Jax was touching his new horns.

Running his fingers along the curved, crystalline structures sprouting from his forehead.

He turned to Astrid with the excitement of a child on Christmas morning.

"Do I look badass in these?"

She just sighed.

'How can a person be so childish and terrifying at the same time?'

Her mind drifted back to how they'd ended up in this mess.

They had walked for barely ten minutes after leaving the cave.

And found themselves staring at a city.

Not some backwater village. Not as impressive as Astryx Academy's floating island either.

It was something in between. Medieval fantasy architecture. Stone buildings. Cobblestone streets. Market stalls and taverns.

Guards stood at the main gate.

Well, stood was generous. They were lounging. Relaxed. As if the concept of threats didn't exist in their vocabulary.

People walked freely through the entrance. No inspections. No questions.

And every single one of them—guards, merchants, civilians was a demon.

Horns. Tails. Wings. Various shades of unnatural skin.

Astrid's blood had run cold.

They were in the Demon Realm.

She had grabbed Jax and explained everything she knew. The Demon Realm was a hidden territory somewhere in Veldoria. Accessible only through void rifts that no one knew existed.

Except demons.

And now they were stuck here.

She had listed the horrifying things that could happen. The torture. The enslavement. The experiments demons were known to perform on other races.

Jax's response?

His eyes had lit up with excitement.

Like a tourist who'd accidentally stumbled into the most exclusive attraction.

Astrid had wanted to strangle him.

But a solution formed in her mind before this overgrown child could run off asking demons for autographs.

Demons came in varieties.

Some had only horns curved backward, tilted at various angles.

Some had horns plus wings and tails.

And some were full monstrosities. Complete demonic forms that barely resembled anything humanoid.

The horn-only variants were common enough that they could blend in.

Astrid had used her creation magic. The same power that had formed spears and chains in battle.

Her first attempt was rough. Imperfect. But it gave her the blueprint.

She crafted a pair for Jax which was forming or attaching on his head. Dark crystalline structures—not the pure obsidian black of real demon horns, but close enough.

Jax had felt them immediately.

His hands shot up to explore. Touching. Stroking. Adjusting.

His face was pure joy.

Then he'd pulled one off.

It came free with slight force.

Astrid had hissed in frustration. "Now what?!"

"Make me a new one."

He'd described his ideal design. Specific curves. Exact angles. Particular positioning.

Sighing deeply, she had complied.

After several attempts of course for Jax liking, both of them sported convincing demon horns.

The guards at the gate hadn't even glanced their way.

And now here they were.

Roaming the demon city streets.

Jax still admiring his reflection in every window they passed.

"Seriously though do I look badass?"

Astrid pulled her hood lower.

The hood had been acquired through... aggressive negotiations.

Which meant they'd beaten up a demon outside the walls and stolen his cloak.

She'd needed it initially to hide her pointed elf ears—a dead giveaway of her race.

But now it served double duty.

Hiding from the stares.

People were definitely looking at them.

Maybe because of Jax's ridiculous behavior.

Maybe because they assumed the two were a couple.

Either way, Astrid wanted to disappear.

"Oh, look!"

Jax pointed excitedly at a building ahead.

A restaurant of some kind. Steam rising from the windows. The smell of roasted meat wafting through the air.

"I bet there's something delicious cooking for us!"

He was already moving.

"Wait!"

Astrid grabbed for his arm but missed.

"We don't have money! We can't just—"

Jax spun around. Grabbed HER arm instead.

"Coins are just one way of paying."

He dragged her toward the entrance.

Astrid's heart dropped into her stomach.

'He's going to sell me. This bastard is going to trade me for food.'

She dug her heels in.

"If you DARE do anything with me, I'm revealing your identity to everyone here!"

Jax ignored her completely.

He pushed through the door. Spotted an empty table. Sat down.

Astrid followed reluctantly. Still terrified. Still planning escape routes.

"Now what?"

She glanced around the establishment.

Demons everywhere. Eating. Drinking. Laughing.

And at the counter, customers paying BEFORE receiving their food.

"Look. They pay first."

She leaned toward Jax.

"If your genius strategy was to eat and run without paying, Congratulations. It already failed."

Jax just smiled.

"Don't you worry, dear."

His voice was calm. Confident.

"Food crawls to the worthy."

Then his head dropped onto the table.

Out cold.

"Professor?!"

Astrid reached for him. Shook his shoulder.

No response.

'Did he just... fall asleep? NOW?!'

She was about to slap him awake when—

"Excuse me, miss."

A waiter appeared beside their table.

Astrid froze.

The demon waiter bowed elegantly. In his hands, a plate piled high with skewered meat. Charred to perfection. Glistening with sauce.

He set it down before them.

"Hellspice Blackflame Bloodpepper Kebabs."

He gestured to the unconscious Jax.

"For the miss and her handsome husband. Compliments of the house."

Astrid's brain short-circuited.

'Husband?'

'Compliments?'

'What is happening?'

The waiter bowed again and walked away.

No. Not walked.

Wandered.

Like he wasn't sure where he was going. Or why.

He disappeared around a corner.

Meanwhile, Jax in the waiter's body had walked as far from the restaurant as possible before releasing Soul Thief.

'That should keep him confused for the rest of his life.'

He was quite proud of the dish name he'd invented on the spot.

'Hellspice Blackflame Bloodpepper Kebabs. Has a nice ring to it.'

Astrid shook Jax's shoulder again.

"Professor! The food!"

Jax's eyes fluttered open.

He yawned dramatically. Stretched his arms above his head.

"Mmm... sorry. My beauty sleep wasn't complete last night."

He scratched his head.

"That grandmother of Aeliana's kept me running until dawn."

He looked at the plate.

Zero surprise.

As if he'd expected it to appear.

"Thank god for the food."

He grabbed a skewer and bit into the meat.

Chewing happily.

Then, mouth still full, he gestured at Astrid.

"Eat up. Before that beast in your stomach starts haunting the demons here."

She glared at him.

But her hand reached for a skewer anyway.

She bit into it. Still While staring at him with angry eyes.

She ate in angry silence.

The plate was cleaned within minutes.

Jax leaned back. Let out a satisfied burp.

"These demons sure know how to eat. Half that plate was enough to fill me completely."

He patted his stomach.

Then glanced at Astrid.

"Don't tell me you want MORE, glutton."

Her eye twitched.

She opened her mouth to fire back—

CRASH.

Screaming erupted outside.

The sound of breaking glass. Running footsteps. Panicked voices.

Both of them turned toward the window.

Chaos had arrived.

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