The swirling portal shimmered as Clyde stepped through and emerging into the heart of Sivagadh Fortress. As Clyde emerged, a hush fell over the bustling square.
His entire body was covered in soot and ash, his clothes singed and tattered from the battle. His once pristine black coat was streaked with blackened grime and traces of molten blood clung to his arms.
The sharp, acrid scent of burnt fabric and scorched flesh followed him, causing some of the bystanders to recoil slightly.
Whispers spread through the crowd.
"What happened to him...?"
"Looks like he walked straight out of a battlefield again."
"Did he fight something powerful again this time?"
Clyde ignored them all. He had no patience for their curiosity. Without breaking stride, he moved through the streets with quick steps. His only goal right now was to reach his quarters.
By the time he arrived at his residence he found Samuel walking outside the building. He must be from somewhere near and coincidentally meet him here.
The moment Samuel saw him, his brows furrowed. His gaze swept over Clyde’s appearance, looking at the layers of grime and exhaustion on his face.
"Where the hell have you been?" Samuel asked.
Clyde exhaled, running a hand through his soot-streaked face. "Just went to some Ruins."
Samuel’s frown deepened. "For what?"
"For something. You don’t need to know."
A heavy silence settled between them.
Samuel studied him for a moment before sighing in resignation. "Ah... alright."
Clyde didn’t wait for further questioning. He simply stepped past Samuel and entered his quarters, shutting the door behind him.
The first thing Clyde did after he entered his own room was head straight for the bathroom.
The moment he stepped under the cold water, a deep sigh left his lips. The cold seeped into his skin thenn washing away the layers of battle, the scent of smoke, and the remnants of his struggle againts the burning world.
Steam curled around him, and for the first time in hours, he felt the tension in his muscles begin to ease.
He stayed there for a while, letting the water cleanse not just his body but his mind as well. The weight of everything pressed against his thoughts but he pushed them aside.
Eventually, he stepped out, dried his body off, and dressed in fresh clothes.
Sitting on his bed, he finally allowed himself to rest.
Clyde then summoned the Infernal Medallion of Asmodeus into his palm.
The obsidian-black artifact gleamed under the dim light, its crimson runes pulsing faintly as if breathing. The deep red gemstone at its center swirled with molten energy, radiating a subtle heat. Even now, he could feel the magic power of hellfire contained within it.
He just got a medallion that give him power of Hellfire Infusion and Demon King’s Authority.
A smirk tugged at his lips.
With this, his strength had increased once more. This could become another powerful tool for what lay ahead og him.
He exhaled, leaning back against the bed, still holding the medallion in his hand.
For now, he choose to rest.
Clyde drifted in the darkness. Weightless and suspended in the air.
A dense, suffocating pressure surrounded him, pressing against his skin. The void was silent. Even his own breathing felt muted as if sound had no place here.
He frowned. He had gone to sleep in his quarters, lying on his bed, holding the Infernal Medallion. So why was he here?
No. This didn’t feel like any dream he had ever experienced. Dreams were fleeting and chaotic. But this place felt real. The weight of the air, the pulse of energy in the distance, the way his own body responded to the oppressive atmosphere, it was as if he had stepped into another realm entirely.
Clyde tested his movements, shifting his body. He could move.
Then he saw a light off in the distance and flickering faintly.
It pulsed erratically, as if struggling against the darkness, barely holding its form. Something was there beside him.
Clyde narrowed his eyes and willed himself forward. His body responded instantly, gliding toward the light with effortless motion.
As he drew closer, the thick swirling black mist around him began to shift. It peeled away like dissipating smoke then revealing a vast ancient chamber — or what remained of one.
Towering obsidian pillars, cracked and weathered, jutted from the ground at odd angles. Faint golden symbols flickered along the ruins, their glow flickering like dying embers.
And at the center of it all, he saw three figures knelt before a winged being.
Clyde came to a stop, hovering just beyond the mist’s edge.
The kneeling figures, clad in flowing white and silver robes, radiated an unmistakable Angelic aura, an overwhelming presence of divine energy.
But it was the winged figure standing before them that commanded Clyde’s full attention.
He was tall, the figure had long, flowing black hair that cascaded down his back, a stark contrast to his brilliant silver wings that stretched wide.
He wore pristine white armor, its surface etched with celestial engravings. His presence was almost suffocating. His divine force made the air tremble around them.
"What...? Who is that?"
The scene was surreal. He had seen many Angels before but this one was somehow feels different.
Clyde hovered closer, his movements slow and cautious. He observed their posture. The kneeling figures showed no signs of awareness. Their gazes were locked onto the armored being with empty expression on their face.
"They can’t see me." Clyde concluded after he hovered so close but nobody seems to notice him.
His focus shifted. The air around the silver-winged figure crackled with restrained energy, something ancient and far more potent than the standard radiance of an Angel.
Clyde narrowed his eyes. "Just what the hell am I looking at?"
And then, the figure spoke.
"You three will also be servants to the Ancient Ones and witness their might — just like me," the silver-winged figure declared.
Clyde frowned. "Ancient Ones?"
Before he could process it, the kneeling figures jerked back violently. Their bodies convulsed as they threw their heads upward, mouths stretching unnaturally wide in a scream until sound finally erupted.
A raw and maddening wail shattered the silence.
Clyde’s eyes widened. Their pupils vanished, replaced by pools of abyssal black. Their faces twisted in horror, as if staring into something that even beings like them should ever see.