. There, crumpled in a protective embrace, were his parents, shielding Lily. Their faces twisted in anguish, they held her close, shielding her from the nightmare unfurling around them. Love. Sacrifice. The image struck Kurogami like a blade to the gut.

"No!" he choked out, rage igniting boiling within him, turning the icy grip of fear into something sharper.

As the demon's serpentine limbs flailed, Kurogami felt every howl, every gurgle of despair resonate deep in his bones. Each fallen comrade was a new wound on his soul, a fresh testament to the demon's merciless cruelty.

"If I had another chance…" he hissed, words rasping out with fervor. "I would hunt it. I would torment it. I would make this demon pay tenfold for this."

As if answering his plea, darkness blinked into existence, swallowing him whole.