Cedric led the group through the town as quietly as possible. His body was tense, his grip firm on his sword, Something felt wrong.
The streets were empty, yet the houses stood perfectly clean, untouched by time. Too perfect. He knew now that this place was a trap. But where were the demons?
Lila walked beside him, holding onto Sera and Kian. Jorin stayed at the back, keeping an eye on the other survivors. No one spoke. Everyone knew something wasn't right.
Then, as they passed the center of town, everything changed.
The Illusion Breaks,
A sharp ringing noise filled Cedric's ears. The air shifted.
The town began to warp and twist. The smooth buildings cracked, revealing old, broken ruins beneath. The perfect streets melted into dirt, The lantern lights faded, replaced by pale torches with green flame.
The illusion had disappeared.
Cedric stopped, his breathing slow. They weren't in a town. They were in a nest.
And then, he saw them.
Glawackus. (The demons)
More than thirty of them stood in the middle of the road, their bodies shifting between human and demon form. Their yellow eyes glowed in the darkness. They had been waiting.
One of them, taller than the rest, stepped forward.
"You ruined our feast," it said, its voice deep and inhuman. "But we will still eat tonight."
The demons moved in.
Cedric called his sword.
"Stay behind me," he ordered.
The others did not argue. They pressed against a broken wall, fear in their eyes.
The demons attacked.
The Battle Begins
The first demon lunged at Cedric, claws outstretched. He stepped forward, slicing through its chest.
Another one came from the left. He ducked, driving his sword into its stomach before twisting and cutting its head off.
Two more leaped at him. Cedric kicked one back and dodged the other, swinging his blade and cutting through its leg. The demon screamed.
But there were too many.
The Glawackus (demons) surrounded him, attacking from all sides.
Cedric fought without stopping.
He cut. He dodged. He stabbed. He moved like a machine, blocking claws and tearing through flesh. Blood splattered the ground.
But the demons kept coming.
And before he knows it ,
He had been fighting for hours.
His body was covered in wounds. His arms ached. His breathing was heavy. But he didn't stop.
A crushing blow,
Then—he let his guard down for one second.
A demon moved faster than he expected.
A heavy claw slammed into his head.
Cedric's vision blurred.
His ears rang.
His sword slipped from his fingers as he stumbled back.
The world around him flickered.
And then—he saw something.
A Memory of the Monarch of Light
A golden light.
A figure stood in a grand hall, surrounded by energy. The Monarch of Light.
Cedric watched as the figure raised a glowing hand. His eyes burned with golden fire. A power unlike anything Cedric had ever seen.
Then—the voice.
"From the heavens, a power descends,
A story of wonder, that never ends.
The earth below, in awe it lies,
Beneath the gaze of cosmic skies."
The figure spread his arms. The light around him expanded. Reality itself trembled.
"Monarch Expansion: The Light of Creation."
Cedric staggered back, his head throbbing from the blow. The world around him was spinning, but the vision of the Monarch of Light burned in his mind.
The words he heard repeated over and over, echoing deep inside him.
He gritted his teeth and forced himself to stay standing. He couldn't fall here. Not now.
The demons around him were watching, circling like animals ready to strike. They could sense his weakness.
But Cedric had remembered something. Something important.
He had seen how to create a Monarch Expansion.
Recreating the Monarch's Power
The Monarch of Light had spoken a chant. That chant was the key.
Cedric's hands clenched into fists. He took a deep breath, clearing his mind.
The words. He had to say the words.
The demons began to move toward him.
Cedric lifted his head.
He spoke.
"From the heavens, a power descends,
A story of wonder, that never ends.
The earth below, in awe it lies,
Beneath the gaze of cosmic skies."
The air around him shifted.
The Glawackus demons froze.
Cedric felt energy surge through his body.
"Monarch Expansion: The Light of Creation."