The Damned Demon

703  Stand By What You Believe

Hellbringer tilted his head slightly and spoke with a chilling calm, "I wouldn't be so quick to raise your weapon... Not if you ever want to see your grandmother again."

Remy's grip faltered, and his eyes widened in shock and horror, "W-What? What are you talking about?" His voice trembled, filled with dread as the demon king's words sunk in.

Hellbringer took a slow step forward, his dark cloak billowing slightly in the icy breeze, "You heard me, kid."

Remy's breath came in short, sharp bursts as he shook his head, trying to steady his thoughts. "No... You could've come up with a better lie," he mumbled, his voice shaking but his expression hardening, "It's been a few years since my grandmother died."

Hellbringer, standing tall and unmoving, tilted his head slightly, "Did you see her corpse?" he asked, his deep, chilling voice unsettling Remy. "No. So how are you so sure she's dead?"

Remy's eyes flickered with uncertainty, his confidence wavering. His throat tightened as he mumbled, "You… You can't possibly mean—"

"Yes," Hellbringer interjected, his voice cold and matter-of-fact. "Grace, your grandmother, is alive. She's part of my cult now, Remy. She sold her soul to me to gain the power to take revenge on those who wronged her—on those who took everything from you and your family." His words were smooth, deliberate. "And she succeeded, just as you've already seen."

Remy's heart thudded in his chest, his pulse quickening as a wave of shock washed over him. He remembered what happened to Gary and his son. His entire guild was destroyed and razed to the ground while their deaths were too horrible to even speak about.

His body trembled, and his weapon lowered as his mind reeled. "No… No, that can't be true," he whispered, his voice cracking. He felt a suffocating heaviness descend on him, the thought that his beloved grandmother had sacrificed herself to a demon for his sake.

"If you want to see her again," Hellbringer continued, his tone unyielding but calm, "you need to come with me. The WHA will send their goons here in minutes. You can stay and continue being a pawn in their game, or you can join me and learn some truths you have been ignorant of all this time. The choice is yours." He extended his hand, his gesture both commanding and oddly gentle. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Remy felt trapped, his mind spinning with confusion and disbelief. He knew not to trust a demon, but something about Hellbringer's words gnawed at him—something that felt eerily truthful. And there, deep within, was the hope of seeing his grandmother again, the woman who had raised him, sacrificed so much for him. Could she really be alive?

He knew he didn't have time to question Hellbringer's motives deeply, not now. If Hellbringer had wanted to harm him, he wouldn't be standing here, offering a choice. Remy's heart pounded in his chest as he made the decision—one he could never take back.

Swallowing his fear, Remy put away his staff and walked forward, each step heavy with uncertainty. "O-Okay..." he said, his voice trembling, "If you're telling the truth... I want to see my grandmother. Please... take me to her."

Asher's lips curled into a smirk as his hand settled on Remy's shoulder, "Your grandmother will be very pleased you chose wisely."

—

Yesterday…

"You have to be very careful about this," Cecilia warned, her voice barely above a whisper. "My husband... he plans for everything. He'll know if something goes wrong. He's too meticulous."

Cecilia didn't know if things could go wrong after Ash suddenly asked for her help like this. But she wanted to finally do the right thing…at least for him and herself.

Asher smiled warmly, stepping forward and cupping her face in his hands. His touch sent a familiar shiver down her spine, both comforting and unsettling. "I'm touched that you're worried about me," he murmured, his voice like silk. "But if you truly want to ensure my safety, you can help me with one last thing."

Cecilia's eyes flickered with unease. "How? I don't know what else I can do."

Asher's gaze turned serious, his fingers gently brushing against her cheek. "You have access to the main teleportation chamber in the Bridge Station, right? I need you to help me insert a device into the mainframe. It will ensure they can't send Remy to Mars. Instead, we'll reroute him somewhere safe, where I can take him."

Cecilia gasped, stepping back slightly. "You want me to compromise the teleportation chamber?" she asked, her voice rising in shock. "That's... That's too dangerous, Ash. There are too many eyes there. I can't—"

"I know it's dangerous," Asher cut in, his tone soothing yet firm. "But you're the president's wife. Nobody will suspect you of anything. You can visit the station for a routine inspection. It's not uncommon. All you need to do is act as though everything's normal. When the time is right, you plant the device. No one will know."

Cecilia's heart raced, her mind spinning with doubt and fear. She knew the risks—she understood the betrayal she would be committing against her husband. But as Ash's gaze held hers, his words began to seep into her thoughts.

