BXBX NOVEL Chapter 89 Missing?
"Do you know where Aiden is?"
Upon uttering the words, Rose was immediately aware of her high-pitched tone and excessive emotional display. She expected Tess to mock her for displaying such an outpouring of emotion, however, silence greeted her instead.
"?"
Looking up from the ground, Rose gazed at Tess, seeing her consorted face, a mix of concern and uncertainty.
Drake on the other hand didn't quite recall who Aiden was, but upon seeing Tess's reaction, he quickly caught on that something serious might have happened to him.
"..."
The trio stood in tense silence, as Rose tried to regain her composure and Tess searched for the right words to respond.
"Is he... your Compatible Person?"
Tess cautiously, but directly asked Rose, making her wriggle in her seat. Tess and Drake could tell that she was very shy about the topic.
In the end, Rose nodded slowly, her eyes shifting away from Tess and Drake, feeling embarrassed at the attention.
"This is... shit!"
Both Rose and Drake lifted their eyes toward Tess, startled by her sudden outburst.
Now Rose was beginning to feel anxious, as she knew Tess never reacted this way unless something was really wrong.
"What do you mean, Tess?"
Not being able to handle the pressure, Rose, finally, asked Tess, feeling a knot forming in her stomach.
"Tess, please tell us what's going on."
Drake also seconded. Although he didn't quite recall anyone named Aiden, he could still worry about his friends and their well-being.
Tess took a deep breath, trying to steady her voice.
"He... Aiden... has been missing since our trip to the Wild Lands."
The temperature in the area dropped suddenly as Rose understood the gravity of the situation.
Her emotions went from embarrassment and shyness to panic as she realized that her Aiden was missing.
Her mind went into overdrive, trying to process the situation, resulting in loose control of her Mana.
This was instantly picked up by Tess and Drake, who felt a chilling cold emanating from Rose's aura.
"Sorry, I have to make a phone call..."
Offering a quick apology, Rose stood up from her seat, 'slowly' leaving the cafeteria with a phone in her hand.
Beep... Beep...
As soon as she left the room, Tess and Drake exchanged a worried glance, silently acknowledging the seriousness of the situation.
Tess and Drake both knew that making it out of the Wild Lands alive was hard and practically impossible.
Especially if you are a first-year student, who doesn't seem anything out of the ordinary.
"..."
While Drake was lost in thought, Tess recalled everything she knew about Aiden.
Sly and mysterious. He reminded her of a Shadow, a quiet and elusive figure, always lingering in the background.
She recalled hearing some kind of rumors that he had defeated his classmate in some kind of weird competition. As far as she can recall the guy seemed more skilled and powerful than Aiden, which made his victory surprising.
If the rumors were true, then Aiden is hiding his real strength, which made him appear even more dangerous and unpredictable.
"Huff..."
Sighing softly, Tess closed her eyes recalling how Aiden and she spoke in the garden.
At that point in time, he seemed ordinary and weak, but with everything that has happened, Tess realized that there was more to him than meets the eye.
She could draw a clear pattern of him purposefully hiding his abilities and keeping a low profile in order to avoid drawing unwanted attention.
Tess wondered what Aiden's true intentions were and whether his disappearance had anything to do with them.
"It's annoying..."
She let out a muffled sigh, making Drake look at her with raised eyebrows.
If Aiden was Rose's compatible person it meant that his meetings with Rose might not be as accidental as they seemed.
The first time Rose and him met was in a distant city and somehow, Aiden managed to recognize her while she was wearing a cloak that should've concealed one's identity perfectly.
"Who really are you?"
***
Meanwhile, In a distant village nestled in the frost-covered lands of the north, a horrifying scene unfolded. The tranquility of the once peaceful settlement was shattered as a malevolent presence descended upon it.
A single demon, devoid of wings but adorned with two menacing horns and a wickedly curling tail, reveled in the chaos and destruction that surrounded him.
Whoosh...
With eyes as piercing and bright as the frozen glaciers, the demon moved with unhurried grace, his every step leaving a trail of despair in its wake.
