The next day, we stood on the training ground, the morning air sharp with the scent of pine, waiting for Eran. I shifted on my feet, my arm still sore from yesterday's fight, when a gust of wind whipped past us—Eran appeared out of nowhere, standing right in front of us, his cloak barely settling. I blinked, my heart skipping a beat. I'd noticed it before: we never saw him coming or going, like he just melted into the air. Curiosity got the better of me this time, and I blurted, "How do you do that? Appear and disappear like that?" He raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "It's not magic," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Just speed. You're not trained enough to catch movements this fast, so it feels like magic to you." My jaw dropped, a shiver running down my spine. Speed like that—was it even possible? I'd seen my father move the same way once, a blur of motion I couldn't track, but I'd never asked him about it. Now, I wished I had.I couldn't help but compare Eran to Ryoshi. I'd seen her speed in training, her time manipulation making her a streak of light while everything else slowed to a crawl. But even that—her fastest—was maybe a fifth of Eran's pace. My head spun with the thought, my hands clenching at my sides. If Eran was this fast, what about the demons? Eran's voice cut through my daze, low and serious. "Some demons are even faster than me," he said, his eyes locking onto mine. "You'll need to be stronger to hunt them down." The word demons hit me like a punch, my temper flaring hot in my chest, the memory of my parents' blood staining the riverbank flashing in my mind. I gritted my teeth, my voice a growl. "I will."
Now we are ready to go offlia wishes us good luck.
we finally stepped out of the academy, the heavy wooden gates creaking shut behind us. I couldn't help but grin, a weight lifting off my shoulders—freedom, at last. The sky stretched wide above, a crisp blue, and the dirt path crunched under my boots as we walked. Eran led the way, his voice droning on about manners and regulations, stuff like "don't stray from the group" and "follow my orders." I tried to listen, but my mind wandered, boredom creeping in. Instead, I let my eyes drift to the nature around us—golden fields swaying in the breeze, birds darting between trees, their wings flashing in the sunlight. It was peaceful, almost too peaceful, and for a moment, I forgot about demons, about training, about everything.Then Eran's voice boomed, sharp and loud, snapping me back.
"Everyone, be careful!" he barked, his tone slicing through the calm. "The forest starts here—and we might run into demons." My stomach dropped, my hand instinctively brushing the spot where my paper magic hummed under my skin. The trees ahead loomed tall and dark, their shadows stretching like claws across the path.
I swallowed hard, my earlier excitement replaced by a cold, creeping dread.We'd barely stepped into the forest, the air growing thick with the scent of damp moss, when a low growl rumbled through the trees.
My heart jumped to my throat—demons. Three of them burst from the undergrowth, their bodies twisted and black, claws glinting like knives, eyes glowing a sickly yellow. They were smaller , but their snarls sent a chill down my spine. Eran didn't hesitate. "Form up!" he shouted, drawing a blade that gleamed like ice. Ryoshi pulled her daggers, her time bubble shimmering, while Akriya raised a hand, vines snaking up to shield us.I lunged forward, my arms flattening into paper blades, sharp and white, slashing at the nearest demon. It screeched, dodging with a speed that made my stomach lurch, but I was faster. My blade sliced through its arm, black blood spraying, and it crumpled with a howl. Beside me, Ryoshi moved like a blur, her daggers carving through another demon's chest, while Akriya's vines wrapped a third, crushing it until it stopped thrashing. The fight was over in seconds, these are weak ones.
the forest falling silent again, but my chest heaved, adrenaline burning through me. "Weak ones," Eran muttered, sheathing his blade. "But stay sharp—there'll be more."The tension lingered as we pressed on, but by midday, the forest thinned,
We increase our speed after this then suddenly "Watch this," akriya said, grinning, and waved a hand. A vine shot up, snatching my water flask right out of my bag, dangling it just out of reach. "Give it back!" I snapped, jumping for it, but he laughed, making the vine swing higher.
Ryoshi rolled her eyes, but a smirk tugged at her lips. "You're such a kid, Akriya," she said, then flicked her wrist—her time bubble slowed the vine, and I snatched my flask mid-air, landing with a triumphant grin. "Got it!" I crowed, but Akriya just smirked, sprouting a tiny flower on my head. "Looks good on you," he teased, and even Eran chuckled. I swatted it off, my face burning, but I couldn't help laughing too—it felt good to breathe, even just for a moment.
Sunshine Academy came into view by dusk, its golden spires glowing against the setting sun. It looked peaceful, a safe haven after the forest, but something felt off—the gates were wide open, the courtyard too quiet. Eran's face darkened. "Stay close," he whispered, drawing his blade.
We barely stepped inside when the ground shook—a massive demon, twice Eran's height, erupted from the courtyard, its body a writhing mass of black tendrils, eyes blazing red. Smaller demons poured in behind it, their screeches echoing off the walls. "Scatter!" Eran roared as the big demon's tendrils lashed out, smashing the gates to splinters.I dove behind a pillar, my heart slamming against my ribs, as the group scattered—Ryoshi's time bubble shimmered across the courtyard, Eran vanished into the chaos, and Akriya's vines whipped through the air.
