His Demoness

7 ⚔️ The Demoness Island

- Unnamed Maiden -

A girl emerged from the pond slowly, weaving through the waters layered by broken shards of ice. Her long, raven hair cascading down her back like a river of silk.

Gone was the everlasting winter and the ancient magic that had bound her to this godforsaken place. Gone was the safe, peaceful haven that she had quietly tucked herself away.

Instead, her wretched past was slowly catching up to her, haunting her mind once again.

Exactly how long had she slept? Ten years? Fifteen?

To her, time had passed like a breeze here but the world out there might have changed beyond recognition.

Why was she awakened?

More importantly, who woke her up?

Remnants of a strange dream floated in and out of her consciousness. The girl frowned at her hand, still feeling the tinge of warmth left behind by a mysterious stranger that she had met. The very same one who broke the magical seal that had imprisoned her.

Her first human contact, she realised, was with a boy.

***

- Zhijian -

Something was terribly wrong with him.

Ever since he regained consciousness, he started feeling unwell. Sweat glistened on his forehead, his head was throbbing painfully and his legs were growing weaker with every passing second. He was burning up from the inside out, as if he was having a fever.

How was this possible? He was perfectly well a couple of hours ago.

To his horror, his energy was depleting quicker than he realised. He stayed behind the others, forcing his legs to keep up with them.

The morning sun bloomed on the horizon, casting its warm glow across the unusually calm sea. It was a blessing that there was light to guide them through this ominous island.

What Leader Xu had said was true – the harsh environmental conditions that used to prohibit people from stepping foot here had vanished mysteriously.

Clearly, there was definitely something rather off about this place

After the guys disembarked from the boat, Dukai was leading the way, trekking through the thick trees. The rest of them trailed after him, keeping an eye on the wilderness. Looking out for any sign of the enemy.

Suqing was restless and edgy. He kept jumping at every little noise, even if it was just a bird fluttering above them or a squirrel scurrying across the grass.

Menglong gave a sideways glance, his appraising eyes measuring the meek boy walking beside him. "This is ridiculous, Suqing. Why did you even volunteer when you're such a coward? How did you even become an Eradicator?"

"Shut your mouth, Menglong." Suling, the other twin, glared while defending his brother. "It's just his nerves. He's stronger than you think. Pick on him one more time and I'll beat you up."

Their constant squabbles were sending waves of pain to Zhijian's head and he winced.

"You guys," he finally snapped. "Cease talking unless you want the Demoness to find out that we are here!"

They jumped at his harsh tone, eyes narrowing, before conceding into silence. At the same time, Dukai stopped in his steps and observed him with a slight frown.

He knew that Zhijian was always indifferent to the other disciples. Most of the time, he wouldn't pay them much attention. Even if they started their own fight, he would not bat an eye. But today, his tone was more curt than usual.

"Are you alright? You look terribly pale," Dukai asked. "What's wrong?"

"I'm fine," Zhijian hissed through his teeth. He was anything else other than being alright. "I'm perfectly well."

"It certainly does not look that way to me."

Dukai was right. To be honest, it was getting harder for Zhijian to breathe by the second. For some strange reason, he could feel a constriction in his chest and his legs weakening by the second. However, given his pride, he didn't want to be the burden in the group.

"Let's just get going," he insisted.

He took a shaky step forward, teetering past them. Seeing the state he was in, the rest of them exchanged a look and shook their heads in disapproval.

"Zhijian."

Dukai narrowed his eyes at him, looking far too serious for a usually laid-back man. An intimidating aura surrounded him and the guys were suddenly reminded of the fact that he was one of the Elders. "Stay put here and watch our backs," he ordered.

Zhijian's eyes widened in disbelief.

Dukai was leaving him behind? It was as good as him being expelled from the mission.

"Dukai, I can do this–" he protested but was met with stern, sharp eyes instead.

"I'm not teasing you, Zhijian," Dukai told him firmly. "As much as I'm aware of your capabilities since I'm the one who taught you everything, you're clearly not in your best condition today to fight alongside us. If we encounter demons during the journey, believe me, you'll be the first one dead."

Zhijian fell silent, knowing that nothing he said would convince Dukai. Being as stubborn as a mule wasn't going to help him either, because it might ruin his performance for his first mission.

He eventually gave in. "Fine. Call me if you require any help."

"Good." Dukai nodded and gestured for the rest to move along. "Stay low if you spot anything. We will be right back."

As Zhijian watched his comrades leave, he gnawed his bottom lip in discontent.

He hated being treated as the weak one in the team. Yet, he couldn't seem to deny the fact that he was weak now. Just trying to sit under a tree made his legs almost give out. He felt so cold and feverish, his body trembling uncontrollably.

For heaven's sake, this was the worst time to be sick.

As he sat there waiting and observing his surroundings for any unusual activity, his ears picked up on some noises a distance away. Straightening his spine, he placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. He craned his neck to listen carefully, wondering if his ears had played tricks on him.

Soon, he got his answer. A sudden flash of white streaked past him. As if running away from something.

He swore under his breath, clearly taken aback that he had just encountered a living person on this godforsaken island. Getting to his feet quickly, he yelled after her.

"Hey!"

His voice made the runner skidded to a stop and froze, obviously caught off guard. With great reluctance, the figure turned around slowly and Zhijian eventually locked eyes with a pair of dazzling, hazel ones.

Skin white as snow, lips red as a rose and hair black as ebony – it was a young, captivating girl who seemed to be around his age. But it wasn't her beauty that made Zhijian's breath hitch in his throat.

She was the girl from his dreams, the one whom he thought was dead.