"Don't… please," the girl pleaded, her voice trembling. After witnessing what the demonic core had done to the other two before her, there was no way she wanted to experience that herself.

If it were only death — like what had happened to Derek — perhaps she wouldn't have pleaded. But the thought of turning into a mindless beast like Leo sent an icy chill down her spine.

"Don't be afraid. What was your name again? Emma, right?" Peter said, grinning, his tone mockingly gentle. "Don't be afraid, Emma. You'll survive this. You'll become strong — just like our new friend over there."

He tilted his head toward Leo, who was now ruthlessly pummeling the magical beast with overwhelming strength. Peter assumed Emma was merely terrified of dying like Derek, not realizing the true horror that haunted her.

He was slowly walking toward her, each step echoing ominously through the cavern.

Meanwhile, Derek — whose chest had gone still and whose breath had seemingly stopped — was not truly dead. His body lay motionless, but his consciousness lingered deep within a hazy, subconscious state.

Inside him, the demonic core that had tried to melt into his bloodstream was struggling fiercely. It sought to corrupt and pollute his blood, to merge its dark essence with his body — yet an unseen force resisted it with incredible power.

That resistance was what had caused Derek's unbearable agony moments ago… and it was still ongoing. His very blood seemed to be instinctively rejecting the corruption, pushing back against the demonic invasion.

And then — in that silent, suspended state — something stirred within him.

A hidden force awakened, unseen yet potent, beginning to refine the dark energy inside the core instead of being consumed by it.

By the time Peter reached Emma and raised his hand, ready to force the last demonic core into her mouth, he froze.

A faint shift rippled through the air — subtle, but undeniable.

A sudden pressure filled the cavern.

The two demons standing at the back also sensed this sudden shift in the air. Instinctively, all three of them — Peter included — turned their eyes toward Derek.

"What the hell…?" Peter muttered under his breath.

Emma, seeing them stop, let out a shaky sigh of relief. She didn't know what was happening, but she clung to one desperate thought — 'please, let some miracle happen… Someone please... save me.'

Peter started moving quickly toward Derek's body to investigate. But before he could reach him....

Whoosh!

A massive blur flew past him — the magical beast.

The bear was sent crashing through the air like a rag doll. Leo, now transformed into a beast himself, had hurled it aside with monstrous strength.

Without hesitation, Leo turned toward the next closest target — the two demons.

One of them stepped forward immediately, intercepting Leo before he could get any closer and threaten the ongoing transformation. The other stayed behind with Peter, keeping his eyes fixed on Derek's motionless form.

Within seconds, the cavern erupted into chaos once more. Leo and the demon clashed violently, their battle shaking the ground — both evenly matched in power and ferocity.

Meanwhile, Peter reached Derek and crouched beside him. He pressed his fingers to Derek's neck once more.

Nothing. No pulse.

But he could feel it — a faint vibration in the air, emanating from Derek's body itself.

This suffocating pressure… it was coming from him for sure.

"What's wrong?" the demon behind Peter finally asked, its voice low and hoarse.

"I don't know," Peter muttered. "He's dead for sure… but his body is emanating pressure. It's faint, almost undetectable — but it's definitely coming from him."

The demon stepped forward, crouching beside Derek. It pressed its claws against his neck, searching for a pulse.

And sure enough — nothing.

A deep frown twisted its grotesque face, making its already horrifying features even more dreadful.

It then placed a clawed hand on Derek's chest and closed its eyes, going completely still — as if trying to feel something beyond the physical.

And then...

"No… impossible." The demon suddenly stumbled backward, falling hard onto the ground, eyes wide in horror.

"What happened?!" Peter barked, startled by its reaction.

The demon didn't answer. It just stared at Derek's body — its expression frozen between fear, disbelief, and confusion.

After several tense seconds, it slowly stood back up, trembling violently.

It took a hesitant step forward, then placed its shaking hand on Derek's chest again — needing to confirm whether what it had sensed was real… or just a mistake.

Moments passed.

Then, once more, its eyes flew open in absolute terror. "Impossible… no, it can't be happening," it whispered, stumbling backward as if the very sight of Derek frightened it.

It turned abruptly toward its comrade — the one still locked in fierce combat with Leo. "Kallan! We need to return and report to the Master — right now!" it shouted, its voice shaking.

"You want to retreat? Why?! What's going on? Do you know what's happening?" Peter demanded, utterly confused.

But the demon ignored him completely. Whatever it had discovered was far beyond Peter's understanding — and far too dangerous to waste time explaining.

With a quick motion, the demon flicked its hand, summoning a dark orb that pulsed with energy. It whispered into it, and a rift began to form in the air before them, swirling with black mist.

The other demon broke off its fight with Leo, rushing back toward the forming portal.

But just as the first demon stepped forward to enter....

Whoosh!

A black, eerie crescent of energy sliced through the air, striking the rift dead-on. The portal shattered instantly, dispersing into nothingness.

Both Peter and the demon froze, turning sharply toward the direction from which the attack had come.

From the darkness, a lone figure emerged — slow, steady, and radiating an overwhelming presence.

"You've got some nerve… kidnapping someone from my house. And what the hell are you doing here, Peter?" a cold voice echoed through the cavern.

Peter's heart nearly stopped. He couldn't see the intruder's face — it was still hidden behind the shadows — but that voice…

He knew that voice.

His body trembled uncontrollably.

"Shit…" he whispered. "Why is he here?"

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