Chapter 7: The Truth Behind the God

The only sound in the pitch-black night was the crackling of the fire Damon and Elysia had built in the little, secret cave where they sought safety. The flickering flames cast long shadows on the walls, but the warmth of the fire was far from Damon's thoughts. The mysterious hints he had discovered on their most recent expedition—hints that suggested something far worse than he could have ever imagined—occupied his mind.

Damon sat in serious thought as the flames flickered softly, his formerly bright red eyes muted by a heavy doubt. Seeing that he was uncomfortable, Elysia said nothing, giving him the space he appeared to need. She was aware that pressing him during one of certain moods, states in which his thoughts reached farther than the lowest depths.

But there was a difference tonight.

There was something unfamiliar in Damon's customary defiance—doubt. Elysia had never witnessed such a fissure in his unwavering resolve. She kept her mouth shut as she observed him intently, her own heart constricted with worry. She waited for him to say something.

After what seemed like an age, Damon finally shattered the stillness. Even though his voice was soft and hardly audible, it was full with the weight of a thousand victories.

"Elysia, there is a problem with this universe. Something I had never noticed before.

With a small head twist, Elysia reflected the firelight with her silver eyes. "Explain what you mean."

Looking into the flames, Damon seemed to be looking for answers in their tongues that dance. "The God of Light is not who he appears to be. He's concealing something, something that lies under the surface. And for the entire time, I was unaware of it.

Elysia inched forward; her interest peaked. "What have you discovered?"

Damon balled his hand into a fist, turning his knuckles white. "Elysia, it's more than simply a system. It is a penisula. A jail not only for myself but maybe for others as well.

He looked up at her, his eyes burning bright. "Records were stashed away in an old temple that I discovered. They spoke about a time before the gods, when their influence was not felt on the world. Not always was the deity of Light a deity. Like us, he was once mortal.

The breath left Elysia in her throat. The shocking realization was she trusted Damon, though, since she knew him well enough to know he wasn't lying. "How is that possible? Gods exist forever.

With an angry tone in his voice, Damon answered, "That's what they want us to believe." However, it is untrue. The God of Light gained power by betraying people who put their confidence in him and by giving up countless lives. And the structure he put in place for me is a holdover from that betrayal, a way to manage and stifle any opposition to his authority.

As Elysia struggled to piece together the implications of what Damon was saying, her mind raced. Therefore, the system does more than merely make you perform nice things. It's all about controlling you and stopping you from endangering him.

Damon gave a nod, his face growing serious. That's right. Furthermore, there is more involved than just punishment whenever I fight or challenge the system. It's meant to serve as a reminder that he still has control over me. However, there's more. I found something even more disturbing.

He paused, as though the words were too hideous to utter out loud. But Elysia's gentle touch on his arm nudged him even more. "Damon, what is that?"

"The Light God..." He's getting ready for something. Maybe a war or the coming of something far worse. The system's goal is to prepare me and others like me to be weapons for his cause, not only to control me. Elysia, we are more than just pawns—we are offerings.

Elysia's shocked eyes expanded. "Weapons... offerings... "Damon, this is crazy!"

Damon's chin tightened as he battled to control his rage. It's insane. However, it is the reality. I also can't just watch it happen now that I know. I refuse to be his pawn and to be used in his devious schemes.

When Elysia saw the agony in Damon's eyes, her heart hurt. She had seen glimpses of a weakness there just a few times previously, despite his evil demeanor. He was more than simply a demon king; he was a being entangled in a web of falsehoods and deceit, fighting to take control of his own fate.

"Damon, what do we do?" Her question was softly spoken but determined.

With a hardening look, Damon's eyes rekindled with a fresh objective. "We permanently shatter the system. After that, we vanquish the Light God. I'll give him a war if that's what he wants. However, this time, I'll set the terms.

With a determined nod, Elysia matched his. "I support you, Damon. Together, we will do whatever is necessary.

Damon smiled, one of those rare sincere smiles that was simultaneously endearing and menacing. "So, together."

With a renewed sense of resolve enveloping them, Damon realized that the fight that lay ahead would be the most arduous he had ever faced. But he wasn't confronting it alone for the first time in a very long time.

And it may be his most powerful tool of all, he realized.