The demon stared at Alexander.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he laughed.
"You are still trying to scare me?"
Alexander slowly raised his head.
The roots were still wrapped around his body.
His arms were trapped.
His legs were trapped.
His body was being drained of power.
But his eyes...
His eyes had not changed.
They were still calm.
The demon stepped closer.
"You don't understand your situation."
"I was sent here by the higher demons."
"They want you alive."
"They want your power."
"If I take you back to them, they will become stronger than anything this world has ever seen."
Alexander remained silent.
The demon smiled.
"So stop fighting."
Alexander looked at him.
"No."
The demon's smile disappeared.
Suddenly, the roots tightened.
Alexander's body was pulled from one side of the room to the other.
BOOM!
He crashed into the wall.
The demon continued draining his strength.
"Give up!"
Another root wrapped around Alexander's neck.
But Alexander still did not give up.
Meanwhile, people were still running from the building.
Some were crying.
Some were screaming.
Others were hiding wherever they could.
"It's a demon!"
"Run!"
"Save yourselves!"
Nobody wanted to stay.
The soldiers had completely lost control.
The old politician was being taken away by two guards when he suddenly stopped.
He looked back.
Alexander was still trapped.
And Aiona was lying unconscious on the floor.
"Wait."
The guards looked at him.
"Sir?"
The old man pointed toward Aiona.
"We can't leave her."
One guard shook his head.
"Sir, it's too dangerous."
The old politician looked at the demon.
Then at Aiona.
"She came here with him."
"We don't leave people behind."
The two guards looked at each other.
Finally, one of them nodded.
They turned around.
But before they could reach Aiona...
A root suddenly burst through the floor.
BOOM!
The guards jumped backward.
The demon laughed.
"Stay away."
"This has nothing to do with you."
The old politician stepped back.
He knew they could do nothing.
Then...
Alexander suddenly stopped struggling.
The demon smiled.
"Finally."
"You understand."
Alexander lowered his head.
The demon walked closer.
"Good."
"Now I can take you to the others."
Alexander slowly lifted his head.
"Others?"
"The higher demons."
The demon smiled proudly.
"They have been waiting for you."
Alexander looked at him for several seconds.
Then he smiled.
The demon froze.
"What are you smiling about?"
Alexander's voice was calm.
"You still don't understand."
The roots around his body suddenly began to shake.
The demon's eyes widened.
"What..."
A small crack appeared on one of the roots.
Then another.
Alexander pulled one arm forward.
The roots tightened.
He pulled again.
CRACK!
One root broke.
The demon stepped backward.
"No..."
Alexander broke another.
CRACK!
Then another.
The demon's face changed.
"Impossible!"
Alexander finally stood straight.
The remaining roots fell to the ground.
The demon stared at him.
"You were supposed to be weakened!"
Alexander looked at his hands.
"I was."
The demon's breathing became heavy.
"Then how..."
Alexander looked directly into his eyes.
"You made another mistake."
"What mistake?"
Alexander's expression became cold.
"You kept giving me time."
The air suddenly changed.
A powerful pressure filled the entire building.
The walls began to shake.
The remaining windows shattered.
Even the demon took a step backward.
Alexander slowly walked toward him.
"You wanted to take me to the higher demons."
"Now..."
"I want to meet them."
The demon's eyes widened.
Alexander disappeared.
The next second...
BOOM!
The demon was sent flying across the room.
He crashed through three walls.
The entire building shook.
Alexander stood where the demon had been.
He looked toward Aiona.
She was still unconscious.
His expression changed immediately.
"Aiona."
He rushed toward her.
He knelt beside her and gently lifted her head.
"Aiona..."
She did not respond.
Alexander looked at the demon's direction.
His eyes became cold again.
The demon slowly pulled himself from the broken wall.
Blood ran from the side of his mouth.
He looked at Alexander...
And for the first time...
He was afraid.
Not because Alexander had attacked him.
But because he finally understood something.
The being he had been ordered to capture...
Was far more dangerous than the higher demons had told him.
The demon wiped the blood from his mouth.
Then he smiled.
"Now I understand."
Alexander stood up.
"Understand what?"
The demon's smile grew wider.
"Why they want you."
Suddenly, a dark mark appeared on the demon's chest.
Alexander's eyes narrowed.
"What is that?"
The demon laughed.
"You'll find out soon."
The mark began to glow.
A dark portal opened behind him.
Alexander took one step forward.
"You're not leaving."
The demon looked at him.
"I don't need to."
Then he smiled.
"They already know where you are."
The portal suddenly became larger.
And from the other side...
Several terrifying auras could be felt.
Alexander stood still.
He could feel them.
The higher demons had arrived.
To be continued...