Chapter 1: A New World

The sound of screeching tires shattered the still of night, smoke engulfed the crash site. The last thing Aiden heard was a gunshot, his eyes blurring, slowly fading the world around him. A fleeting crimson streak caught his gaze for a brief moment. Aiden strained his head to follow the color, until his eyes eventually set on the figure of a girl with crimson hair lying amidst a growing pool of blood. He felt his arms rising instinctively, trying to reach her. Slowly he crept closer, but his body betrayed his resolve before darkness finally consumed his senses.

Aiden’s eyes fluttered open to a completely different scenery. The dreary looking stone walls rise up to a vaulted but broken ceiling allowing shafts of light to seep through. Numerous cracked pillars painted with impact marks of some sought. The whole area was largely empty with occasional torn tapestries still clinging to the crumbling walls. Before Aiden could comprehend the bizarre sight a powerful roar reached his ears.

“PREPARE TO DIE DEMON!”

Aiden’s head snapped to the source of the voice and landed on a blonde girl holding an oversized sword emitting a soft white glow. She stood clad in polished steel armor trimmed with azure. The breastplate was painted a deep blue, a golden sigil engraved proudly at its center. Her blonde hair was tied neatly into a bun, and sharp eyes watching intensely.

A sudden burst of air from behind lunged her forward towards him with the sword aiming at his heart. Aiden, still unable to understand the situation, simply closed his eyes as if his body was already prepared to react with or without his command. A sigil of green radiance forms before him, rings within rings, each band etched with unfamiliar glyphs that shimmered like embers beneath the glass. It evaporates as quickly as it formed leaving behind a powerful gust of wind, forming a defensive barrier right before the sword reaches him. Faced with this unexpected magical performance the girl raises her sword in a defensive position, the wind barrier pushes her back towards the castle walls.

A loud thud followed by a pained voice greeted his ears. The girl ruffled by the sudden onslaught stands back up quickly, retaking a defensive stance anticipating further attacks. Suddenly Aiden felt a chill running down his spine. Closing his eyes he conjures the defensive wind barrier once more, but this time it was summoned behind him. Pained groans echoed throughout the castle walls. He quickly turns to witness the consequences of his action. Another girl with black hair tied into a high pony tail struggled to get back to her feet. She adjusts her short sword while reaching for her dagger on the floor. Aiden registered her appearance, the girl had tanned skin and was wearing a black sleeveless tunic with matching black pants and boots and a purple sleeveless robe to finish her look, her stance was precise, menacing as if she was stalking her prey.

Aiden turned back, facing the blond knight once again evaluating her next move.

“What kind of magic circle was that! It felt chaotic and disoriented but it was not of pure darkness like before”

Aiden shifted his gaze towards the source of the voice, he froze as his gaze fell on to a girl with crimson hair that brushed against her neck. She was wearing a scarlet ankle-length dress with a corset-laced bodice, the neckline dipping in a soft curve above her chest before the fabric flowed down into a long fitting skirt. Her eyes, a deep shade of crimson red like polished rubies glowed softly as she clutched a leather-bound hardcover book to her chest. Aiden’s eyes widened, something about the girl stirred a faint sense of recognition he couldn't place. A jolt of pain ran through his head, he faltered, briefly losing his balance before steadying himself.

The last girl standing beside the blonde knight stepped forward slightly, her staff glowing with a soft, protective light. Her light blue hair could almost look like silver under certain angles. She wore a simple dress, white in color, that flowed around her. Her blue eyes looked pure, with a hint of sadness.

"Please," she said, in a gentle yet firm voice. "Lower your arms, if you can understand us. We do not want unwanted bloodshed. All we want is to contain the demon lord power that has erupted in this region."

She studied Aiden with the same sadness in her eyes, trying to understand the nature of his soul amidst the strange magical aura.

Aiden, still disoriented and unable to make sense of what was happening, stood silently.

“This magic is unfamiliar to us, Sera. Please—we should reconsider our position.” The crimson-haired girl spoke with clear concern.

Seraphina adjusted her grip on the intricately detailed longsword at her side.

“Nyra. We end this here. Get ready.”

The black-haired girl appeared beside Seraphina in the next instant, her hands clutched a sword in one hand and a small dagger in another.

“Iris, prepare a defensive barrier around yourself and Lyria.”

The blue-haired girl nodded quickly and stepped back, raising her staff as a faint magical ward began to form.

