A Dragon's Love

Chapter 18

Ryujin, Yeji, and Lia returned to the kingdom, their hearts heavy with the knowledge of what they had discovered in the forbidden forest. As they approached the main square, they were met with the sight of a large crowd gathered around, voices raised in panic and anger.

The moment they were spotted, people rushed towards them, bombarding them with complaints.

"The trees are dying! Entire orchards are withering away overnight!" a distraught farmer cried out, his weathered face etched with worry.

"My fruits are rotting on the vine before I can even harvest them!" a merchant added, holding up a basket of spoiled produce as proof.

"And it's not just the plants," another voice called out, this one belonging to a woman clutching a small child to her chest. "Our pets... something's been killing them. And—and some of our own people too. There's something evil here. We can all feel it!"

The crowd murmured in agreement, their fear palpable in the air.

Ryujin exchanged a tense glance with Yeji and Lia, her mind racing. This was worse than they had anticipated. The signs were unmistakable—demons were lurking in the kingdom, and the darkness from the Abyssal Realm had started to seep into their world.

Lia stepped forward, raising her hands to calm the crowd. "Everyone, please, we understand your concerns. We've been investigating this matter, and we believe that something from the Abyssal Realm has crossed over into our world. But I promise you, we're doing everything we can to stop it."

"But how can you stop it?" a voice from the back of the crowd shouted. "Demons don't just kill animals and rot fruit. They'll destroy everything if you don't get rid of them!"

Ryujin felt a surge of anger rising within her, but she quickly tamped it down, knowing that the people were only reacting out of fear. She took a deep breath and stepped beside Lia. "We understand how serious this is," she said, her voice strong and steady. "We're not going to let these demons take over our kingdom. We'll find them, and we'll stop them before any more harm is done."

Yeji, still in her human form, nodded in agreement, her gaze fierce. "And I'll do whatever it takes to protect this kingdom. These demons don't stand a chance against us."

The crowd, though still uneasy, seemed to take some comfort in their words. They began to disperse, though many remained nearby, watching the three of them with hopeful eyes.

Once the crowd had thinned out, Lia turned to Ryujin and Yeji, her expression grave. "We need to find the source of this corruption—and fast. The longer these demons are allowed to roam free, the more damage they'll do."

Ryujin nodded, her mind already working through possible solutions. "We need to track them down before they spread any further. But we're going to need more help. We should gather everyone who can fight, and—"

Before she could finish, an elderly man approached them, his face lined with worry. "Please," he said, his voice trembling, "my granddaughter... she was found in the woods this morning. She's—she's been hurt by something. Something terrible."

Ryujin felt her heart tighten at the man's words. "Take us to her," she said gently, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

The man nodded and led them through the winding streets of the kingdom to a small house on the outskirts of town. Inside, a young girl lay on a bed, her skin pale and clammy, her breathing shallow. Dark marks covered her arms and legs, and her eyes fluttered weakly as they approached.

Lia knelt beside the bed, examining the girl with a frown. "These marks... they're the work of a demon," she said softly. "We need to act quickly. If we don't stop this, more people will suffer like this."