Dark & Light – Chapter 19: The Hidden Sanctuary

The Name He Hates

The scent of burning flesh lingered in the clearing, thick black smoke rising into the sky. Vael stood over the smoldering remains of the demon lieutenant, watching as the body was consumed by his black flames—a power distinctively his.

He let out a quiet tsk, flicking the blood off his daggers before they vanished back into thin air.

"I have always hated that title."

The Unchained.

A name that carried weight. A name that had once shaken the Demon Realm itself. A name that still followed him despite all the years he had spent trying to forget.

For a brief moment, he wondered—if they still feared him, did that mean he still existed in their world?

Or was he merely a ghost haunting the edges of a war that no longer mattered to him?

With a sigh, Vael crushed a small blue stone in his palm, releasing the last embers of his black flames. He watched the final flickers of the lieutenant's corpse disintegrate before turning back toward the road.

He had wasted enough time.

Rai's Suspicion

By the time Vael caught up, Rai was still riding ahead, his expression unreadable as he stared at the road before him.

Vael pulled up beside him, keeping a neutral face. "Took care of it."

Rai shot him a sideways glance. "You took your time."

Vael adjusted the reins on his horse. "Had to deal with something."

Rai's eyes narrowed slightly. "Like what?"

Vael didn't even hesitate. "An ancient beast. It was getting too close to a village, so I led it away."

Rai furrowed his brows. "You, a guy who claims to not care about anything, wasted your time helping a random village?"

Vael smirked. "Didn't think you'd be complaining about me doing something good."

Rai held his gaze for a moment longer before shaking his head. Something about this wasn't adding up.

He knew Vael wasn't someone who acted without reason.

The Vael he had traveled with for a week—the one who lived isolated in a tavern, away from the world—was not the kind of man who would go out of his way to protect strangers.

Yet, here he was, claiming that's exactly what he had done.

Rai didn't push further, but the thought lodged itself in his mind like a splinter.

Something wasn't right.

Instead, he just sighed and nudged his horse forward. "Whatever. Let's keep going."

Vael followed, keeping his gaze on the road ahead.

Two Days Later – The Mountain Ascent

For two days, they rode through forests, across rolling hills, and along winding dirt paths.

The journey was quiet, but Rai could feel a subtle change in the air. The further north they traveled, the colder the wind became, and the denser the mist that hung between the trees.

Something about this region felt different.

Like they were heading toward a place forgotten by time.

When they finally reached the base of a massive mountain range, Rai pulled his horse to a stop, squinting up at the towering peaks. Wisps of mist curled around the slopes, hiding whatever lay beyond.

Vael dismounted, giving the reins a loose tie to a nearby rock.

"This is it."

Rai glanced around, confused. "Huh? There's nothing here."

Vael scoffed, walking toward a large, smooth boulder embedded in the cliffside. "You're impatient."

Rai watched as Vael reached into his cloak, pulling out a small, glowing blue stone.

Without hesitation, he crushed it in his palm.

A pulse of energy rippled through the air.

The mist shifted. The ground trembled slightly.

And then—reality itself wavered.

Rai's eyes widened as a massive structure emerged from the mountain, as if it had always been there.

A tavern, perfectly intact, stood against the mountainside, its wooden beams and stone foundation looking as solid as ever. It was exactly the same as before.

No— it was the exact same tavern from before.

Rai's mouth fell open. "What the hell?!"

Vael smirked. "Surprised?"

Rai jumped off his horse, walking up to the tavern and running his hands along the wooden walls. "How… how did you do that?"

Vael dusted off his gloves. "Transportation Stone. Eden has them."

Rai turned, still trying to process what just happened. "Okay, but what even is that? How does it work?"

The Secret of Eden's Crystals

Vael leaned against the tavern's entrance, crossing his arms. "You know how angels and demons have their own sources of power?"

Rai nodded. "Yeah. Angels have light, demons have darkness."

Vael gestured toward the ground beneath them. "Eden has something different—Crystals."

Rai blinked. "Crystals? Like… rocks?"

Vael chuckled. "Not just any rocks. These crystals absorb ambient energy from both the Angelic and Demon realms that seep into Eden over time. They store power like a reservoir. Humans, even though they have no magic of their own, figured out how to enchant these crystals to mimic magic."

Rai's eyes widened. "So… humans do have magic?"

Vael shook his head. "Not in the way angels and demons do. The crystals are expensive, hard to find, and only skilled enchanters can bind them to objects. They can't be used for offense—only for defensive or utility-based magic."

Rai thought about it for a moment. "So these stones can be used for things like… making a building teleport?"

Vael smirked, tossing a small blue shard into the air before catching it. "Exactly. Enchanted crystals allow humans to create barriers, illusions, storage spaces, and transportation effects."

Rai crossed his arms. "And where did you get yours?"

Vael's smirk widened. "Dug it up myself."

Rai exhaled. "Of course you did."

Returning to the Tavern

Rai stepped inside, and for the first time in a while, he felt like he was returning home.

The wooden furniture, the crackling fireplace, the faint scent of old oak and aged ale—it was exactly how he remembered it.

Vael walked behind the counter, setting down his gear and stretching his arms. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, your real training begins."

Rai groaned, rubbing his face. "You mean I haven't been training already?"

Vael smirked. "That was the warm-up."

Rai flopped onto a chair. "Great."

Despite his complaints, a small part of him was excited.

Because for the first time, he wasn't just surviving.

He was growing stronger.

And whatever lay ahead—he would be ready for it.