With her orders delivered, Seraphina turned to her sister, giving the final instruction:

"Prepare yourself Lyria. Your magic is the only thing that can end this."

Hesitantly, Lyria raised her hand. Her eyes closed as she concentrated on forming her spell, and a series of red circles materialized before her.

The sword in Seraphina’s hand burned with a vibrant blue glow. She shifted her stance, planting her feet firmly as two magical circles flared beneath them. She leveled her blade towards the demon lord.

Aiden closed his eyes.

He could feel his arms rising on his own. Several layers of mystical glyphs manifested before him glowing with green hue slowly hovering in the air.

The girls felt the air getting heavier.

Lyria studied the unfamiliar symbols, her eyes darting across the patterns trying to decipher them. Then she froze.

A weak whisper escapes her lips, her own spell collapsing as the magical circles fade away.

“NO! SERA WAIT!”

Lyria’s frantic cry rang through the castle walls, but it came too late.

Seraphina lunged forward, her blade blazing with azure light. Nyra moved at the same instant, matching her charge from the opposite flank.

Before Aiden, the hovering glyphs began to shift. They rotated faster and faster, aligning into a perfect circle as the air twisted violently around them and the wind began to rise.

The wind erupted into a shrieking gale, tearing through the air as it surged toward the advancing women. Before Seraphina and Nyra could grasp the danger, the raging current engulfed them.

Elara was tossed backwards, she crashed into the dark stone wall with an audible crack, the winds driven from her lungs with a pained gasp. She fell down from the wall, leaving a red smear on its surface as she collapsed. A deep gash near her shoulder bled freely.

Nyra did not fare any better, the gust caught her mid air, twisting her body before smashing her onto the support pillar fifteen feet away. She hit back-first with a dull impact, the stone pillar cracking under pressure. She slumped to the ground, coughing blood, a red trail trickling from her mouth. Nyra tried to reorient herself, she managed to get to her knees before collapsing once again.

A second blast followed, less concussive and more precise. From the still-active magic circle, a wave of shimmering, disintegrating energy pulsed outward. Razor-edged currents sliced through the air, racing straight toward the remaining two.

Lyria’s eyes widened.

“IRIS!”

Iris planted her staff and braced herself, pouring more mana into the barrier. The invisible blades struck.

The wind washed over the shield with the sound of tearing silk.

The lingering magical circles vanished, leaving the air still and heavy with dust. Aiden opened his eyes to a dusty scene stepping into the dust clouds, shielding his eyes from the settling debris. He saw Seraphina and Nyra laying motionless near the wall, a lump emerged in his throat. But he continued to move, towards the girl with crimson hair.

Soft sobs drew Aiden’s attention to the Lyria. She had dropped into a defensive crouch, frantically covering herself. Her elaborate dress was torn, streaks of red marked her exposed skin. Iris attempts to comfort her, ignoring her own appearance. She flinched as Aiden approached. His towering figure loomed over them engulfing both girls in his shadow.

Aiden bents slightly, his pure golden eyes devoid of any emotions. Lyria squirmed when she noticed clawed hands reaching towards her.

“Please, leave her alone!” Iris quickly positions herself between them, staff raised towards the towering beast.

Aiden recoiled at the sudden interruption, a sudden feeling of regret whelmed him. He moved back, reassessing the scene again. Seraphina and Nyra still unresponsive, Lyria and Iris knelt on the floor with torn clothes, cuts and scratches staining their skin with crimson.

Iris falters when she notices Aiden’s gaze lingering on them. She felt her face burning and quickly crossed her arms over herself trying to cover what little fabric still hid her. Iris wanted to curl up and hide but instead she stepped forward shielding Lyria behind her.

Aiden frowned, perplexed at his own mind and his strange fixation on the crimson haired mage. Throughout this chaos, he was able to figure out that things willed into existence on his mere thoughts.

So he willed again.

A sudden brilliant light erupts from his body expanding outward until it surrounded everyone around him.

Iris opened her eyes to an unfamiliar scenery, she found herself in a brightly lit, spacious yet refined room. The walls were painted a royal blue, replacing the dreary broken stones from before.

A large bed draped in soft linen rested against the wall, it was not empty. Instead, Iris could see both Seraphina and Nyra lying peacefully on it. She herself felt an unexpected sense of comfort, beneath her a lush carpet, soft enough to muffle their steps stretched.

