There were more cages. The same sight as before. Several of them. But all were empty.

"…Where…" he whispered, his throat dry.

He had been dragged into another dangerous situation.

Was his decision to join the unit wrong?

It seemed so. But there was no time for regret now.

His storage ring was gone. His weapons were gone. Everything he had was taken away.

"Damn… it seems the demons caught me and took away all of my belongings."

Memories rushed back.

The battle with Kalrik.

Blood spreading everywhere during their fight. Screams of pain. The deaths of his friends. His comrades.

Lucien. Derrick. They were dead.

'Harvey, Mira, Kaelra… they must be alive. He thought. But where were they? Were they captured just like him? Then where were they?'

They should be in the same tent. Locked inside cages.

His chest tightened painfully.

"Harvey…" he murmured. "Mira… Kaelra…"

He tried to sit up.

Pain exploded through his body again.

"Gah—!"

His body refused to cooperate. His arms trembled violently before giving out, and he collapsed back onto the cold floor of the cage. His vision darkened for a moment.

"…Damn it," he breathed.

He wanted to scream loudly. But he couldn't. Not here.

He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to stay conscious.

Time passed. He didn't know how long.

Blood was still slowly flowing from his wounds.

Minutes. Hours. Maybe more.

Honestly, he needed medics, or he might really die from blood loss.

The tent was silent, broken only by faint sounds of distant movement. Boots, metal, muffled voices speaking in a harsh language he didn't understand.

Then he heard something.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Footsteps approached the tent. Someone was coming toward it. He could hear them clearly.

Amon's eyes narrowed weakly as he focused on the entrance.

A shadow appeared. Someone stopped right outside.

Amon gulped.

The tent flap shifted. Light poured in as it opened. A figure stepped inside.

When Amon saw him, his doubts were confirmed.

He was a demon.

He really had been caught by demons.

Amon suddenly wanted to laugh at his damn luck.

Just two or three more days, and the ship would have come to take him away. Yet here he was, stuck in another messed-up situation.

Why had nothing gone right since joining that damn academy?

For a moment, he felt like the days after he lost his parents. When he had to survive alone in the city before meeting Elijah, were actually better times.

He observed the demon in front of him.

The demon was tall, with a sturdy physique. His presence alone made the air feel heavier.

Crimson eyes with vertical slits glowed faintly in the dim light, locking onto Amon immediately.

Long burgundy hair fell past his shoulders, tied loosely behind his back. Two curved horns rose from his head, polished and sharp. The clear sign of a demon.

He wore dark, well-crafted armor, faint red lines running along its joints. A sword hung at his side.

And on his face. It held a wide, evil smile.

He stared at Amon. Irritation rose instantly within Amon.

The demon slowly walked closer, his boots echoing softly against the ground. He stopped right in front of the cage, tilting his head as he looked down at Amon like an insect.

"Oh?" the demon said lazily. "You're finally awake?"

Amon didn't respond.

The demon chuckled. "Still impressive. Most humans stay unconscious much longer after wounds like yours. And don't forget—you're still a young man. Hahaha~"

He crouched slightly, bringing his face closer to the bars.

"Then again," he continued, eyes glinting, "you humans are surprisingly resilient. Like pests."

Amon's jaw tightened.

He wasn't angry at the demon for calling humans pests.

He was angry because he had been captured.

The demon laughed softly, clearly enjoying himself.

"You should feel honored," he said. "Sir Kalrik rarely took interest in weaklings and fought them personally. But you people managed to kill him. A truly impressive achievement. Still, we couldn't just let those who killed one of our stronger knights go so easily."

Amon grew even more irritated by the demon's blabbering. He was in no mood to listen to a third-rate speech.

He forced himself to speak. It was hard, but he did it anyway.

"Where… are my friends?" Amon asked hoarsely, breathing heavily.

The demon blinked, then grinned wider.

"Oh? Your companions?" he said mockingly. "Still thinking about others in your condition? How admirable."

Amon stared at him, his eyes cold despite the pain.

"Mira. Harvey. Kaelra," he said slowly. "Where are they? They were with me when I lost consciousness. Tell me, where are they?!"

The demon straightened and laughed openly.

"Hahaha! Relax, human. They're here. We brought them along with you."

Amon's heart skipped.

"In this camp," the demon continued casually. "In another tent."

Amon exhaled slightly. Then froze as the demon tilted his head.

"Oh, but…" the demon added with fake thoughtfulness, "there are only two."

Amon's breath hitched.

"…Two?" he whispered.

The demon snapped his fingers. "Yes, yes. What were their names again? Ah...Mira. Harvey." He remembered other two humans.

Amon's fists clenched so hard his wrists trembled against the cuffs.

"And the other woman?" the demon shrugged. "Kaelra, was it? No idea. Haven't seen her. Only three of you were alive."

Amon's chest felt tight, like something heavy was crushing it.

"…You," he said quietly, his voice trembling with restrained fury.

It seems Kaelra died… fuck!

The demon leaned closer again, eyes shining.

"Careful," he said. "That look might get you punished sooner."

Amon swallowed.

"What… are you going to do to us?" he asked.

The demon's smile twisted. His eyes filled with excitement.

"Oh, since you're awake," he said pleasantly, "it's your turn."

He stood up fully.

"For treatment."

Amon's stomach dropped.

The demon placed a hand on the cage bars, his fingers tapping lightly.

"Now the question is…" he said thoughtfully, dragging out each word. "How should we do it?"

He tilted his head, his eyes roaming over Amon's broken body.

"How should I make you scream in pain?"

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