Chapter 10

Xain and the demon saw Grace and Zee standing by the door. Grace wore a scowl, her face radiating anger, while Zee initially displayed confusion. However, that confusion quickly transformed into fear as her gaze locked onto the demon. "What? Wha-what is that?" Zee stammered out, her voice laced with unease.

Meanwhile, Grace, started walking up to Xain. "That woman over there wants you to abandon us!" she exclaimed. Xain, caught off guard, looked at Grace with a mix of confusion and disappointment. "What?" he asked, seeking clarification. Zee, still frozen with fear, struggled to interject as Grace pressed on. "Don't act like you're confused; you know what I'm talking about. She's the same as that old man!"

Xain turned his gaze toward Zee, who was still unable to tear her eyes away from the demon. "Zee, you... sigh, you and Larkin don't have to help. You two can stay in the strider; I can do this alone," Xain suggested with a smile, though Zee could discern the disappointment in his voice. This broke her out of her fear-induced trance, and she turned to face Xain.

"Xain, you don't understand. You owe nothing to these people; their lives aren't your responsibility," Zee argued, earning a glare and a scoff from Grace. "I know, Zee, but that's not something that matters to me. I want to help these people even if I have no reason to," Xain insisted.

Zee persisted, concern etched across her face. "You can die, Xain! Please, I don't want you to—"

She was cut off mid-sentence as Xain interrupted, "I don't want to die either, Zee."

"Then you know you have to—" Xain interjected again, saying, "But I want these people to live even more than that, so I will help them even if you tell me to run away."

As Xain expressed his determination, the scene of his crushed body replayed in Zee's mind. Another death, one that haunted her, also resurfaced in her memories. As these haunting images played in her head, Grace looked at Zee with a mixture of shock and disgust. "You can't be serious?" Grace asked, her tone filled with disbelief, causing confusion in both Zee and Xain.

"Grace, refrain from using your gift in such a manner. It is understandable that Xain's allies would want to shield him from harm. Cease your anger," the demon instructed, intervening in the tense moment. Grace turned to the demon, frustration evident in her expression. "You know that I can't control it! And I know they don't want him to get hurt. But helping us is his choice, not theirs!" she argued passionately.

The demon then turned its attention to Zee, offering a perspective. "What Grace has said holds truth. Xain's decision to help is his own. If he wishes to stay or leave, respect his right as a living being," it advised, emphasizing the importance of respecting Xain's autonomy.

Zee remained perplexed by the surreal scene unfolding before her. Despite the initial terror sparked by the demon's presence, an odd familiarity seemed to mitigate her fear. Abruptly, a sensation penetrated her mind—an unsettling experience, not painful but discomforting. She clutched her head in response to this intrusion.

Concern etched across his face, Xain asked, "What's wrong?" As Zee wrestled with the unsettling intrusion, a voice echoed in her mind. *Defy your elven heritage, child. Do not fall to the level of the rest of your race.* The words echoed in her thoughts, addressing a conflict she grappled with. While the demon's advice resonated with her, the paramount importance of Xain's life overshadowed her internal moral struggle.

"Xain, please, I'm begging you. I know you don't remember, but I don't want to see that again, experience that again. So, please, let's leave! You left Ironhelm to protect us, right? So please, let's just go. I... I... I don't want to see you die again!" Zee pleaded, tears streaming down her face. Her emotional plea hung in the air, leaving Xain utterly perplexed. "What are you talking about?" he breathlessly asked, the gravity of her words escaping his comprehension. *Die again? What does she mean?* Xain thought, his confusion deepening.

Before Xain could grasp the meaning of Zee's words, a thunderous flapping filled the air, reminiscent of feathered wings. The noise, unnaturally loud, ruled out any possibility of it being a bird. Startled, Xain, Zee, Grace, and the demon turned their attention to the source of the cacophony. Their gazes fixed on the stained glass depicting Sarandel above the church's altar.

"What's that sound?" Xain's voice cut through the tension as the flapping drew nearer. Shadows enveloped the church, casting an darkness that contrasted with the light filtering through the stained glass. The silence shattered as the glass resonated with a deafening crash, revealing the emergence of white feathers and pure white wings.

Initially, when Xain and Zee first encountered the demon priest, fear had gripped them—a fear that subsided after hearing it speak. However, it remained undeniable that the first glimpse of the demon had instilled in them a form of primal fear. Now, as they witnessed what shattered through the window, a similar reaction overcame them. Instead of primal fear, they felt a surge of hope—a primal sense of hope upon seeing the figure that had broken through the church window.

But that hope quickly morphed into shock as the figure hurtled towards the demon. Despite the demon's attempt to block the impending attack by placing its arms in front to block, the figure's kick sent it crashing into a pillar of the church. Now positioned between Xain, Zee, and Grace, the figure declared, "One down," before turning to Xain and proclaiming, "One to go."

"You gotta be kidding me," Xain uttered breathlessly, his disbelief evident. What were the odds? Xain had already encountered a demon, a creature he had long believed to be fictional today. Now, another entity he considered mythical had not only kicked the demon away but was also standing before him. Before him stood a man, seemingly in his twenties, with pure white wings unfurled from his back. Clad in a strange black jacket adorned with numerous patches, the man's teal eyes contrasted with his black hair. Before Xain stood an angel, an angel who looked at him with murderous intent.