We were separated, chaos erupting around us, and I was alone.
Two smaller demons lunged from the shadows, their claws slashing, eyes glowing a sickly yellow. I rolled, my paper magic flaring, and slashed back with a paper blade, cutting one down, black blood spraying. But the other was faster—it pinned me against the pillar, its claws inches from my throat, its hot breath reeking of decay. I am little, panic surging, and I gritted my teeth, shouting, "Art of Dispersion!" My body scattered into a thousand paper shards, reforming behind the demon. I drove my hand, now a paper sword, through its back, black blood pooling at my feet as it collapsed with a screech.
I barely had time to catch my breath when the ground beneath me rumbled, cracks splitting the stone, and a massive demon burst from the soil,
its body a writhing mass of black scales and jagged spines, eyes glowing a sickly green. It towered over me, twice my height, its claws dripping with a dark, oozing venom. My stomach twisted—I was nervous because everything going too fast this is first time for me,
my hands trembling as I backed up, my boots slipping on the rubble. The fight with the smaller demons had shaken me, and now this? The demon roared, a sound that shook my bones, and launched a magical orb at me, a sphere of crackling green energy that burned the air as it flew.I froze, my mind blank with panic, but a wall of wood shot up in front of me, the orb smashing into it with a deafening boom, splinters flying.
"What are you doing, fool?"
a voice snapped—Akriya, his red eyes glinting as he stepped beside me, his hands raised, vines curling around his arms. "This isn't the time to panic!" I swallowed hard, my face burning with shame, but I was still scared, my thoughts spiraling. I'm weak—how can I handle a demon like this? The memory of my parents' blood, the demons that took them, clawed at me, and I gripped my hands, feeling the paper magic hum under my skin. I had to fight—I had to.
Akriya didn't wait. He thrust his hands forward, and vines erupted from the ground, thick and thorny, wrapping around the demon's legs, trying to pin it down. The demon snarled, its scales shimmering, and the vines withered, turning to ash as if they were nothing—it was adapting, fast.
I shook off my fear, my jaw clenching, and raised my arms. "Let's see how you handle this!" I shouted, my voice cracking but fierce. My paper magic flared, and hundreds of paper swords formed in the air, white and sharp, glinting like glass. I threw them forward, a storm of blades raining down on the demon, slicing into its scales with wet thunks. But the demon's body shimmered again, the swords sinking into its flesh—and then it absorbed them, its scales growing thicker, its body swelling larger with every second.
My heart sank. We were in big trouble.The demon roared, now even bigger, its spines lengthening, and launched another magical orb, this one aimed at both of us. I reacted on instinct, shouting, "paper wall protection" my hands convert into paper wall infront of me . Akriya, faster than I expected, raised a dome of wood around himself, the orb exploding against it in a shower of green sparks. We were safe—for now. But my protecting papers burn and drop of orb touch me. my left hand start burning i shift my position rapid. And see demon..
the demon's body kept growing, its scales cracking as it expanded, its claws raking the ground. We charged together, Akriya's vines forming a spear to stab its side while I slashed with my paper sword, cutting into its flesh with quick, desperate strikes. Black blood sprayed, but the demon's wounds closed almost instantly, its body still growing, towering over us like a nightmare.
I gritted my teeth, sweat stinging my eyes, and then it hit me—an idea, a desperate one. "Akriya, keep it busy!" I yelled, dodging a swipe of its claws. He nodded, his vines lashing out, wrapping around the demon's arms, slowing it just enough. I focused, on my power.
"Art of Paper Recovery." The hundreds of paper swords the demon had absorbed—they were still mine. I felt them inside its body, and I called them back. The swords moved, tearing through the demon's flesh from the inside, slicing through scales and muscle as they burst out in a spray of black blood. The paper shards flew back to me, reattaching to my arms, forming a larger, jagged blade. The demon's body collapsed, its segments scattering across the ground in wet, twitching chunks.We stood there, panting, a flicker of relief washing over me—until the pieces started to move, writhing together, trying to recombine.
My eyes widened, panic surging again, but Akriya was already on it. "Not this time," he growled, slamming his hands into the dirt. Wooden boxes sprouted from the ground, each one capturing a piece of the demon's body, sealing them tight with thorny vines. The pieces thrashed inside, but the boxes held, the demon's growls fading to silence. I let out a shaky breath, my legs wobbling, and glanced at Akriya. He wiped sweat from his brow, his smirk returning. "Not bad, Vitrit," he said, and for once, I didn't mind his smugness.