The villagers, paralyzed with fear, could do nothing but watch in horror as the demon unleashed his merciless assault, his every action a testament to his sadistic pleasure.
As he roamed the village, he spoke of pain with an eerie fascination, relishing in the suffering he inflicted upon the innocent.
His voice, a chilling blend of menace and amusement, echoed through the desolate streets, sending shivers down the spines of those unfortunate enough to hear it.
"Ah, the sweet symphony of agony..."
The demon mused, his words dripping with malicious glee.
"Do you hear it, humans? The wails of pain and the cries of despair. They are my melody, and I am the conductor..."
He reveled in the terror-stricken faces of his victims, the twisted pleasure etched upon his demonic countenance.
Every life extinguished, every soul torn asunder, fueled his insatiable appetite for suffering. With each stroke of his razor-sharp claws, he bathed in the rivers of crimson that flowed freely, a macabre feast for his twisted desires.
"Hmm..."
He picked up a distant cry of a child in one of the houses and his hellish grin widened.
Tap... Tap...
The Demon approached the house, kicking away the front door and stepping inside.
The child's parents, driven by an instinctual love and desperate to shield their innocent offspring from the horrors unfolding before them, sprang into action.
With trembling hands and hearts pounding with fear, they sought to create a barrier of protection around their precious child.
Clank...
The father, his eyes filled with fierce determination, grabbed a rusted sword that had been passed down through generations. Its blade may have dulled with time, but his resolve remained sharp.
He positioned himself between the demon and the cradle where the baby lay, his body a shield against the malevolent presence.
The mother, her hands trembling but her spirit unyielding, clutched a talisman blessed with Mana. She whispered fervent prayers under her breath, desperately invoking the divine forces to safeguard her child.
With each word, she hoped to ward off the encroaching darkness and shield her baby from the impending doom.
But the demon, intoxicated by the scent of fear and intoxicated by his sadistic nature, simply laughed at their futile attempts.
He relished in the sight of their desperation, seeing it as nothing more than mere entertainment. His twisted amusement fueled his monstrous power.
"Thank you, humans, for the meal..."
With a flick of his clawed hand, the demon sent the father sprawling to the ground, the ancient sword slipping from his grasp.
The mother's pleas grew louder, her prayers bordering on hysteria as she continued to pour her soul into her protective chants. But her efforts, too, were in vain.
The demon's eyes locked onto the helpless child. A wicked grin formed upon his twisted face, as he reveled in the impending devastation he was about to unleash. Time seemed to stand still, the air thick with anticipation.
In one swift, merciless movement, the demon brought down his razor-sharp claws upon the parents, rending their bodies apart with savage efficiency. Blood sprayed through the air, painting a macabre tableau of horror.
The child, mere feet away, watched in horror as life drained from the eyes of those who had brought it into this world.
The demon's malevolent laughter filled the air, mingling with the desperate sobs of the child. The scent of death and despair hung heavy in the frozen village, as the demon reveled in his sadistic triumph.
"Let's see..."
The demon mused, licking its blood claws and smirking at the child.
He leaned over the kind analyzing the baby and peering into his innocent, green eyes.
"It's a shame..."
Clicking his tongue the demon spoke, whilst slashing his claws at the nearby wall and making the roof collapse. Of course, he was able to escape the house before he was buried under the rubble, but the kid wasn't as lucky.
"..."
Leaping onto one of the roofs the Demon glanced over the village, trying to find his next victim, however, he couldn't pick up any other life signs.
The demon seemed to revel in the destruction and chaos he had caused, satisfied with his sadistic actions and indifferent to the loss of human life.
Clunk...
Suddenly, as if something had snapped within him, the Demon's head snapped towards the west, his bright blue eyes narrowed into slits.
He picked up a strange energy or rather Mana that seemed to call him. It was like the Shadows were inviting him.
"Is it finally open?"
The Demon looked at the shadows dancing on the walls, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.
"That Dungeon is finally open!"