Chapter 9: Searing Rebirth

Chapter 9: Searing Rebirth

As the coffin's lid creaked open, it unveiled a striking figure. The being inside the coffin appeared to be an amalgamation of human and demon, bathed in fiery crimson hues that danced across its sinewy form.

Unique, intricate markings adorned the body's jet-black skin, and its clothing excluded a dark, otherworldly elegance. The figure was resting in a state of serene repose, an embodiment of the Infernal Realm's eerie beauty.

Ty was left mesmerized as he hadn't taken the time to examine the previous body which had been reduced to ashes after he tried to enter it.

Without wasting another moment to hesitate, Ty thought of the moment when Jade was crying as she held his dead, lifeless body, and plunged into the cold, lifeless body which was summoned by the Demon King. Several seconds passed without any events before, once again, the entire body erupted into black flames, and the mark on Ty's soul continued to burn and obliterate everything it touched.

The explosion destroyed the coffin, sending the lifeless body that was carrying Ty's soul, crashing to the ground and rolling for some distance before it landed about ten feet away from Elithira, who expressed a look of disappointment, saying, "All this noise and commotion for a dud, huh?"

Ty's soul began burning the creature's flesh and as the figure's arms slowly began to move, a dark cry of pain and suffering escaped from its mouth. The Demon King suddenly perked up from his boredom after noticing that Ty had slowly started gaining control over the body.

As the black flames continued to consume the body, Ty began to cry out in pain, gripping the edges of his shoulder as the flesh and clothes on the body began to burn and melt away, giving off a putrid smell of burnt flesh.

His screams filled the vast chamber while the trio of Angelic Warriors watched the unfolding scene in utter horror. Caelum continued to bleed out slowly, barely being able to remain conscious.

Ty buckled to the ground as the pain seared into his mind, while the burning sensation washed over his entire body. His mind had started to break, and he was slowly letting go, fading away. But just then, a memory flashed to him, it was from the time when he and Jade were on a park bench during their freshman year, covered in snow.

Jade seemed to be laughing about something that he had said as she smiled, "We will make the world a better place one day, but first, my only focus is making your day better," saying that, she leaned in and gave him a kiss.

The pain returned to him in full force as the memory flushed away, but this time his only concern was Jade.

Gritting his teeth, he vowed in a broken, raspy voice, "I... will... endure... it all." Buckling back to a knee as all his flesh burned away and the bones began to chisel and crack, Ty yelled out in defiance of pain as he gripped his shoulders while they were also covered in blackened flames, a scene that everyone watched on in horror.

Slowly standing upright, his legs buckled but still maintained, a vortex of black flames swirled around him before it eventually settled and draped down his back, creating a rippling effect as if he was wearing a black flaming cape.

A chilling silence ensued until Aurelius broke it, stating, "Looks like the soul got itself destroyed. Now, we don't have any further business here," after saying that he snapped his fingers, following which a portal opened up behind him.

"We will return for the Gi—"

"There's no point in killing a helpless pup. It was good to see you again, though. Ty, Make sure to drink your milk so that you don't go cracking yourself now, okay?" he let out a wild laugh before walking into the portal.

Elithira watched all of this unfold and couldn't help but let out a sigh, "Hey Ty, was it just me, or he was kinda creepy? Not like the 'I'm gonna stab you' creepy, just the overall creepy dude, you know?"

Ty, not giving a response to her question, muttered something else, "This body will be my first step getting back home, but first..."

With that, he began walking past Elithira and thanking her for saying.

"It was only to gain some favor from my Father," Elithira simply said, waving it off, making Ty force a smile on his face.

"Kieran," Ty spoke out, standing a few inches away from her as she stood on her knees, "Why are you still here?"

Finally managing to muster up words, she stared up at him with tears filling her eyes, stating, "I-Im so sorry, I let this happen."

"If I hadn't been so caught up in proving myself, none of this would have happened," tears broke out from her eyes as she tried to compose herself.

Feeling a bit of grief seeing a woman cry, Ty asked, "Was that your first time down there in the human world?"

A soft moment passed as she tried to rub off the tears that were coming out of her eyes before she nodded, "Yes."

"They mentioned something about a pool and being reborn as a warrior. Is that what happened to you?" Ty inquired.

She gave a short response, "Yes, I suddenly woke up with this body one day, finding myself on the outskirts of a fountain that spanned for miles along with hundreds of others. That was about two hundred years ago," she said.

Slightly shocked, Ty gave a heartfelt response, "Well, I do apologize for your tough situation. What has been done is done, and you can't reverse the damages or the failures you have done. Just promise me that you won't let anyone else suffer like the way I had to."

Looking up at him in shock after hearing that he held no resentment toward her, she nodded, "I... I will."

"Good. Now, let's hope that we never meet again," Ty said as he placed his skeletal hand on her shoulder and pushed her through the portal before she could get another word from her lips.