No Master Needed

Karyan couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh, the kind that had no humor but was filled with irony and disbelief. "Children?" he repeated, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You're telling me this sorcerer sends you to kill children for their 'power'?"

Sin, who had seen much in his existence, looked visibly rattled. 

For a demon, who was thought to have witnessed every shade of human depravity, the notion of killing innocent children seemed to dig deep into whatever semblance of a conscience he might have possessed.

"Yes," Nedeira replied softly. Her eyes were downcast, it carried shame and regret. "I don't want to do it. I never did. But he's got this hold on me, and I can't seem to break free."

Sin shook his head, "Even for a demon, there are lines we don't cross. Children are off-limits. They're... they're just kids."

Karyan's face was stern as he processed the situation. "We can't let this happen. Not under any circumstance. Tonight, we're going to stop it."

Nedeira looked up, "But how?"

"You might be his puppet," Karyan said, "but every puppet has a master, and every master has weaknesses. We just need to find his."

Sin added, "We need a plan. If we can't go after the sorcerer directly, we'll have to disrupt the ritual. Sabotage it."

Karyan's eyes gleamed, he had other intentions. "Exactly. If we can stop the sacrifice, we can stop the flow of power to the sorcerer."

"But how?" Nedeira asked, her voice trembled with the weight of her past actions.

"We'll replace the intended targets with something else. If you're blinded during the act, you won't know the difference. We can save the children and feed the sorcerer a taste of his own medicine," Karyan tried to explain.

Sin let out a low, appreciative whistle. "Clever. Use the sorcerer's own trick against him. But what do we use as a substitute?"

"That," Karyan said, a sly smile appeared on his face, "is where we'll need some creativity."

Nedeira's expression changed. "I have some old dolls. They were the only friends I had when I was little. We could use them. I can... I can make them look like children from a distance."

Sin nodded, impressed with the idea. "Good. That could work. While the sorcerer is busy with his sham of a ritual, we'll find a way to get to him now."

Karyan stood and looked at the pair, "We have until nightfall to prepare. Nedeira, you get the dolls ready."

"And then?" Nedeira asked, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.

"And then," Karyan added, "prepare for tonight."

As Nedeira left the room, Sin looked at Karyan, "you are really going to kill them, aren't you?" 

"Yes…" Karyan replied calmly, "but she's weak and emotional, she might not be able to understand me."

"But I do."

"You are a demon, your mind is as dark as mine," Karyan smirked. 

"Nice act…"

"I can say the same about you, your love for children, bravo, demon." 

Sin turned around, "you are playing your games, but I did my research on you and I know the spell you used to come back and what it took you to come back…"

Karyan stood against him, "so what?" His eyes met Sin's, "are you going to threaten me?" 

"Maybe. It all depends…"

"You are hopeless, Sin. You can't do anything to me, yet your clock is ticking before you go back to the afterlife…" Karyan smirked again, "tick, tock, tick, tock…" he played with his finger.

"The hand, do it with your right one…"

"The right one can kill you, stick to the left one…"

"A human is mocking me, me! A demon!" Sin laughed out loud.

"You're a demon with emotions, an interesting one." 

"I told you, make a pact with me and I will help you to turn this world into chaos, as you wish…"

"Nice offer, but one snake is enough for me already…"

"Why? What if I'd make a pact with that human girl and ruin your plans…what's then?"

The left corner of Karyan's lips lifted on its own, "go, try…I will find another one." 

"Getting the bitch's Lanta's power, you're incredibly confident, Karyan, the serpent master…"

"Now, deceiver, if you're done talking, tell me when the kids enter the entertainment house. I have something to prepare." 

"You will help me to find a master, remember."

"Yes, after this bullshit, I will make sure you have a master, demon." 

"Well, great!" Sin's tone immediately switched. 

Sin left and Karyan placed his body on the bed, "it's easy…it's very easy to kill everyone here and kidnap her for myself, but the witnesses, chaos and the talk…I don't need that now." 

"Karyan, what are you planning to do exactly?" Sera asked him.

"I'm going to follow my plan for now…"

"It took you so many years, and now you got everything you needed, why not strike Mateo now?" 

"I can't…not until Lanta's last breath."

Sera looked at him, "what does Lanta have to do with your plans?"

Karyan didn't answer.

Even though she was dying, Karyan was going to kill her soon himself. 

She was helpful, and kept him alive for so long, but Karyan couldn't stay with that thought of having a master. 

She was stronger than him, but not for long. 

"Nothing, Sera…go search for something that could burn easily, I need it."