In the depths of Malissora City, in a place shrouded in utter darkness where terror lurked in every corner, the echo of quiet footsteps resonated through the hall. Ghibb stood bowing with respect, and called out in a low voice, filled with awe and fear: an ancient king. Then he uttered the name that made the place shiver: Azrad.
Ghibb's eyes widened as he scanned the depths of the darkness, and tremors seized his stammering voice:
— I have obtained the organs of a single child. Those mercenaries… the dogs of money… they have completed the task.
He hadn't finished speaking when whispers rose, chilling to the bone, as if supernatural dark forces were seeping through the cracks of the place. In the depths of that terrifying silence, the voice of Azrad, the ancient king, thundered, dripping with fear and cruelty:
— Why are you telling me this nonsense? Do you see the remains of a single child as an achievement worth mentioning? You know well, Ghibb, what we are seeking. I sent my elite men, the most experienced in the arts of forbidden energy, to spread across every inch of this land. You, Zaroth and Jin, I assigned you your mission in the southern part of Malissora City.
Azrad's gaze fell on Ghibb with dead eyes. Suddenly, a surge of energy struck Ghibb's body, shaking his entire being, causing pressure and cracks through his body. Blood spilled, and he couldn't even try to stop it. He remained bent, motionless, blood dripping from his body.
Azrad whispered:
— And in every direction, I have placed three of my strongest men: North, West, East… and in the heart of the city itself. Do you dare face me with remnants that neither feed nor satisfy the hunger of my dogs? I granted you power and opened the gates of hell for you to walk upon its flames as a master… and now, you bring me a shame worthy of pity.
Azrad paused for a moment, then added, with a gaze void of any trace of mercy, making Ghibb's chest tremble:
— Know your place, you fool. You know very well that I am tracking my lost son, the sole legitimate heir of the Red Ash Clan. So make sure of your target before extracting any teenager's organs.
Ghibb muttered in broken words, while terror consumed him:
— Yes… I will match his DNA with yours… I will search everywhere. Your son… we will bring him back alive.
At that moment, Ghibb was swallowed by a whirlwind of dark thoughts.
— Now… I understand the secret behind the extermination of the Red Ash Clan… This man is the sole survivor, and he is searching for his lost son, who may already be dead, to turn him into merely a tool in the organization's project. This is madness in itself… with his rare lineage and overwhelming power, he seeks to merge the teenagers' organs with his DNA, using black magic and excessive forbidden energy to create deadly monsters. He wants his son to be the eternal source of these creatures, because his own power consumes his lifespan. The only clan capable of such a feat is the Red Ash Clan, and his son carries the clan's blood.
While Ghibb was immersed in his thoughts, a pale hand suddenly appeared out of nowhere and rested on his shoulder, a voice whispering by his ear:
— Hello… what are you thinking about?
Ghibb recoiled as if stung, leaping back into a defensive stance, his eyes overflowing with fear at the sudden presence. A mocking laugh erupted from Rejin, who said:
— Hey… hey, there's no need for all that fear.
Ghibb whispered to himself, shocked:
— Where did he come from? He's terrifyingly fast… I didn't feel his presence or the aura of forbidden energy until he touched me… how did he conceal it so perfectly?
From behind the throne, a cold female voice emerged:
— Standing beside King Azrad, stop your nonsense, Rejin. The first step was in the dark, but the second was right before him.
Ghibb froze, his blood running cold:
— What? Where did this second one come from? Are they humans… or demons?
The pressure radiating from the place pressed on Ghibb's inner organs, as if the forbidden energy itself was crushing him under the overwhelming presence surrounding them.
Rejin laughed mockingly:
— Hey… hey, I was just joking with him, no need to interfere.
Maya responded with a sharp look:
— Don't annoy Azrad with your childish behavior. Do you understand?
She glared at him, merciless. Rejin sighed in surrender:
— Fine… fine.
Azrad's voice returned to dominate the hall, his pale eyes carrying death in their depths:
— You know what you must do, Ghibb. If you return to me empty-handed again, you know your fate, don't you?
Ghibb answered, fear pressing on his heart:
— Yes… I know.
Azrad spoke with an estranging tone:
— Then leave, you fool… depart.
Ghibb left, dragging behind him the tails of failure and terror, his steps unsteady, like someone who had just escaped the claws of hell. Ghibb sighed, saying:
— I sensed forbidden energies that didn't approach me, lurking in the darkness.
No sooner had his feet touched the street than he pulled out his phone with a trembling hand, calling Zaroth and Jin, speaking in a firm tone, trying to gather the scattered composure within him:
— We move out immediately.