Betrayed, I Met The Demon Lord

Chapter 29 - Surrounded

Van sat in Magus's grave, his back against the goddess statue. Curled into a ball, he clutched his hair tightly. Memories surged: times with Magus in both worlds, Amoria's confession of love for Magus, joyful moments in the demon realm shattered by seeing Alicia with another, countless deaths and tortures by the royal knights, lonely nights, and the haunting descriptions of his passives, Dark Soul and Untrusted.

He remembered the two faces that had shown him affection, revealed as manipulations by Salem Dyke. His body shivered, tightening as he recalled Magus's plea for visits, a chance for friendship lost to his insecurities.

Van pressed his head harder, muscles tensed, trying to shield himself from the painful memories. Despair overwhelmed him, shaking violently, blind to the world, destined to remain in perpetual shadow.

"Van...?" A soft voice pierced the gloom.

Van slowly raised his head, surrounded by an oppressive darkness.

"...Van...? I'm here..." The voice echoed once more. He scanned his surroundings, but no one appeared in his shadowy realm.

"Van... Please raise your head and look at me..." The voice continued, its plea soft and resonant amidst the silence.

Gradually, Van stood up.

His expression was blank and weary as he searched the darkness for the source of that compassionate call.

"...I am not leaving this place without you. So... Please, look at me..." The voice implored gently.
Amidst the shadows, Van noticed a tiny flicker of light. Persistent, it glowed defiantly against the overwhelming blackness.

Van stood still, observing it with curiosity, half-expecting it to extinguish.

But the light persisted, beckoning him repeatedly to raise his head and stand up, gently yet insistently, as if possessing more life than the immortal Van himself.

'Well...' Van mused in the darkness, his eyes fixed on the speck of light.

'I've got nothing else going on... Might as well see where it leads,' he casually said, his voice echoing in the dark realm as he began taking clumsy, weary steps towards the light.

Like a lost traveler drawn to a lighthouse, he moved through the darkness.

He then realized he was walking beside a small figure. His gaze dropped to his own hand, led by the figure's gentle grasp, guiding him out of the depths of Magus's grave - into the morning light outside.

Blinded by the brilliance of the sun, Van's eyes instinctively twitched. He lowered his gaze to the person guiding him through the light.

He recognized her immediately, despite only looking at her from behind. Despite not seeing her in over 16 years, he knew who that was. It was Amoria.

Her golden hair shimmered under the clear sky, her movements so graceful it seemed as though the world itself shifted to accommodate her steps.

Suddenly, Van became aware of the birds chirping.

The wind grazed the grass below and gently caressing his bare skin.

He could smell the earth, the grass, and the flowers as they basked under the sun's rays, with the breeze acting as a conduit, delivering the scents to him. The most dominant fragrance was the scent of chamomile emanating from Amoria's glistening, smooth hair, mingling with the gentle lavender from her clothes.

This time, Van was certain. Certain that he had woke up from a bad dream, rather than believing he was currently in a good one.

Without any particular questions coming up in his head, or ideas for chatter... He just remained silent and followed her gentle lead obediently and casually.