Meanwhile, Eran darted through the chaos of Sunshine Academy, his blade drawn, his senses sharp as he searched for us—his students scattered in the demon attack. The courtyard was a maze of rubble and shadows, the air thick with the stench of blood and dark magic. He moved like a phantom, his speed a blur, but something felt wrong. The same broken pillar, the same shattered spire—he was passing them again and again, his boots treading the same cracked stone. At first, he thought he'd misjudged the path, his mind clouded by the battle's intensity. But then it hit him, a cold realization that made his blood run cold:
he was trapped in a demon's domain,
a twisted loop of space designed to ensnare its prey.The air grew heavier, a low hum vibrating through the ground, and the walls of the courtyard—jagged stone and splintered wood—began to shift, closing in with a grinding screech. Eran's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on his blade. He slashed at the nearest wall, his sword a streak of silver, the strike sending sparks flying, but the stone didn't budge, its surface rippling like liquid before reforming. He attacked again, faster, harder, each blow a thunderclap, but the walls kept coming, their edges now mere feet apart, the space shrinking with every second. He could end this—he knew he could—with a single, powerful attack, a strike that would shatter the domain entirely. But his jaw clenched, hesitation gripping him. If any of his students were trapped in this same domain, his attack would kill them too, their bodies torn apart by the force. He couldn't risk it—not yet.Eran's mind raced, his heart pounding, but he didn't panic. He moved, his speed defying reason, a thousand laps around the shrinking loop in just five seconds, his cloak a streak of black as he searched for any sign of us. The walls groaned, closer now, the air so tight he could barely breathe, but he sensed nothing—no footsteps, no cries, no trace of his students. His resolve hardened; if no one else was here, he'd end this now. He raised his blade, its edge glowing with a fierce, icy light, ready to unleash his most powerful attack—a strike that would obliterate the domain and the demon controlling it. But then, a scream pierced the air, sharp and desperate. "anybody here" It was Ryoshi's voice, trembling with strain, and he froze, shock rooting him in place.
The walls were nearly touching now, their jagged edges scraping his shoulders, but they slowed, their movement sluggish, as if caught in a web. Eran's eyes widened—he knew this power. Ryoshi's time manipulation, her bubble of slowed time, was fighting the domain's pull, buying them precious seconds. "I can't hold it much longer!" Ryoshi screamed, her voice cracking, and a sickening crunch echoed from the far end of the loop—the walls there had started crushing inward, the stone grinding to dust. Eran closed his eyes, his senses sharpening, and pinpointed her voice—right behind him, just beyond the nearest wall. He spun, his blade flashing, and unleashed his attack, a single, devastating strike that roared like a storm. The front wall exploded outward, shards of stone and dark energy erupting in a blinding blast, the domain shattering like glass.
Eran stumbled out into the open courtyard, Ryoshi collapsing beside him, her face pale, her breath ragged from the strain of her power. But the danger wasn't over. A guttural roar shook the ground, and from the rubble of the shattered domain, a massive demon emerged—twice Eran's height, its body a writhing mass of black tendrils, eyes blazing red with malice. It had been controlling the domain, and now it lunged, its tendrils whipping toward them like spears. Eran's eyes narrowed, his speed a blur as he dodged, the tendrils smashing the ground where he'd stood. Ryoshi, still weak, tried to stand, her daggers trembling in her hands, but Eran raised a hand. "Stay back," he ordered, his voice steady.The demon's tendrils lashed out again, faster this time, matching Eran's movements, but he was ready. He darted forward, his blade glowing brighter, and weaved through the tendrils, each step a calculated risk. The demon roared, its core—a pulsing red crystal in its chest—exposed for a split second. Eran seized the moment, his speed peaking as he drove his blade straight into the core with a force that echoed like thunder. The demon let out a deafening screech, its tendrils thrashing wildly before its body collapsed, the ground shaking as it fell, black ichor pooling around its remains.
Eran pulled his blade free, his chest heaving, and glanced at Ryoshi. "You okay?" he asked, his tone softer now. She nodded, still shaky, and managed a weak smile.Across the courtyard, Vitrit and Akriya heard the thunderous destruction, the wave of Eran's powerful magic rippling through the air, and they ran toward it, their footsteps pounding on the broken stone. "Eran!" Vitrit shouted, his voice hoarse, as he and Akriya burst through the rubble, their faces smeared with blood and dirt. They stopped short, seeing Eran and Ryoshi, and for a moment, we were together again, the four of us standing amidst the wreckage, our breaths heavy but alive.The victory felt hollow. The academy was a wreck—buildings crumbled, bodies of students and teachers scattered across the courtyard, their blood staining the golden stone. A lone survivor, a boy my age, had been calling for help from the rubble, but as we reached him, his eyes went dull—he was gone too. Sunshine Academy was destroyed, no one left alive.Eran stood amidst the wreckage, his face pale, his voice a low growl. "Why are the attacks coming so fast?" he muttered, almost to himself. "Even the powerful demons are active now—something's wrong." I clenched my fist.
Some shouting sound of boys come from right. We don't say anything just start running in direction