Cedric felt his body tremble as the power surged through him. His eyes glowed gold, brighter than ever before. The air became heavy. The demons stopped moving. Their eyes widened in fear.
Then the light erupted.
A golden wave spread across the town. The buildings, the streets, everything was bathed in pure, burning light. It was as if the sun itself had descended to the earth. The heat was unbearable. The air hot. The demons screamed. Their flesh burned, turning to ash in seconds.
Yet Cedric's friends and the five people he had rescued stood unharmed. The golden light surrounded them but did not touch them. They felt warmth, but no pain.
Cedric had control. His power responded to his mind. Whoever he saw as a threat, the light saw as a threat.
The leader of the demons roared. He lunged at Cedric, but the light swallowed him. His body disintegrated before he could take another step.
One by one, the demons fell. Their screams faded. Their bodies vanished. The illusion of the town crumbled into nothing.
The fight was over.
Cedric took one shaky step forward. The power inside him drained. His vision blurred.
Then everything went black.
When Cedric opened his eyes, he was lying in the back of the carriage. The sky was bright. The sun was shining.
He could hear voices.
They were all alive.
They had escaped.
Cedric tried to speak, but his throat was dry. He felt exhausted. His body ached. The power had taken everything out of him. (Noob)
Cedric blinked. He could still see the golden light.
He had killed them all.
Cedric slowly sat up in the carriage. His body felt heavy, and his head ached. His vision was still a little blurry, but he could see Jorin holding the reins, guiding the horses forward. Lila sat beside him, while Sera and Kian were resting in the corner. The other survivors were sitting quietly, looking at him with mixed expressions.
Lila noticed him moving and leaned closer. "You're awake," she said.
Cedric nodded, his throat dry. "How long was I out?"
Jorin turned her head slightly. "Almost a full day. We had to get out of there as soon as possible."
Cedric rubbed his temples. "Where are we now?"
"We're heading south," Lila answered. "Away from that cursed place."
Cedric took a deep breath and looked around. The people he had rescued seemed relieved, but their faces still carried the weight of what had happened. He could see it in their eyes. They had been trapped for who knows how long, and now they were free. But the memories would not leave them so easily.
Kian, who was sitting next to Sera, suddenly spoke. "Cedric… what happened back there?" (Curious)
Everyone looked at him, waiting for an answer.
Cedric hesitated. He didn't fully understand it himself. "I remembered something," he finally said. "Something from… before."
Jorin frowned. "Before what?"
Cedric looked down at his hands. "Before I was Cedric."
Lila's expression changed. "You mean…?"
Cedric nodded. "The power I used… it wasn't something I learned. It was something I already knew. I just had to remember it."
The carriage fell silent.
Jorin finally spoke. "That was not normal power. The whole town burned like the sun itself came down. What are you really, Cedric?"
Cedric clenched his fists. He had avoided this conversation for a long time. He had told himself it didn't matter. That as long as he kept moving forward, he didn't need to explain anything.
But now, after what happened, he knew they deserved answers.
"I don't know how to explain it," he admitted. "I'm not just a normal human. That much is clear. But I don't have all the answers yet. I just know that I have a past that I don't fully remember, and that power is part of it."
Lila crossed her arms. "Are you saying you were someone else before you were Cedric?"
"Yes," Cedric said. "But I don't know who I was. Not completely."
Jorin let out a deep breath. "Well, whoever you were, I don't care. You saved us, and that's enough for me."
Lila sighed. "I agree. I just… I just wish we knew more."
Sera, who had been quiet the whole time, finally spoke. "You're still Cedric to me."
Cedric looked at her, surprised. She was younger than the others, but she had seen just as much. Maybe more.
"Thank you," Cedric said.
The carriage kept moving forward.
For now, that was enough.
Little does he no that there's a vessel of the monarch of shades in the Carriage (among the people he rescued).