The Damned Demon

Chapter 747  The Price Of Lies And Truth

n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The afternoon air whipped around Asher as he exited the Tower of Hell, his body somewhat exhausted after spending all that mana back to back.

He barely had time to gather his bearings when Rebecca appeared, rushing towards him with a frantic expression on her face, her usually confident demeanor shattered by a raw desperation.

"My son is in danger! I have to save him!" Rebecca exclaimed, her voice thick with panic.

Asher gave her a baffled look, trying to process her words, "Take a breath. Kira wouldn't have gotten through his mind yet." His voice was steady, but his gaze held concern.

Rebecca's eyes glistened with tears, and she shook her head, her fear palpable, "You don't understand. Our kingdom is exposed! That stupid key gave out after devouring all our Deviars!" Her hands trembled as she held them out, as if the weight of the kingdom's fate was crushing her.

Asher's eyes widened in shock, the realization hitting him with the force of a storm. The key had failed earlier than anticipated.

"Fine," Asher said, trying to remain calm despite the gnawing worry in his chest, "Kira must be busy planning to attack us. You go and save your son while she's distracted. She's deep in the Death Abyss, but you better come back. I need you in one piece."

Rebecca nodded, her face set in determination, before she shot up into the skies, leaving a streak of icy air in her wake. Asher felt worried if she would really be fine, but he knew he couldn't afford to worry about her now, not when she was too determined to save Oberon.

Even if he forcibly kept her by his side, it would just make things worse.

However, he didn't waste another second. He sprinted into the air, pushing himself to fly faster toward the castle. As he soared over the cities and towns of his kingdom, the sense of panic was unmistakable. People rushed through the streets, hurrying to evacuate the elderly and children, while young men and women prepared for battle, their faces grim and determined. The weight of what was coming pressed heavily upon him.

There were millions of people and he knew it was impossible to evacuate them all in time.

Asher realized he needed to formulate an emergency plan even if it meant using the Void Reaver, but his mind raced with other worries. He activated his Whisper Stone to contact Lysandra, only to be met with silence. His heart tightened. She should have disposed of Drakar by now unless something went wrong.

He immediately called Naida, who should know about everything that happens outside the kingdom.

"Asher? You are finally out? We have been waiting to reach you," Naida said in a grave voice.

"I know, I know. I am heading towards the castle now. But for now, tell me what happened with Lysandra?" Asher asked while speeding through the air.

Naida's voice grew somber as she said, "Lysandra's insurrection failed, Asher. Drakar somehow knew what she was planning and had her trapped before she could kill him."

Asher's eyes widened as he couldn't believe it. How could Drakar have known after all the precautions they took? Lysandra wasn't one to be careless enough to slip anything.

"According to my sources, Rhygar betrayed her at the last moment. I am sorry, Asher. She couldn't have seen it coming after he suddenly switched sides," Naida said in a low voice.

Asher felt his heart clench as he asked, "Lysandra…what happened to her?" He wished he could fly straight over to Draconis Kingdom to see for himself but his heart grew heavy with the realization that he can't.

"Don't worry. Lysandra somehow managed to escape before Drakar could do anything. But we have more pressing things to worry about now. She will be fine. You should focus on what we are going to do now," Naida said in a tone of reassurance.

"I know. I will call you after I discuss things with Rowena," Asher said as he put away his Whisper Stone, wondering why everything was going wrong at the same time.

Most of his trusted and loyal ones were either captured or had their hands tied, like Mikhail and his family, whom he had convinced to stay put instead of going to war with the WHA, where they would just end up getting destroyed.

With a deep breath, Asher reminded himself to stay calm. Don't panic. Focus. He accelerated, his thoughts now set on reaching Rowena and making sure she was safe, on top of strategizing their next move.

Descending into his castle's grounds, Asher saw the Crimson Army's guards stationed at every corner, thousands standing at attention, awaiting his orders. The army was ready. But as he stepped into the castle, a sense of foreboding took over.

Isola rushed towards him, grabbing his arm, "Asher, something's wrong. Rowena has locked herself in the study hall and isn't letting anyone enter or respond. People here are getting worried, but she isn't listening to any of us," she said, her voice strained with worry.

Ceti and Merina also were standing around him with looks of confusion and concern as they believed only Asher could find out.

Asher's brows furrowed, "You guys don't worry about this. It must be nothing. So focus on what you have to do."

Ceti parted her lips as if she wanted to mention that Rowena was pregnant. But she remembered Rowena telling her that she would reveal it to Asher herself and so she swallowed back her words.

Asher turned to Isola, "But I want you to come with me just in case," Asher thought that Rowena was probably too worried about what was going to happen and felt Isola could help him placate her.

Isola nodded. She grabbed his hand, and he teleported them both into the study hall.

But the moment they arrived, what they saw stopped them in their tracks.

Rowena was on the floor, on her knees, in the middle of the room, her back turned to them. But it was what she was holding that made Asher's and Isola's heart drop to his stomach—Cedric's severed head cradled in her hands, the lifeless expression of the face sending a chill down Asher's spine.

A sickening silence filled the room. Isola stood frozen in shock, her hands balled into fists, while Asher's heart thudded in his chest.

"R-Rowena... what are you doing?" Asher found his voice, asking softly as he took a hesitant step forward.

But before he could reach her, Rowena's voice came—eerily calm, low, yet piercing, "Was it all a lie?"

Asher's eyes widened at her words, his body tensing. She somehow found out? His mind scrambled for the right words, "Rowena, I don't—"

Suddenly, Rowena let go of the head and dropped a Sphere Stone onto the floor. It hummed to life, its light expanding until it projected multiple large images around them, surrounding Asher with a haunting array of visuals. The projections flickered, showing intimate moments he shared with Rachel and Amelia before showing tender moments he had shared with Grace, Emiko, and Yui…where he talked and treated them in a way no demon would.

Asher's heart sank. How did she get these? It had to be someone close who recorded all of this, but then nobody came to his mind who could betray him. The only ones who could have seen these were Rachel, Amelia, Grace, Rebecca, Emiko, and Yui. He had complete confidence in their loyalty, which confused him even more.

But then, one projection froze him and his racing thoughts in place. It was a projection of a memory, a scene he had always dreaded her watching.

In it, Asher stood as the Golden Prince, locked in combat with Rowena's father. He could see himself striking the final blow, the killing blow that had ended the life of her father. But the projection abruptly ended, not showing what her father told him before disappearing in a strange way.

Yet Asher's throat tightened, the weight of guilt crashing over him as the room fell dead silent.

Rowena's voice sliced through the tension, still low and calm, "Tell me the truth at least this once... Are you really the Golden Prince?"

Asher stood still, his mind racing, struggling for words. His heart ached for the woman he loved. The truth was out now, but how could he explain the complexity of the life he had lived? The battles, the choices, the lies, and the inevitable truths he had kept hidden.

Isola could feel the tension in Asher's aura, but she didn't even know what the right thing to do was. She could only wait and see what Asher was planning to do. They always dreaded this day would come but wasn't prepared to deal with it so early.

"Rowena, we can discuss this la-"

"Tell me…" Hearing her repeat herself made Asher realize she wasn't going to budge until he told her.

With a soft exhale, Asher finally spoke, his voice steady but heavy with the weight of the truth, "The answer isn't simple. But I…I was once the Golden Prince."