Beyond His Evil

TWENTY-TWO.

~~~

I froze, my gaze locked on the ancient book lying on the library floor. Its black cover swallowed the dim light, its edges worn by time.

The holy book.

The last one in existence.

My mother had told me about it.

She said there were claims it was written by angels, chronicling humanity's beginnings up until the war that shattered the world. But I had never seen it with my own eyes.

Until now.

Glancing around, I made sure Rya wasn't nearby before pushing myself off the ground.

The book remained where it had fallen, massive and intimidating.

I hesitated. I didn't trust Rya, and I had no desire to be tangled in whatever she was up to. But my curiosity itched beneath my skin, relentless.

What secrets did this book hold?

Rya's words echoed in my mind.

'There's so much you don't know. Countless lies and hidden truths'

'There are people, Kira, creatures waiting for you. You don't know what you're up against, but that's why I'm here. To protect you from the people you think care about you, to guide you towards your destiny, to lead you to the prophecy.'

A chill spread through me.

What exactly did she mean?

I clenched my fists and exhaled, shifting my thoughts to Devon. If anyone knew about this book-or Rya-it was him.

Rya had no markings on her body, no feature to reveal what kind of hunter she was. But I knew. Hunters could sense each other. Even if she didn't reveal her powers, I could feel it.

And yet... there was something off about her. Something wrong.

Just thinking about it made my head throb.

I crouched, gripping the book's edge. The moment I lifted it, pain shot up my arms, and I nearly lost my balance.

"What the hell?" I gasped, dropping it.

How had Rya balanced it in my hands so easily.

Frustrated, I steadied myself and imagined I was training with Devon. Summoning strength- I lifted the book.

The library was empty when I left. The woman behind the desk had left, making it easy for me to slip out without questions.

Now, sprawled across my bed, I stared at the ceiling, Rya's words circling my thoughts like vultures.

Why did she unsettle me so much?

Teleportation.

That was the part that nagged at me. She had used the wind to make me fall yesterday, but air elementals couldn't teleport. And she didn't look like an elemental at all.

None of it made sense.

How was she able to make my body freeze like that? I could swear she could even hear my thoughts.

I exhaled, exhaustion weighing me down, and before I knew it, I drifted into sleep.

A groan slipped past my lips as I stirred awake. My body ached, stiff from lying in the same position for too long.

I checked the clock. 7:34 PM.

Another wasted day.

Why hadn't I just waited until tomorrow to wake up?

"You could explore the holy book," a voice suggested in the back of my mind.

I shut the thought down, not because I didn't want to, but because I knew what I'd look for first.

Demons.

It wasn't just curiosity. It was because of her. Because of what Rya had hinted at.

And I already knew what I would find. Nothing good.

No one had anything good to say about demons.

A bitter laugh escaped me.

Why had I even gone to the library searching for a book about them? I didn't need pages filled with centuries of demon animosity to tell me who Devon was.

And I could have avoided Rya altogether.

With a sigh, I rolled out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

The hot water melted the tension from my muscles, and for a while, I just stood there, letting the steam cloud my thoughts.

Eventually, my skin begged me to stop. I shut off the water and stepped out, grabbing a towel.

Then I remembered-Kate wouldn't be back from training.

A small smirk tugged at my lips. Complete freedom.

I left the bathroom without bothering to wrap the towel around me.

And that was the moment I made the biggest mistake of my life.

My breath hitched as my gaze locked onto a pair of crimson eyes.

Devon.

Standing in my room.

His expression froze in shock. Then, his eyes widened.

"Oh my God!" I shrieked, scrambling backward. "Devon!"

He snapped his head away so fast it was a miracle he didn't break his neck. "Kira-I didn't know-"

I bolted back into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. My back pressed against the wood, my heart hammering.

"Just disappear, leave!" I yelled.

I heard nothing for a moment. Then, his voice, softer. "Call me when you're decent, please."

The room fell silent. He was gone.

I pressed a trembling hand over my mouth. Oh my God.

Devon had just seen me naked.

My mind raced through the past ten seconds on repeat, panic blooming in my chest. My small breasts. I cupped them. He had seen my small breasts.

I covered my face with my hands, heat flooding every inch of me.

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