"I can't..." she whispered, her voice cracking.

Asher leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered, "You already made one choice to help me. This... This is just another step to ensure you won't regret the path you've chosen." He pulled back slightly, his eyes locking with hers. "Do this, and you can truly stand by what you believe—justice and morality. Do it, and you won't have to live with the regret of standing by, watching the world go to ruin."

Cecilia swallowed hard, her chest tightening as she felt her resolve weakening. She hated how he could make her feel so conflicted, so torn between duty and desire. But deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was right—that there was something worth saving in this tangled web of deception.

"Alright..." she whispered, her eyes glistening with uncertainty. "I'll do it. For you. For both of us."

Asher's smile widened as he pressed a kiss to her soft pink lips, "You won't regret this."

—

Grace's body felt like it was being torn apart from the inside, every nerve screaming as she stirred awake.

A low, pained grunt escaped her lips as she tried to sit up. But before she could make any real effort, an irritated voice snapped from behind, "Stay down unless you want to make it even harder for me to fix your sorry self."

She blinked her eyes open, and through the haze of pain, saw Rebecca standing beside her bed, holding a steaming bowl of shimmering liquid that smelled strongly of medicine.

The room was dim, and the familiar surroundings of the Culthold told Grace she had been brought back, though she had no memory of how.

"Now, drink this before you keel over," Rebecca added, sitting beside her with an impatient look as she thrust the bowl toward Grace.

Grace's mind raced, remembering the desperate fight, the darkness, the guards... and Remy. Her heart clenched, "No... Remy... Where is he? I have to get back," she mumbled, trying to force her body into motion, but it was as if she had been paralyzed by exhaustion.

Rebecca scoffed, her eyes flashing with exasperation, "Sit your ass down. You're in no shape to go anywhere after that stunt you pulled. Killing those guards and keeping those two silly girls alive drained you. If it weren't for their last-ditch healing efforts from them, you'd be dead, and I would have to explain why I let your bitchy ass die." She gave a smug smile. "So, yeah, you should be thanking me for dragging you back here before you got completely fried."

Grace tried again to sit up, gritting her teeth, her body trembling from the effort, "I can't stay here... not when Remy is still out there..."

Rebecca's expression darkened as she grabbed Grace's arms and propped her up, but didn't let go, "He's going to be alright. Do you seriously think our Master would let you down like that? I hate to admit it, but you are his first Soul Servant and the one he trusts the most, even if you are a human. So until we hear from him, you should stay here," She crossed her arms, her eyes sharp. "Or are you really going to defy him?"

Grace took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, knowing Rebecca was right. Asher had yet to get back and that only meant he was still out there trying to save Remy.

But the anxiety gnawed at her. She wanted—needed—to be out there, helping. That was her role, her duty.

But she was too weak now, too spent. Reluctantly, she nodded, leaning back into the bed as her body sagged under exhaustion.

"Thank you," Grace said quietly, looking up at Rebecca with a soft smile. "I'm glad you were there to help me."

Rebecca cleared her throat, her posture stiff as she raised her chin. "Hmph, don't thank me," she huffed. "I only did it because it was our Master's command," But even as she spoke, there was a flicker of something else in her gaze—something softer.

She shoved the bowl toward Grace. "But first, just finish this medicine that I painstakingly prepared even if the smell of the radiant ingredients was making me sick to the stomach.""

Grace softly chuckled and nodded as she was about to take the bowl with her shaky hands. "Tch, forget it. I will feed you. But if you drop this, I swear I am never feeding you again," Saying so, Rebecca offered one teaspoon of the medicinal soup to Grace, who nodded with an appreciative look before swallowing it into her mouth.

Rebecca couldn't believe she was feeding a human and that too like a servant, but she told herself this was because of her Master's orders even if he never specified this.

As Grace swallowed the bitter liquid, she closed her eyes, letting the warmth spread through her aching body. For these fleeting moments, she allowed herself to relax and think of what she should do next. She was also starting to feel a lot better and quite normal, making her realize Asher must have handed some really powerful healing ingredients to Rebecca to use to cook this broth.

But then, the door clicked open.

Both women turned toward the entrance, their eyes widening as a figure stepped inside—a young man with familiar brown eyes. Grace's eyes trembled upon seeing his face.

His expression was a mixture of disbelief and shock, his voice breaking as he called out, "G-Grandma?"

Well reunion time :)