30 Days | (ONC 2022) ✓

Chapter 6: Shattered Glass

December 2, 00XX

Elliot spotted the tree and landed on the path feeling weary. He just spent an entire night comprehending the revelation that demons were nice—that he was lied to, and now he's acquainted with one. Plus, angels and light magic were extremely terrifying and harmful if they continued 'freeing' humans. He almost jumped when that familiar aura reached him. A few steps away he found his friendly neighborhood demon at the hearth.

Elliot approached him with a smile that faded away as soon as his whole body weight felt heavy. He sighed and looked down to see the circle spell. Again. He glowed and Ythyr stood up to remove the spell.

"Again?!" Elliot shouted. He thought they were already past the trying to kill each other part of their relationship.

"Hey, I'm just making sure none of those brats followed you."

Elliot forced himself to calm down before he could do anything irrational. Guess he'll have to get used to this every time he would sneak out. He motioned for Ythyr to lead the way and followed right behind. They went through the usual path, past the familiar tree, and down the rocky gravel trail of the forest. It was only when the view started getting different that he couldn't help but point out that they were going in a different direction than last time.

"We're not going through the demon camp?"

Ythyr barked out a laugh. "Oh gods, no. They'd all jump you the first moment they lay their eyes on you. We're taking a different route. Well, that is unless you want to be coddled by the children? Get your wings up for a show?"

He looked like he was genuinely asking if he wanted to be treated like a circus animal and Elliot shook his head with a groan. He was starting to remind him of Elijah with all this teasing.

"I'm just joking with ya'. As you saw last time, everyone's real nice unless you give them a reason not to."

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As they walked on the way, Elliot finally brought up that one question he had been wanting to ask. "So... what happened?"

"What? Oh I promised to tell you, didn't I?" Ythyr pondered for a moment, seeming to decide what to tell him. "The war happened. We were about to be killed off when my master gave me instructions to put together a glass panel. He didn't say what happens after but I know it has something to do with ending this loop. Then before he disappeared, he cast the very same spell that trapped us here—"

"The time loop." Elliot finished for him.

"Right." Ythyr agreed, looking somewhat annoyed for having his grand reveal interrupted. Unfortunately for Elliot, he was unable to ask anymore questions afterwards, finding that their trip was shorter than expected. "Looks like we're here."

Ythyr led him to a desolate church hidden deep in the forest. Elliot looked up and could tell that the area had been abandoned for some time. The forest had already decided to claim the church as its home. Vines crawled along faded white walls and moss grew in between the cracks. Some of the windows were broken while some were boarded up with planks of wood. Elliot shuddered to think about what must've happened for a dwelling of god to be left to such a state.

Despite it looking like every bit a normal church would look like, he could tell that something about this particular one was different. It felt like home, the familiar traces of light magic curling around him like a dog who had been waiting for its master. And there was something else. He could feel the magic of the shard emanating from inside the church.

"It's inside." Ythyr pointed out, "you can feel it too, right?"

Elliot nodded. He made a move to enter but stopped when he saw that Ythyr wasn't following him.