Lyria slowly lifted her head taking the sudden transformation of the room, noticing just four of them with no sign of the demon lord.

Suddenly two soft linens materialized over their head, falling gently onto the carpet. Lyria quickly snatched one, wrapping it tightly around herself trying to recover what little decency she could. Iris did the same, gathering the linen around her, she looked at Lyria briefly, smiling before quickly turning her attention towards the bed.

Seraphina and Nyra were placed next to each other, the sheets pulled up to their chests. The gash on Seraphina’s shoulder was still visible, the bruise on Nyra’s back darkening and the blood dried up. They looked like they were merely sleeping, although their expressions were tense.

Iris brought her trembling hands to Seraphina and Nyra’s neck to check their pulse. She quickly grabbed her staff and closed her eyes. The staff began to glow with a soft white light and the same gentle radiance spread across both girls. Iris tensed, frantically pouring more mana into her staff, slowly weaving their wounds. Their injuries were serious.

The door opens with a creak, Lyria immediately turns before backing into the wall, Iris simply watches Aiden, continuing her healing.

Aiden stands in silence for what seems an eternity, before he speaks.

“I am sorry for what happened before, I still do not understand why am I here or what I am doing”

“What was that magic? Who are you?” Lyria demanded “I have never seen magic that destructive before, those glyphs, none of them made any sense” Her questions came one after another.

“I don’t know.” Aiden replies, trying to soften his intimidating voice.

“We thought we had won”

Iris spoke without lifting her head, her voice calm as a quiet lake.

“The demon king fell, he disintegrated right in front of our own eyes, before a bright light appeared, and you were standing there.”

She paused briefly.

“Your powers, they are out of this world, we have faced powerful magic before, but we have never felt this hopeless.”

Iris lifted her head meeting Aiden’s eyes.

“And what of this room, how are you able to conjure things into existence?”

Aiden stood still, giving a small nod.

“I can sense that I do not belong in this world, I do not know how but I can imagine things which come into existence. Even that wind barrier from before, I simply thought about protecting myself and the winds summoned themselves”

“Not from this world?” Lyria replied almost in a whisper. “A summoned hero? But Demon Lords cannot be summoned, only heroes can” She began pacing the room, replying to herself.

Thirty minutes passed.

Iris, still beside the bed, continued weaving her healing magic through Seraphina and Nyra. Her breathing was getting uneven with each passing minute. Aiden slowly scanned the room, his gaze drifting back to the crimson haired mage one again, he watched her pacing the room clearly lost in thought. He began moving his heavy body towards her. Lyria flinched as he approached. Her pacing stopped as she stepped back, all traces of her thoughts shattered. Aiden could see the fear in her eyes. He raised his hands grasping thin air.

A cylindrical container, painted in bright green and sealed at both ends appeared in his hands. He offered the cold can towards Lyria.

“Drink this, it will make you feel better” The bizarre cylindrical container made Lyria lift her eyes in surprise. Curiosity overtaking her hesitation, she accepted the can, flinching slightly at the cold sensation. Lyria turned the object in her hand, trying to observe it from every angle, until she noticed a small tab on one end. Reaching for it, she pulled.

Aiden realized his mistake a second too late. "No, wait, you have to—"

A clear liquid gushed from the opening, spraying directly on Lyria. Aiden quickly grabbed the can from her, diverting it away before it could spill any further

"It's… cold," Lyria whispered, "And sweet, and fizzy?" Lyria licked the few drops that fell on her lips..

"What… what is this? Is this a potion? A magical elixir?" Before Aiden could answer, she grabbed the can from him going for another tiny but cautious sip, her brow furrowed in intense analysis.

"The flavor and texture is unlike any restorative I've studied… fizzing suggests carbonation which in turn refers to some form of alchemical reaction held in stasis within this sealed vessel…..!!"

Aiden stood dumbfounded at her reaction, the timid mage from before was nowhere to be seen, replaced by an ecstatic scholar who looked like she found a world changing breakthrough.

From the bed a low groan interrupted them, Seraphina’s eyes snapped open as her awareness returned.She tried to sit up, Iris supporting her. Seraphina immediately assessed herself, her armor was gone, replaced by a thin white shift that could offer no protection. Her eyes scanned the room, they landed first on Aiden and then shifted to Lyria who was calmly drinking from a strange vessel he had given her.

Anger swelled in her eyes!

“GET AWAY FROM HER” She shouted

Lyria froze